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.
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 cost-effectiveness of the National Citizen Service programme compared with other youth social action programmes.
Mr Rob Wilson
National Citizen Service (NCS) is a unique programme for young people focused around adventure, discovery and giving back to communities. Robust, independent evaluations show that NCS delivers positive impacts for young people and value for money. For every £1 spent, it generates up to £3.98 of social benefits.
Government has evaluated the impact of investment in a range of youth social action opportunities as part of Step Up To Serve’s #iwill campaign. Funding has also been provided to the Centre for Youth Impact to develop the youth sector’s capability to design, deliver and commission costeffective services for young people.
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 budget has been allocated to his Department for all future years.
Mr Robin Walker
The new Department for Exiting the European Union is equipping itself to oversee negotiations to leave the EU and establish the future relationship between the UK and EU. The overall size and scope of the new department, including staffing and budget, are now under consideration.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-07-18.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 18 July 2016 to Question 42548, what the cost to the public purse is of employing the 37 people referred to in that Answer.
Ben Gummer
Having re-reviewed the numbers and status of the FTA I can confirm that 28 people in IPA are employed through Fixed Term Appointments (we have now removed people who have since moved on either due to their appointment coming to an end or moving to other roles either within Cabinet Office or across wider government).
These members of staff cost £1,937,818 annually out of an overall IPA budget of £14,463,994.
To put this in context IPA oversees projects with whole life costs of well over £500bn.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, from which date the right hon. Member for Sheffield, Hallam began claiming expenses under the Public Duty Cost Allowance.
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, how much his Department has spent on ministerial red boxes in the last 12 months.
Ben Gummer
The Cabinet Office has not spent any money on ministerial red boxes in the last 12 months.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-09-08.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants are employed for the purposes of working in the Office of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
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 2016-02-29.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many times the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has met officials of the Cabinet Office to discuss improving diversity in the Senior Civil Service in the last six months.
Matthew Hancock
Promoting diversity in the Senior Civil Service is a ministerial responsibility of the Minister for the Cabinet Office. Details of my Ministers meetings with external organisations are published routinely and can be found on Gov.uk. Details of internal meetings are not disclosed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-03-07.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2016 to Question 28518, on public appointments: ethnic groups, if he will publish the list of attendees at the event held by his Department in February 2016.
Matthew Hancock
The Public Appointments event I hosted on 25 February was aimed at encouraging people from under represented groups to apply for Public Appointments. The Centre for Public Appointments at the Cabinet Office worked with a range of contacts and organisations that champion diversity in senior appointments to compile a guest list.
It would not be appropriate to publish a list of attendees as they have not consented to their details being published in this way.