Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to place conditions on the disposal of land and buildings by (a) NHS Property Services and (b) other Departments to require that the social value of its subsequent use is considered.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The disposal of land and buildings by all government bodies and agencies, including NHS Property Services, is governed by legislation and guidance from the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury. In the guidance it is emphasised that property assets should be deployed in the public interest. The decision-making processes they describe, and the planning and policy framework within which decisions are taken, constitute the conditions under which social value is brought into consideration.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many ongoing contaminated blood cases there are in each parliamentary constituency.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
There is no readily available data on the number of cases of infected blood in each parliamentary constituency.
The Infected Blood Inquiry published a report from its Statistical Expert Group in September 2022, which provides findings on the numbers of infections with HIV, Hepatitis C virus, Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob (vCJD) disease and Hepatitis B. This is a useful insight into the scope of this tragedy and highlights the uncertainty associated with determining the figures of those infected.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on training for Ministers on bullying and harassment in the workplace.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
The Prime Minister’s expectations of Ministers are set out in the Ministerial Code, which makes clear that Ministers are expected to maintain high standards of behaviour and to behave in a way that upholds the highest standards of propriety.
The Ministerial Code states that ‘Ministers should be professional in all their dealings and treat all those with whom they come into contact with consideration and respect. Working relationships, including with civil servants, ministerial and parliamentary colleagues and parliamentary staff should be proper and appropriate. Harassing, bullying or other inappropriate or discriminating behaviour wherever it takes place is not consistent with the Ministerial Code and will not be tolerated.’
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure that all those working in Government Departments receive training on bullying and harassment.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
There are model policies in place for use by departments on Dispute Resolution and Discipline, which cover all aspects of bullying and harassment, including processes for employees to follow to ensure that Civil Service managers and employees have the right advice and options available to them for raising their concerns, with signposting to the appropriate support. Our model guidance also includes a separate Sexual Harassment policy and guidance.
CSHR have provided guidance and training for investigations being carried out internally in departments to support departments to investigate all issues raised. Processes include specific advice and guidance relating to handling all disputes with specific advice on bullying and harassment complaints.
We provide materials for cross-departmental ‘Speak Up’ campaigns to encourage individuals to come forward to report poor behaviours.
The Civil Service Diversity & Inclusion Strategy 2022-2025 has specific actions to take in continuing to address bullying and harassment within the Civil Service:
(a) review progress made within departments on implementing the recommendations from the 2018 major review by Dame Sue Owen of the Civil Service arrangements for tackling bullying, harassment and discrimination; to identify what more we can do to continue to make progress
(b) develop our central policies around sexual harassment, safeguarding and domestic violence, building on those already in place, along with clear employee assistance routes to support victims.
Activity to deliver on those commitments has begun and is due to be completed within the lifetime of the strategy.
As part of the leadership and management curriculum as set out in Leading to Deliver: A Leadership and Management Prospectus, we are ensuring that inclusion is integral to the design, ensuring that it supports our objectives, setting clear expectations for all leaders and managers at all levels and providing managers with the skills to have challenging conversations and investigate if needed.
We have also recently developed a new course of Civil Service Expectations which sets out expectations of civil servants, covering Civil Service Values, the legislation and the support available for employees.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) adequacy and (b) effectiveness of policies to deal with bullying and harassment in Government departments.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
There are model policies in place for use by departments on Dispute Resolution and Discipline, which cover all aspects of bullying and harassment, including processes for employees to follow to ensure that Civil Service managers and employees have the right advice and options available to them for raising their concerns, with signposting to the appropriate support. Our model guidance also includes a separate Sexual Harassment policy and guidance.
CSHR have provided guidance and training for investigations being carried out internally in departments to support departments to investigate all issues raised. Processes include specific advice and guidance relating to handling all disputes with specific advice on bullying and harassment complaints.
We provide materials for cross-departmental ‘Speak Up’ campaigns to encourage individuals to come forward to report poor behaviours.
The Civil Service Diversity & Inclusion Strategy 2022-2025 has specific actions to take in continuing to address bullying and harassment within the Civil Service:
(a) review progress made within departments on implementing the recommendations from the 2018 major review by Dame Sue Owen of the Civil Service arrangements for tackling bullying, harassment and discrimination; to identify what more we can do to continue to make progress
(b) develop our central policies around sexual harassment, safeguarding and domestic violence, building on those already in place, along with clear employee assistance routes to support victims.
Activity to deliver on those commitments has begun and is due to be completed within the lifetime of the strategy.
As part of the leadership and management curriculum as set out in Leading to Deliver: A Leadership and Management Prospectus, we are ensuring that inclusion is integral to the design, ensuring that it supports our objectives, setting clear expectations for all leaders and managers at all levels and providing managers with the skills to have challenging conversations and investigate if needed.
We have also recently developed a new course of Civil Service Expectations which sets out expectations of civil servants, covering Civil Service Values, the legislation and the support available for employees.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the impact of public sector pay policy on civil service staff.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
Pay below the Senior Civil Service is delegated to departments. It is for departments to decide on their pay award and how it is structured in light of their own affordability and priorities, and to negotiate with their trade unions.
The 2022/23 pay remit guidance considers economic conditions while balancing the need for sustainable public finance. The pay remit guidance is a cost control document and allows departments to seek further flexibility for a pay award above the headline range, as demonstrated by pay deals in Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and the Ministry of Justice in previous years.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of excess deaths that can be attributed to (a) strokes and (b) cardiovascular diseases in each of the last three months for which data is available.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon. Member's Parliamentary Question of 17 January is attached.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answers of 13 December 2022 to Question 102902 on Unemployment: Energy and Question 102903 on Social Security Benefits: Disability, how many (a) disabled people were in receipt of disability benefits and (b) unemployed people were on pre-payment meters in the first six months of the 2022-23 financial year.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon. Member's Parliamentary Question of 6 January is attached.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent steps his Department has taken to help resolve pay disputes in the civil service.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
I met with the General Secretaries of the FDA, PCS and Prospect trade unions on 22 November 2022 and they have also met senior officials including the Civil Service Chief Operating Officer and Chief People Officer.
The Cabinet Office is responsible for the pay remit guidance which provides a framework within which all departments will set pay. For grades below the Senior Civil Service, pay awards are made by individual departments and discussed with their trade unions, where separate dispute resolution arrangements will also exist.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has made an estimate with Cabinet colleagues of the number of unemployed people who are using pre-payment meters.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon. Member's Parliamentary Question: PQ102902 and PQ102903 are attached.