Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many peerages have been conferred in each of the last five years.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The number of peerages conferred in each of the last five years are:
2019 - 23 peers;
2020 - 58 peers;
2021 - 4 peers;
2022 - 33 peers;
2023 - 1 peerage. [1]
It is a long-standing convention that the main political parties may nominate individuals to the House of Lords. Individuals are nominated in recognition of their contribution to society and their public and political service, and peers are appointed to further contribute to public service in Parliament.
[1] On 9 March 2023 His Majesty The King conferred the Dukedom of Edinburgh upon The Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, on the occasion of His Royal Highness's 59th birthday.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Second Interim report of the Infected Blood Inquiry, published on 5 April, if he will take steps to implement without delay the report's recommendation to provide interim compensation payments to the parents and children of those impacted by the contaminated blood scandal.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
I refer the Honourable Lady to the statement made on Wednesday April 19 2023, in response to the publication of the Infected Blood Inquiry’s Second Interim Report.
Asked by: Sarah Jones (Labour - Croydon West)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Government response to the Intelligence and Security Committee report entitled Extreme Right-Wing Terrorism, published on 30 March 2023, in what circumstances a person who is a member of a proscribed organisation could have their application for vetting clearance approved.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
It is an offence under Section 11 of the Terrorism Act 2000 to belong to, or profess to belong to a proscribed organisation in the UK or overseas.
United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) provides national security clearances to government, including certain posts in policing. As part of this, UKSV assesses an individual’s vetting application and any related risks. Where an individual is known to have or has declared affiliations or membership to a proscribed organisation, their application for national security vetting will not be approved.
UKSV and government organisations have ongoing controls in place to manage staff and review their security clearances. These include annual reviews of security clearances for higher level clearance holders, change of circumstances forms, and additional reporting mechanisms through which concerns may be raised for all clearance holders. If subsequently there are security concerns relating either to an individual’s involvement with, or connections to proscribed organisations, their clearance will be withdrawn.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how information about Information Sharing Agreements made under the public service delivery provisions of the Digital Economy Act should be submitted given that the ISAregister@culture.gov.uk email address is disabled.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Public bodies should submit information about Information Sharing Agreements made under the public service delivery provisions of the Digital Economy Act 2017 to dea-data-sharing@digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether contracting authorities are regularly alerted by his Department about suppliers who have been excluded from procurement on the grounds of (a) fraud, (b) corruption and (c) other grounds under the Public Contract Regulations 2015.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Exclusion decisions are for individual departments. In the most serious of cases, the Cabinet Office may undertake a review of a supplier and issue guidance to departments but the decision on exclusion remains with the contracting authority.
The Procurement Bill, which is making its way through Parliament, further strengthens the rules on supplier exclusion for fraud and corruption. It will also create a new 'debarment register', accessible to all public sector organisations, which will list companies who should be excluded from contracts.
Information about exclusions relating to legal action being initiated by the Government relating to contracts to supply personal protective equipment is not held centrally.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many companies have been excluded from participating in public procurement due to legal action being initiated by Government relating to contracts to supply personal protective equipment.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Exclusion decisions are for individual departments. In the most serious of cases, the Cabinet Office may undertake a review of a supplier and issue guidance to departments but the decision on exclusion remains with the contracting authority.
The Procurement Bill, which is making its way through Parliament, further strengthens the rules on supplier exclusion for fraud and corruption. It will also create a new 'debarment register', accessible to all public sector organisations, which will list companies who should be excluded from contracts.
Information about exclusions relating to legal action being initiated by the Government relating to contracts to supply personal protective equipment is not held centrally.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish a list of formal complaints being considered by the investigation into the conduct of the Deputy Prime Minister.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
In line with the usual process, costs will be accounted for in the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts. Mr Adam Tolley KC is undertaking his investigation and his findings will be made public.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the cost to the public purse is of engaging Adam Tolley KC to undertake an investigation into the conduct of the Deputy Prime Minister.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
In line with the usual process, costs will be accounted for in the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts. Mr Adam Tolley KC is undertaking his investigation and his findings will be made public.
Asked by: George Howarth (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what information his Department holds on how many UK citizens under the age of 50 have emigrated to (a) Australia, (b) New Zealand, (c) USA and (d) Canada since 2015.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon gentleman Parliamentary Questions of 14th April are attached.
Asked by: George Howarth (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many retired people from (a) Canada, (b) New Zealand and (c) Australia live in the UK.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon gentleman Parliamentary Questions of 14th April are attached.