Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many veterans have been employed as a result of the guaranteed interview civil service scheme for veterans since that scheme began.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
There are a range of Civil Service recruitment initiatives for veterans, offering a fulfilling career in public service which makes the most of the skills and capability they have to offer.
Over 1,000 veterans to date have secured a job in the Civil Service through the ‘Great Place to Work for Veterans’ initiative and a further 200 veterans have been recruited through the 'Going Forward Into Employment' initiative.
The Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative enables veterans who meet the minimum criteria to progress to the next stage of the application process, which is usually an interview.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the oral answer of the Minister for Veterans' Affairs of 18 January 2024, Official Report column 1012, what the evidential basis is for the number of veterans employed through the civil service scheme.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
Sustainable, gainful employment is one of the most significant ways to enhance life outcomes for veterans and their families.
Over 1,000 veterans to date have secured a job in the Civil Service through the ‘Great Place to Work for Veterans’ initiative and a further 200 veterans have been recruited through the 'Going Forward Into Employment' initiative. Both figures are based on data sent from Government Departments to the Office for Veterans' Affairs.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on what evidential basis the Office for Veterans Affairs said that there were no veteran rough sleepers as of Christmas 2023.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
Through Op FORTITUDE, the single referral pathway for veterans at risk of or experiencing homelessness, this Government ensured that no veteran was forced to sleep rough over Christmas due to a lack of available provision, supporting over 450 veterans into housing to date.
The Office for Veterans’ Affairs uses a number of data sources to monitor the levels of rough sleeping amongst veterans. This includes a number of data sources collected by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Combined Homelessness Information Network (CHAIN) data as well as relevant evidence bases including those collected by the Devolved Administrations.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how often the Office of Veterans' Affairs (a) collects and (b) analyses the number of veterans who are sleeping rough.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
Through Op FORTITUDE, the single referral pathway for veterans at risk of or experiencing homelessness, this Government ensured that no veteran was forced to sleep rough over Christmas due to a lack of available provision, supporting over 450 veterans into housing to date.
The Office for Veterans’ Affairs uses a number of data sources to monitor the levels of rough sleeping amongst veterans. This includes a number of data sources collected by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Combined Homelessness Information Network (CHAIN) data as well as relevant evidence bases including those collected by the Devolved Administrations.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs during his oral statement on Afghan Resettlement Update of 13 December 2023, Official Report, column 911, whether the existing hotel contracts being extended apply only to new arrivals from Afghanistan.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
The Government remains committed to ending the systemic use of hotels, and we do not plan to open new hotels to meet the increased demand from new arrivals from Afghanistan.
The information requested on hotel contracts is not publicly available; however, a small number of hotels with existing contracts have been extended for a limited time period to help accommodate Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme arrivals who have yet to be matched to settled housing solutions in the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the Minister for Veterans' Affairs last met with the Parliamentary Under Secretary (Minister for Defence, People and Families) to discuss matters relating to veterans.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
The Ministry of Defence and the Office for Veterans’ Affairs work collaboratively together to deliver for veterans, as demonstrated by the recent publication of the Government’s response to both the Independent Review of UK Government Welfare Services for Veterans and LGBT Veterans Independent Review.
My officials and I continue to meet regularly with the Ministry of Defence to deliver shared priorities, including ramping up delivery of Veterans Cards to ex-service personnel across the country.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which former ministers have received a severance payment after they left Government since 1 June; and what the amount was in each case.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave the Hon. Member for Islwyn on 28 October 2022 to Questions 71037 and 71036.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 8 June 2020 to Question 54003, when he plans to review the restrictions imposed as a result of the covid-19 outbreak on weddings taking place to allow for small weddings to take place with social distancing.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The Government understands the huge significance of weddings. We recognise that because weddings have not been able to take place in recent months this has caused difficulty and distress for many people. As set out in the Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy, published in May, the Government has been examining how to enable people to gather in slightly larger groups better to facilitate small weddings. We have worked closely with faith leaders and local government on how best to achieve this. The Prime Minister announced on 23 June that wedding and civil partnership ceremonies will be able to take place in England from 4 July. People should avoid having a large ceremony, and should invite no more than thirty family and friends. Venues should ensure they are COVID-19 secure.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer 18 February 2019 to Question 220061, if he will publish the figures based on the Crime Survey for England and Wales for the number of reported offences for each crime type in each year since 2009.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply. A table and accompanying letter have been placed in the Library.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many reported (a) homicides, (b) instances of fraud and forgery and (c) sexual offences there have been in the West Midlands police force area in each year since 2010.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.