Tag: Margaret Hodge

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Hodge on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when the Government expects to host the Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council; what he expects to be on the agenda for that meeting; and what outcomes he expects to achieve from that meeting.

Sir Alan Duncan

The annual Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) brings together political leaders from the Overseas Territories and UK Ministers. It will meet this year in London from 1-2 November and will be hosted by the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my noble Friend, the Rt Hon. the Baroness Anelay of St Johns DBE.

An agenda is being developed in partnership with territory leaders and reflects areas key to our shared interests. It is likely to include, but not be limited to, sessions on economic development, good governance and human rights (including child safeguarding), as well as the challenges and opportunities arising from the UK’s decision to leave the European Union. A communiqué will be issued following the conclusion of the JMC. The UK Government will update the House by written ministerial statement afterwards.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Hodge on 2016-03-03.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether local authorities will be required to seek specific permission from Ministers in the Department for Communities and Local Government if they wish to provide an exemption from the anti-advocacy clause in a grant agreement.

Matthew Hancock

The new clause applies to all central government grants. We expect that exemptions will be rare and these will need to be approved by the relevant Minister.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Hodge on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many times his Department has used the services of (a) PwC, (b) Deloitte, (c) Ernst and Young, (d) KPMG and (e) other consulting firms in the last three financial years; and what (i) work was undertaken and (ii) the cost to the public purse was on each such occasion.

David Mundell

The Scotland Office has not used the services of (a) PwC, (b) Deloitte, (c) Ernst and Young, (d) KPMG and (e) other consulting firms in the last three financial years.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Hodge on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish a list of all secondees to his Department from (a) PwC, (b) Deloitte, (c) Ernst and Young, (d) KPMG and (e) other consulting firms in the last three financial years; and what the role was of each of those secondees.

Mark Lancaster

Fewer than five employees from PwC, Deloitte, Ernst and Young, KPMG and other consulting firms were seconded to the Ministry of Defence within the last three years. Due to the low numbers involved, a breakdown of companies and job roles has not been provided.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Hodge on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many companies her Department has excluded from public procurement for (a) a conviction for wrongdoing defined by the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 or (b) grave professional misconduct since January 2015.

Rory Stewart

Since January 2015 there have been no instances where DFID Procurement and Commercial Department (PCD) have excluded a company from a Public Procurement for the circumstances cited.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Hodge on 2016-03-03.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason no formal consultation was issued on the introduction of an anti-advocacy clause into grant agreements.

Matthew Hancock

At present there are insufficient checks and balances to make sure that taxpayers funds are not being diverted away from their intended purpose and wasted on political campaigning and political lobbying. This clause has been successfully piloted by the Department for Communities and Local Government for the last year, without any adverse effect on grant recipients’ ability to campaign using their own funds.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Hodge on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many times his Department has used the services of (a) PwC, (b) Deloitte, (c) Ernst and Young, (d) KPMG and (e) other consulting firms in the last three financial years; and what (i) work was undertaken and (ii) the cost to the public purse was on each such occasion.

Mr John Hayes

To provide the detailed spend and purpose information requested on each individual occasion would require manual intervention and analysis on approximately 30,000 payments across the Department for Transport and its agencies. The number of times an organisation was used will also vary each year as projects can span financial years and this could lead to double counting with the risk that inaccurate information is provided. I am therefore unable to provide the information in the format requested.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Hodge on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish a list of all secondees to her Department from (a) PwC, (b) Deloitte, (c) Ernst and Young, (d) KPMG and (e) other consulting firms in the last three financial years; and what the role was of each of those secondees.

Caroline Dinenage

The Department for Education hosted four secondments from KPMG in 2013/14. All four individuals were seconded into external assurance roles in the department’s Education and Funding Agency. There were no secondments from PwC, Deloitte, Ernst and Young or any other consulting firm in 2013/14, and none from any consulting firms in 2014/15 or 2015/16.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Hodge on 2016-10-07.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many times HM Revenue and Customs has commenced proceedings to recover unpaid tax claimed as deductible on payments that were subsequently found to involve foreign bribery since 2012.

Jane Ellison

HM Revenue and Customs does not record centrally information that may involve foreign bribery when dealing with proceedings to recover unpaid tax.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Hodge on 2016-03-03.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government plans to require National Lottery distributors to include conditions relating to advocacy when they deliver funding on behalf of government departments.

Matthew Hancock

The new clause is applicable to exchequer-funded grants, whether awarded direct or via an Arm’s Length Body.