Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2024 to Question 7760 on Marian Mazzucato, whether she is an adviser to the Government in any other capacity.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Ministers regularly liaise with a wide range of stakeholders. Mariana Mazzucato is not employed within government as a special adviser. Nor does she hold a position in a role as a regulated public appointee.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2025 to Question 24487 on Members’ Interests, whether (a) gifts and (b) hospitality which are registered and then (i) returned and (ii) repaid remain on the published list of interests.
Answered by Nick Smith
This is not a matter for the House of Commons Commission.
The rules are set out in the Code of Conduct and the Guide to the Rules relating to the Conduct of Members, approved by the House on 12 December 2022 (HC 1083).
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmcode/1083/1083-1.pdf
Members seeking advice on the registration of specific interests should contact the Registrar of Members’ Interests.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, what guidance has been provided to hon. Members on whether they must declare the date that a political donation was (a) received by the linked recipient and (b) given by the ultimate donor.
Answered by Nick Smith
This is not a matter for the House of Commons Commission.
The rules are set out in the Code of Conduct and the Guide to the Rules relating to the Conduct of Members, approved by the House on 12 December 2022 (HC 1083).
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmcode/1083/1083-1.pdf
Members seeking advice on the registration of specific interests should contact the Registrar of Members’ Interests.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 26 February 2025 to Question HL5029 on Stonewall: Arms Length Bodies and Government Departments, whether he plans to allocate funding to Stonewall after 2025-26.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) LGBT+ rights programme, which started in 2013, aims to transform the lives of millions of LGBT+ people around the world. This is done by tackling systematic violence, persecution, and exclusion by addressing outdated discriminatory laws, promoting protective legislation, empowering civil society organisations, and supporting the most vulnerable LGBT+ people in conflict and crisis. As part of this programme, the FCDO partners with Stonewall, with two agreements in place until March 2028. Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocations and the impact on programmes are being worked through following the decision to reduce UK ODA from 0.5 per cent of gross national income to 0.3 per cent in 2027. We will set out our spending plans following the completion of the spending review.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps to undertake an audit of whether other Government departments are meeting the publication requirements outlined in the then Prime Minister's letter entitled Government transparency and open data, published on 14 December 2017.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
I refer the honourable member to my response to PQ 30681.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding for local stop smoking services was allocated to swap to stop schemes in (a) 2023 and (b) 2024; and how much funding for local stop smoking services his Department plans to allocate to swap to stop schemes in (i) 2025 and (ii) 2026.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Swap to Stop scheme provides local services with vape starter kits to support smokers to quit, alongside behavioural support. The Swap to Stop scheme was launched in November 2023, and has provided local services with vape starter kits to the value of £3.2 million in 2023/24 and £17 million in 2024/25. This funding is ringfenced and is supplementary to the additional £70 million of ringfenced funding for Local Stop Smoking Services, along with existing funding through the Public Health Grant.
The extension of the Swap to Stop scheme for the coming year, 2025/26, was recently announced, with up to £19 million of funding available. Future settlements for this programme are being considered as part of the Spending Review.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to extend the swap to stop scheme for smoking cessation; and whether he plans to allocate ring-fenced funding for a future extension of that scheme.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Swap to Stop scheme provides local services with vape starter kits to support smokers to quit, alongside behavioural support. The Swap to Stop scheme was launched in November 2023, and has provided local services with vape starter kits to the value of £3.2 million in 2023/24 and £17 million in 2024/25. This funding is ringfenced and is supplementary to the additional £70 million of ringfenced funding for Local Stop Smoking Services, along with existing funding through the Public Health Grant.
The extension of the Swap to Stop scheme for the coming year, 2025/26, was recently announced, with up to £19 million of funding available. Future settlements for this programme are being considered as part of the Spending Review.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2025 to Question 39591 on Crown Commercial Service and Government Property Agency: Equality, which diversity and inclusion (a) days and (b) weeks have been recognised by (i) Government Property Agency and (ii) the Crown Commercial Service since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
I refer the honourable member to the answer given on 2 April 2025 in response to question 41107.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Spring Statement 2025 on 26 March 2025, whether changes have been made to the Government’s missions’ (a) metrics and (b) methodology.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Plan for Change set out clear and transparent milestones, and our plan to achieve them. These milestones allow the public to track our progress and hold the government to account for their delivery. There have been no changes to these milestones since the publication of the Plan for Change.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether allegations of bullying under paragraph 1.5 of the Ministerial Code are assessed by the impact of behaviour on individuals; whether an absence of awareness of any harm caused is a relevant factor in determining whether a breach has occurred; and whether the Government has a definition of bullying for the purposes of interpreting the Code.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
I refer the Hon Member to PQ43119.