Asked by: Norman Lamb (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many buildings owned by Government Departments are currently empty in (a) Norfolk and (b) North Norfolk; and if he will provide a list of those buildings, the Departments to which they belong and the plans he has for their future use.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
Cabinet Office only has records of core central property that have been provided by departments. The Government Property Unit is responsible for minimising vacancy by supporting departments to sell, sublet, find alternative use, and to do early surrenders. Interventions such as these have contributed significantly to minimising the vacancy rates and cost to the taxpayer.
As shown in the State of the Estate Report 2015-16 published in February 2017, total vacant space represents 1.4% of the entire Central Estate, a drop of 2% from 2014–15. This is well below the average in the private sector of 8.9%.
No buildings appear on the unit’s electronic property system as vacant in North Norfolk area. In the wider Norfolk area, there is one building that is vacant and records show that this building was used for vehicle testing and is being marketed for sale:
List A: Vacant building in Norfolk
Property Name | Property Address | Department |
(Erstwhile) CRIMPLESHAM TEST STATION | BEXWELL AIRFIELD KING'S LYNN NORFOLK PE33 9DU | Department for Transport |
Asked by: Norman Lamb (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many working days were lost due to mental illness in his Department in each of the last three years.
Answered by Ben Gummer
The table below sets out information about working days lost in my Department due to sickness absence related to mental illness over the last three calendar years.
Calendar Year | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
Working Days Lost due to Mental Illness | 1574 | 1382 | 1443 |
As % of All Sick Absence | 39% | 31% | 29% |
As % of Total Workforce | 1.7% | 1.6% | 1.7% |
The Cabinet Office is committed to reducing work related absence due to mental illness and has a number of services in place to support members of staff suffering from such conditions. Our Workwell community is staffed by volunteers who aim to make Cabinet Office a happy and healthy workplace through a number of interventions including a listening service for staff. We also offer a 24 hour counselling support helpline through our Employee Assistance Programme provider and advocate early referral to our occupational health service where appropriate for advice on a number of conditions including mental health.
Asked by: Norman Lamb (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the petition on the change.org website, entitled Restore truthful politics - create an independent office to monitor political campaigns, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of creating such an office; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by John Penrose
The Government will consider this and other issues relating to the regulation of campaigning at referendums, following the publication of the Electoral Commission's report on the administration of the referendum on the United Kingdom's membership of European Union.
Asked by: Norman Lamb (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reasons the exemption from the anti-lobbying clause is limited to Research Councils, National Academies and the Higher Education Funding Council for England; and if he will delay the implementation of that clause until a full consultation has taken place.
Answered by Matt Hancock
As I made clear in the House on 27 April, we are continuing to consider the comments of all interested parties, ahead of the introduction into grant agreements of the clause aimed at protecting taxpayers' money from being wasted on government lobbying government. We are pausing the implementation, pending a review of the representations made, and to give further time to consider any necessary adjustments to the wording of the clause, or the policy on its implementation, to help to deliver this policy in the best possible way for all involved.
Asked by: Norman Lamb (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the main causes of death are for (a) men and (b) women aged (i) five to 19 and (ii) 20 to 34 in England.
Answered by Rob Wilson
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.