Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Cabinet Office, what assessment she has made of the reason that people who are economically inactive and are not (a) students, (b) unable to work due to sickness, (c) looking after homes or caring for family members and (b) retired are not actively looking for work.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many officials at (a) grade six, (b) grade seven and (c) SCS1 and above, have left his Department in each quarter of each year since July 2016.
Answered by Oliver Dowden - Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Grade 7 and Grade 6 is currently a combined grade in Cabinet Office known as Band A. The Department also has an additional grade between Band A and SCS1 level known as 'Extended Band A'.
The table below shows how many officials at those grades have left Cabinet Office in each quarter of each year since 1 April 2016.
Quarter | Band A (G6/7 combined) | Extended Band A | SCS1 and above |
Q1 16/17 | 82 | 0 | 28 |
Q2 16/17 | 69 | 0 | 24 |
Q3 16/17 | 95 | 0 | 18 |
Q4 16/17 | 33 | 0 | 16 |
Q1 17/18 | 65 | 0 | 20 |
Q2 17/18 | 79 | 3 | 8 |
Q3 17/18 | 56 | 2 | 7 |
Q4 17/18 | 59 | 6 | 8 |
Q1 18/19 | 93 | 8 | 14 |
Q2 18/19 | 96 | 3 | 20 |
Q3 18/19 | 71 | 6 | 8 |
Q4 18/19 | 41 | 7 | 20 |
In the context of the total workforce size, the numbers of leavers in the grades shown represented 14% of the workforce in 2016/17, and 6% in both 2017/18 and 2018/19. This
compares with a figure of 16.5% for the Private Sector.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has designated G4S as a high risk strategic supplier.
Answered by Oliver Dowden - Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
As stated in para 6.4 of the Strategic Supplier Risk Management policy (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/80222/20121108_Strategic_Supplier_Risk_Management_Policy.pdf Cabinet Office does not publish supplier ratings.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many international students from (a) another EU country and (b) outside the EU reside in each parliamentary constituency.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions he has had with the Department for Exiting the European Union on the contents of the White Paper entitled The United Kingdom's exit from and new partnership with the European Union, Cm 9417, published in February 2017.
Answered by Ben Gummer
The Cabinet Office and other Departments are working closely with the Department for Exiting the European Union on all aspects of exiting the European Union.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2016 to Question 39321, on Civil Service recruitment, what assessment he has made of the effect of the geographical focus on London of fast stream recruitment on his Department's plans to diversify the civil service.
Answered by Matt Hancock
Research undertaken within the Civil Service (by the Bridge Group in 2015/16) and externally (e.g. by Trendence in 2015) shows that lower socio-economic applicants are potentially more likely to be less mobile and less willing to move to London.
A dedicated new assessment centre will open in Newcastle in Autumn 2016. From Autumn 2017 we intend to regionalise further, introducing 'pop up' centres in support of our fixed assessment locations.
Beyond the assessment process, we also require all centrally managed Fast Streamers to undertake a regional place.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on his Department's plans to diversify the civil service.
Answered by Matt Hancock
The Civil Service is committed to becoming representative of the modern Britain it serves and our aim is to be the most inclusive employer in the UK. This ambition is set out in our Talent Action Plan, refreshed in March 2016. This plan commits the Civil Service to actions that aim to remove barriers to success faced by underrepresented groups. All government departments are committed to the delivery of this plan. Permanent Secretaries have clear accountability for the diversity agenda and progress within their departments is measured through their personal diversity objectives. The plan is being delivered as part of the wider Civil Service Workforce Strategy.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress the Government has made on implementing its policy to move graduate recruitment outside London and establish a regional assessment centre.
Answered by Matt Hancock
The Bridge Group Report into Socio-Economic Diversity in the Fast Stream recommended that the Fast Stream should introduce at least one regional assessment centre from Autumn 2016 and move to a greater number of regional assessment centres in future years.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans he has to move policy-making civil servants out of London and into the regions.
Answered by Matt Hancock
In central London, of 181 offices in 2010, only 54 remain. Rationalisation continues, enabling more multi-departmental use of HQ buildings and civil servants to move to peripheries where property costs are lower.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will instruct the Independent Commission on Freedom of Information to consider the impact the Freedom of Information Act has had on standards of governance.
Answered by Matt Hancock
It is for the independent Commission on Freedom of Information to determine the scope of its review in accordance with its Terms of Reference.