Tag: Tom Watson

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

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which Government Minister will have responsibility for overseeing the implementation of the new anti-corruption strategy.

Matthew Hancock

Building on the UK’s Anti Corruption Plan and the Prime Minister’s successful summit, the UK has committed to develop a new national anti-corruption strategy which will provide a vision and framework for our domestic and international policy priorities. We are reviewing the governance arrangements for the strategy and will announce them in due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the effect of broader changes to funding of youth services on the objectives of the National Citizen Service programme.

Mr Rob Wilson

National Citizen Service (NCS) delivers positive outcomes for young people and supports the wider youth sector. NCS is delivered by a supply chain of over 200 youth service providers from the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector and from local authorities. Cabinet Office has also pledged to support the #iwill campaign to increase participation in youth social action by continuing to invest in youth social action and share evidence and best practice.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to secure sufficient services and activities to improve the wellbeing of young people and are best placed to decide how to do so according to local need and resources.

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 to EU citizens currently living in the UK.

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.

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

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what severance pay has been granted to the special advisers that left his Department in the last week.

Ben Gummer

Severance payments are in the process of being calculated. Details of the costs will be published in due course.

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

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for how long provision has been made under the Public Duty Cost Allowance for payments to the right hon. Member for Sheffield, Hallam.

Ben Gummer

The purpose of 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. Exceptionally, the then Prime Minister agreed that the former Deputy Prime Minister , the Rt Hon Member for Sheffield Hallam, should be able to have access to the allowance to recognise the special position he held in the Coalition Government. Other former Deputy Prime Ministers are not eligible for the allowance. The allowance is set at a maximum limit of £115,000 per annum. The amounts paid are a reimbursement of expenses, accounted for in the published Cabinet Office Annual Reports and Accounts. The former Deputy Prime Minister is eligible for the allowance from the date of leaving ministerial office for the duration of this Parliament.

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

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress has been made by the Cabinet Secretary on his inquiry into the recent leak of information concerning honours and peerages.

Ben Gummer

The investigation into the leak of the Prime Minister’s Resignation Honours List is ongoing.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-09-08.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has access to the Government Car Services.

Ben Gummer

Further to the question asked by the Hon Member of 7 September 2016, Official Report, Column 321, I would add that my Rt Hon Friend, the Member for Derbyshire Dales, is a Minister of the Crown and a member of the Cabinet. He will attend a number of Cabinet Committees, which will be published in due course, and has duties directly related to the Duchy of Lancaster. The List of Ministerial Responsibilities will also be published in due course. He does not receive a Ministerial salary from public funds. Details of Private Office staff will be accounted for as part of the regular transparency data on gov.uk. The Government publishes on a quarterly basis details of Ministerial visits overseas. All Ministers have access to the Government Car Service for official travel.

My Rt Hon Friend also serves as the Party Chairman of the Conservative Party. Such arrangements are no different from the likes of Charles Clarke, Ian McCartney and Hazel Blears, all of whom held the posts of Minister Without Portfolio and Labour Party Chair under the last Labour Government.

I would also observe that under the Thatcher and Major Governments, senior figures such as Norman Tebbit, Kenneth Baker and Chris Patten served as both Chairman of the Conservative Party and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-02-25.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of in which areas of the Civil Service there is a deficit in capabilities.

Matthew Hancock

We have completed a skills review process across different government departments in the last 3 years considering leading and managing change, programme management, digital, and commercial skills and this has given a high level indication of the areas where we need to increase capability. Our approach to learning and development includes specific focus on these areas.

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

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government plans to introduce a statutory time limit for dealing with appeals under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Matthew Hancock

I refer the hon Member to my Written Ministerial Statement of 1 March 2016 [Hansard reference HCWS566]

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

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Answer of 9 March 2016 to Question 29669, what progress he has made on establishing the cost to the public purse of the Independent Commission on Freedom of Information.

Matthew Hancock

The total expenditure of the Commission on Freedom of Information was £155,744.