Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the (a) information he holds on the effect on disadvantaged communities of the UK leaving the EU without a deal and (b) plans he has in place to mitigate that effect.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The Government is making all necessary preparations to ensure that we are ready for leaving the EU whatever the circumstances. We want to ensure the country is prepared at every level.
HM Treasury routinely monitors economic conditions and risks, and the Government has a range of mechanisms available to support vulnerable people. We stand ready to take appropriate action if economic conditions change. Furthermore, officials make estimates of the direct impact of spending decisions on household living standards, and would continue to do so in responding to challenges arising from leaving the EU without a deal.
We are committed to a strong safety-net for those who need it. This includes a well-established system of hardship payments, benefit advances and budgeting loans as an additional safeguard for those who need them. Additionally, the government has been working with local authorities to understand how a no-deal exit might impact upon their services, including services for vulnerable people.
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether additional resources will be allocated to the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman as a result of the increase level of caseload from WASPI complainants.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) is independent of Government and is accountable directly to Parliament through the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee. Its resources are agreed with HM Treasury and approved by the House of Commons.
The Cabinet Office plays no part in allocating resources to the PHSO.
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Cabinet Office, how many and what proportion of Cabinet Office employees are paid through trusts rather than through PAYE.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
No Cabinet Office employees are paid through trusts rather than through PAYE.
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government has issued any guidance or advice to Sir Martin Moore-Bick or set any limitations or requirements on the terms of reference for the Grenfell Tower inquiry.
Answered by Damian Green
The Inquiry is a statutory inquiry established under the Inquiries Act. It is independent of Government. The Inquiry’s Terms of Reference have not yet been determined. The Prime Minister has asked the Inquiry team to conduct a public consultation on the Terms of Reference and make recommendations on what they should cover. Details of the consultation process are published on the Inquiry’s website (www.grenfelltowerinquiry.org.uk).
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to encourage the Crown Dependencies to introduce public registers of beneficial ownership.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
The UK Government works closely with the Crown Dependences on tax and transparency issues. Our priority is the implementation of the new bilateral arrangements concluded with them in 2016, which are due to come into effect by June this year. Under these arrangements, the Crown Dependencies have committed to establish, where they have not already done so, central registers of beneficial ownership information, or similarly effective systems and to give UK law enforcement and tax authorities near real-time access to beneficial ownership information on corporate and legal entities incorporated in their jurisdictions. Nevertheless, it remains the Government’s ambition for public registers to become the global standard. If this happens, we would expect the Crown Dependencies to follow suit.
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Prime Minister, whether she or officials of 10 Downing Street have met representatives of Rolls Royce since July 2016.
Answered by Theresa May
Details of Ministerial meetings with external organisations and individuals are published quarterly and made available on the gov.uk website.
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much funding the Gulf Strategy Unit has received in each of the last 15 years.
Answered by Ben Gummer
The Gulf Strategy Integrated Delivery Team was established in 2015.
Its remit is to coordinate the Government’s strategic approach to UK engagement with the Gulf States as set out in the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015.
It employs three full-time and one part-time Government employees. One is military and three are civilian.
Administration costs were £70,004 in the 2015-16 financial year and the budget for administration costs in the 2016-17 financial year is £423,000. The 2015-16 figure reflects the fact the unit was established later in the financial year.
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the Gulf Strategy Unit's remit is; and which Government Minister set that remit.
Answered by Ben Gummer
The Gulf Strategy Integrated Delivery Team was established in 2015.
Its remit is to coordinate the Government’s strategic approach to UK engagement with the Gulf States as set out in the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015.
It employs three full-time and one part-time Government employees. One is military and three are civilian.
Administration costs were £70,004 in the 2015-16 financial year and the budget for administration costs in the 2016-17 financial year is £423,000. The 2015-16 figure reflects the fact the unit was established later in the financial year.
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many (a) military and (b) civilian Government employees have been employed in the Gulf Strategy Unit in each of the last 15 years.
Answered by Ben Gummer
The Gulf Strategy Integrated Delivery Team was established in 2015.
Its remit is to coordinate the Government’s strategic approach to UK engagement with the Gulf States as set out in the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015.
It employs three full-time and one part-time Government employees. One is military and three are civilian.
Administration costs were £70,004 in the 2015-16 financial year and the budget for administration costs in the 2016-17 financial year is £423,000. The 2015-16 figure reflects the fact the unit was established later in the financial year.
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether it is his Department's policy to reduce the overall civil service headcount in the current Parliament.
Answered by Ben Gummer
There is no central Cabinet Office policy to reduce the overall Civil Service headcount in the current Parliament. Workforce planning is primarily the responsibility of each department to determine based on their individual operational and policy requirements. Each department has their own spending agreements with HM Treasury for this Parliament and are responsible for ensuring they have the right workforce and capability in place to deliver their commitments.
Earlier this year, departments published their Single Departmental Plans, setting out the key programmes of work required to deliver the Government’s Manifesto commitments. Departments have been developing plans to ensure they have the workforce required to deliver their Single Departmental Plans.