Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether wedding ceremonies can take place at private wedding venues with up to 30 guests, under Step 3 of the roadmap out of covid-19 restrictions.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
In the COVID-19 Response - Spring 2021, the Government has set out the gradual and cautious approach to reopening different sectors in England, guided by science and the data.
We understand the unique significance that marriages and civil partnerships hold in people’s lives, but we have to take necessary steps to limit transmission of COVID-19. This includes restrictions on wedding and civil partnership ceremonies, as well as other forms of social contact. By their very nature, weddings and civil partnership ceremonies are events that bring families and friends together, making them particularly vulnerable to the spread of COVID-19.
Alternative wedding ceremonies are permitted in line with the regular wedding or civil partnership rules, in the same locations, at each step.
From 29 March, wedding and civil partnership ceremonies have been able to take place indoors or outdoors in COVID-Secure venues that are not expressly closed by the Regulations, or where a broader exemption applies. From 12 April, 15 people are permitted to attend. This approach allows couples to marry in legally binding licensed venues for wedding ceremonies (where outdoor options are limited) while remaining in line with the reopening of sectors and venues as set out in the roadmap. Wedding ceremonies should follow government guidance to reduce the risk of transmission.
Receptions (of up to 15 people) can resume from 12 April. The evidence shows that it is safer for people to meet outdoors rather than indoors. That is why receptions are only permitted outdoors at this Step and should be in a COVID-Secure venue.
From Step 3, no earlier than 17 May 2021, weddings and civil partnership ceremonies are permitted for up to 30 people in COVID-Secure venues that are not required to close, or where a broader exemption applies. Receptions can also proceed with up to 30 people in a COVID-Secure indoor venue, or outdoors, which includes private gardens.
Guidance for wedding and civil partnership receptions and celebrations can be found here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-small-marriages-and-civil-partnerships/covid-19-guidance-for-wedding-and-civil-partnership-receptions-and-celebrations
At each step, the limits on the number of attendees includes children of all ages, but not workers.
For further information, please refer to the guidance for small marriages and civil partnerships - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-small-marriages-and-civil-partnerships/covid-19-guidance-for-small-marriages-and-civil-partnerships
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil service jobs there have been in Southampton in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Civil Service Statistics presents detailed information on the UK Civil Service workforce as at 31 March 2020, including on pay, diversity and location and is available here.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress has been made on implementing the Places for Growth programme.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster set out in his Ditchley Speech, the Government is determined to ensure the Civil Service is better distributed across the country. The Places for Growth Programme is working with departments and public bodies to firm up relocation plans and further details will be announced in due course. The Places for Growth programme is exploring opportunities across the whole of the UK.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Places for Growth Programme in assessing the potential for relocating government offices to Southampton.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster set out in his Ditchley Speech, the Government is determined to ensure the Civil Service is better distributed across the country. The Places for Growth Programme is working with departments and public bodies to firm up relocation plans and further details will be announced in due course. The Places for Growth programme is exploring opportunities across the whole of the UK.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the amount of GDP that came from the sale of illegal drugs in 2018-19.
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: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 24 April 2019 to Question 910478, what the twelve new public bodies are that will be located outside London.
Answered by Oliver Dowden - Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Government committed in the 2018 Government Estates Strategy to locate more Civil Service roles out of London and into the regions and nations of the United Kingdom. To deliver on this commitment, the Cabinet Office is co-ordinating activity under the Places for Growth programme. This programme will take a place-based approach to relocating roles that ensures we have the skills and capacity in the right places to enable organisations and cities to flourish.
Since 2016, the creation of the following agencies and public bodies has been approved on condition that they will be based outside of London, either immediately or over an agreed timeframe. These are:
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
What steps are his department taking to move civil service jobs out of London in line with the Government’s industrial strategy.
Answered by Oliver Dowden - Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Our Places for Growth programme will relocate Civil Servants out of London, with at least 1,000 roles moved by 2022 and thousands more by 2030.
This in addition to the twelve new public bodies that will be located outside of London.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of the work force in each (a) region and (b) local authority area is employed in the knowledge economy.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply and their response will be placed in the Library.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Places for Growth Programme in identifying the potential for relocating government offices to Southampton.
Answered by David Lidington
The Places for Growth programme seeks to deliver the Government’s commitment to move Civil Service roles and public bodies out of London and the South East of England. This commitment was set out in the Conservative Party Manifesto of 2017 and then restated in the Industrial Strategy White Paper and the Government Estates Strategy (July 2018).
The Cabinet Office is supporting departments and public bodies to identify opportunities for relocation of roles to cities across the regions and nations of the United Kingdom. This will boost local economic growth and impact on the economic growth of wider city regions, and the United Kingdom as a whole, as well as ensure the administration of central government is distributed more evenly across the United Kingdom.
All locations remain under active consideration as potential relocation destinations. The programme will be looking to consult with a number of additional cities over the coming months and we would be happy for Southampton to be involved in this process.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress has been made on implementing the Places for Growth programme.
Answered by David Lidington
The Places for Growth programme seeks to deliver the Government’s commitment to move Civil Service roles and public bodies out of London and the South East of England. This commitment was set out in the Conservative Party Manifesto of 2017 and then restated in the Industrial Strategy White Paper and the Government Estates Strategy (July 2018).
The Cabinet Office is supporting departments and public bodies to identify opportunities for relocation of roles to cities across the regions and nations of the United Kingdom. The Programme is providing support and coordination across Whitehall to move roles and organisations to locations that have the skills and capacity to enable organisations and cities to flourish.
The Programme is also engaging with city leaders across the UK to understand the local economic and industrial priorities which will inform the decision-making process.