Tag: Tom Watson

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-07-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what plans he has to recruit external experts to facilitate negotiations with the EU on the UK exit from the EU.

Mr Robin Walker

We will have the right resources in place so we can secure the best possible outcome for the UK as a whole, and will be taking advice from a variety of sources as we consider options, including on staffing and skill mix, for the new department.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-07-18.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether any pay rises were awarded to special advisers in the Cabinet Office since 17 December 2015.

Ben Gummer

No pay rises have been awarded to Special Advisers in the Cabinet Office since 17 December 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what budget has been allocated for the Public Duty Cost Allowance in each of the next five years.

Ben Gummer

The Public Duties Cost Allowance is to assist former Prime Ministers with the costs of continuing to fulfil duties associated with their previous position in public life. A copy of the policy and guidance on the allowance is in the Library of the House. The costs are a reimbursement of incurred expenses for necessary office costs and secretarial costs arising from their special position in public life. The allowance is not paid to support private or parliamentary duties. Civil servants are not entitled to claim this allowance.

Current recipients of the allowance are published in the Cabinet Office Annual Reports and Accounts. Previous recipients have included Lady Thatcher; the current recipients who are former Prime Ministers are Sir John Major, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. I also refer the Hon. Member to my answers to him of 9 September 2016 to (UIN 44045, 44048, 44049, 44053, 44054, 44055, 44056).

The Public Duties Cost Allowance rate is currently set at a limit of £115,000 per annum. When originally introduced, the Government stated that it would be the equivalent in amount to the Parliamentary Office Costs Allowance. I would note that that allowance is now known as the Parliamentary Staffing Allowance, determined by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority and that is currently set at the rate of £148,500 per annum.”

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-09-12.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many officials in his Department have applied for career breaks in the last 12 months.

Ben Gummer

Records of applications for career breaks – approved and rejected – are not held centrally and would incur disproportionate costs to determine.

I can confirm, however, that at 31^st August 2016, 26 officials in my Department had commenced an approved career break in the last 12 months.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-09-13.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to update the guidance issued to Government departments on drafting answers to parliamentary questions.

Ben Gummer

Ministers are responsible for the answers they give to Parliamentary questions. The practice of providing links or references to published material is long standing. There are currently no plans to update the Guidance to Departments on drafting answers to Parliamentary questions given it was previously updated in the last Parliament.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-03-04.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much his Department spent on advertisements with Google in each of the last three years.

Matthew Hancock

Cabinet Office spent £107,896.25 on Google advertising in 2013/14. Cabinet Office did not spend anything on Google advertising in 2014/15. Fully auditable figures are not yet available for 2015/16. All figures include VAT.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-03-14.

To ask the Prime Minister, whether he plans to issue guidance on adherence to Privy Council rules in the period preceding the EU referendum.

Mr David Cameron

I refer the hon. Member to the statement made to the House by the Lord President of the Council on 14 March 2016, Official Report, columns 653-654.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-06-07.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to increase diversity in public appointments.

Matthew Hancock

The Centre for Public Appointments in the Cabinet Office supports departments on all issues relating to the diversity of public appointments. Steps we are taking to increase diversity include streamlining the application process​, placing an emphasis on ability over previous experience,​ and increasing awareness of opportunities by using a central website and social media.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-07-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if the Prime Minister will meet members of the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign to discuss the Independent Police Complaints Commission’s decision not to make public the report into allegations of police misconduct at Orgreave in 1984.

Brandon Lewis

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) oversees the police complaints system in England and Wales. It is operationally independent of the police, government and complainants, and makes its decisions independently and free from political influence. It would therefore be inappropriate for me to discuss the IPCC’s decision. The Home Secretary does though plan to meet members of the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign immediately after the summer recess to discuss their case on the need for an inquiry into the events at Orgreave in 1984.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-07-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment he has made of how the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties 1969 applies in relation to UK citizens currently living in other EU countries.

Mr David Jones

Article 70 of the Vienna Convention applies to States only. It does not create rights for individuals. Nevertheless, we would expect to deal with the rights of UK citizens living in other EU member states and the rights of EU nationals already living in the UK as part of the UK’s exit negotiations.

At every step of these negotiations we will work to ensure the best possible outcome for the British people. The Prime Minister has been clear that she wants to protect the status of EU nationals already living here, and the only circumstances in which that wouldn’t be possible is if British citizens’ rights in other EU member states were not protected in return.