Asked by: Paul Sweeney (Labour (Co-op) - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his oral Answer of 14 November 2018, Official Report, column 298, on the Infected Blood Inquiry, whether his reference to compensation relates to acceptance of Government liability or ex-gratia payments.
Answered by David Lidington
During Cabinet Office Oral Questions on Wednesday 14 November, in response to questions about the Infected Blood Inquiry from Member for Manchester, Withington Jess Smith MP and the Member for Kingston upon Hull North Diana Johnson MP, I used the word “compensation” to refer to the financial payments made to victims of infected blood. In doing so, I misspoke. I should instead have used the words “financial support”. I am sorry for any confusion this may have caused in the House. I am happy to make that clarification, and the record has been corrected to reflect this.
Asked by: Paul Sweeney (Labour (Co-op) - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
What steps the Government is taking to review the effectiveness of the civil service.
Answered by Oliver Dowden - Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Government is committed to continually strengthening the Civil Service. We use a range of internal and external work to inform our understanding of current effectiveness and to shape work to continue making improvements. Recent examples include the Barber Review, the PACAC Inquiry into Whitehall effectiveness, and the International Civil Service Effectiveness Index.
Asked by: Paul Sweeney (Labour (Co-op) - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the timescale is for the appointment of a chair to the inquiry into the contaminated blood scandal.
Answered by David Lidington
We have asked the Lord Chief Justice to nominate a judge to chair the inquiry, and I hope to announce the name of that judge soon. Once the Chair is appointed, we will be discussing with them the composition of the inquiry panel.
Asked by: Paul Sweeney (Labour (Co-op) - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the timetable is for the establishment of the inquiry into the contaminated blood scandal.
Answered by David Lidington
We have asked the Lord Chief Justice to nominate a judge to chair the inquiry, and I hope to announce the name of that judge soon. Once the Chair is appointed, we will be discussing with them the composition of the inquiry panel.
Asked by: Paul Sweeney (Labour (Co-op) - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, by what process any inter-administration differences on negotiations for the UK leaving the EU were resolved in the seven months between February and October 2017.
Answered by Damian Green
The Joint Ministerial Committee (EU Negotiations) is the formal mechanism for inter-administration discussion on negotiations for the UK leaving the EU. In the period between February and October 2017 when JMC(EN) did not meet, the First Secretary of State and the Secretary of State for Exiting the EU held a series of bilateral meetings with the devolved administrations on a range of issues related to EU Exit.
Asked by: Paul Sweeney (Labour (Co-op) - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the Joint Ministerial Committee (EU negotiations) next plans to meet.
Answered by Damian Green
The Joint Ministerial Committee (EU Negotiations) met on 12 December 2017 and agreed to meet again early in the new year.
Asked by: Paul Sweeney (Labour (Co-op) - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which recommendations made by devolved administrations at the Joint Ministerial Committee (EU negotiations) will form part of the Government's policy on the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Damian Green
The UK Government is committed to engagement with the devolved administrations throughout the EU Exit process. The main forum for this is the Joint Ministerial Committee (EU Negotiations). This met in October and December and will meet again in the new year with work remitted to officials to take forward between meetings.