Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the contribution in Westminster Hall on 23 March by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when she plans to bring forward the review of the whistleblowing framework.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government recognises how valuable it is that whistleblowers are prepared to expose wrongdoing, and believes that they should be able to do so without fear of recriminations.
The Government announced the review of the whistleblowing framework on Monday 27th March. The Terms of Reference for the review are available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-the-whistleblowing-framework.
Asked by: Lord Wills (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many government departments operate whistleblowing policies.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Government departments have delegated authority for Whistleblowing policies. However, all have confirmed they have policies in place which meet the standards that are set out centrally by Civil Service HR.
Asked by: Lord Wills (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many government department employees or subcontractors have made disclosures and/or allegations of wrongdoing in the last three years; and of those, (1) how many did so using a formal whistleblowing procedure, and (2) how many claims were (a) formally investigated, and (b) upheld.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
We are made aware by departments annually, who also report on behalf of their agencies, of cases raised formally through whistleblowing procedures.
In 2019/20, 383 cases were formally raised and investigated in government departments. The concern was upheld in 33 cases.
In 2020/21, 245 cases were formally raised and investigated in government departments. The concern was upheld in 13 cases.
In 2021/22, 311 cases were formally raised and investigated in government departments. The concern was upheld in 30 cases.
We do not ask departments for reports of informal cases.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has had recent discussions with (a) NHS England and (b) NHS Trusts on whistleblowing.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Department has frequent engagement with stakeholders involved in whistleblowing and speaking up, including NHS England and the National Guardian’s Office. The Department does not regularly engage directly with National Health Service trusts on whistleblowing but rather works through NHS England and the National Guardian’s Office to drive improvement. Both NHS England and the National Guardian’s Office have direct engagement with NHS trusts.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an assessment of trends in the level of whistleblowing cases within the NHS in the last three years.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
There are no plans to make an assessment. Data on whistleblowing incidents in the National Health Service is not collected centrally.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he will make an estimate of the number of whistleblowing incidents in the NHS in each of the past five years.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
This information is not collected centrally.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the total amount spent by NHS trusts (a) on employment tribunals and (b) compensation awards to people found to have been unfairly dismissed after whistleblowing.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The information requested is not held centrally. National Health Service organisations are independent employers and have their own policies and procedures for disciplinary and hearings aligned to general employment law and good human resource practice. Any such cases are a private legal matter between the employer and employee.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, through what mechanism a civil servant in his Department can raise a complaint of (a) bullying, (b) sexual harassment and (c) other misconduct against a minister during any time the post of Independent Adviser on Ministers' Interest is unfilled.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice has a zero tolerance policy for bullying and any complaints are investigated and acted upon.
The Ministry of Justice has clear policies on conduct and behaviour which is set out in the Department’s Conduct Policy and puts in place training for all civil servants on bullying and harassment and regularly reviews its policies on the matter.
Where a Civil Servant or employee of an Arm’s-Length Body has a concern, they may raise this using normal departmental procedures. Civil Service guidance on raising a grievance, and a concern can be found at Raise a grievance at work: Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and Whistleblowing for employees: What is a whistleblower - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to tackle (a) bullying and (b) discrimination within his Department.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice has a zero tolerance policy for bullying and any complaints are investigated and acted upon.
The Ministry of Justice has clear policies on conduct and behaviour which is set out in the Department’s Conduct Policy and puts in place training for all civil servants on bullying and harassment and regularly reviews its policies on the matter.
Where a Civil Servant or employee of an Arm’s-Length Body has a concern, they may raise this using normal departmental procedures. Civil Service guidance on raising a grievance, and a concern can be found at Raise a grievance at work: Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and Whistleblowing for employees: What is a whistleblower - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the complaints process within his Department without an independent ethics advisor.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice has both a Grievance Policy and Raising a Concern Policy. Both policies and processes are reviewed routinely in line with normal practices.
Where a Civil Servant, or employee of an Arm’s-Length Body, has a concern they may raise this using normal departmental procedures. Civil Service guidance on raising a grievance, and a concern can be found at Raise a grievance at work: Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and Whistleblowing for employees: What is a whistleblower - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).