Live Cabinet Office Questions House of Commons

It stopped and 2724 hours before the general election. And then again

three weeks later. Paul Cook good morning and welcome

to the live coverage of the Commons. It's that time of the week again in

half an hour David Cameron will be facing the Labour leader Jeremy

Corbyn plus backbench MPs for the latest round of Prime Minister's

Questions. Then at 1230, there will be a statement from the Home

Secretary Theresa May following yesterday's conclusion to the

inquest into the deaths of the 96 Liverpool football supporters at the

Hillsborough ground in Sheffield in April 19 89. The main business today

will be a debate on changes peers have made to the trade union Bill,

parts of the bill could now go through what's called Parliamentary

ping-pong batting between the two houses until one concedes defeat.

Don't forget to join me, Keith McDougall, for a round-up of the day

in both Houses of Parliament at 11pm tonight. First its questions to the

Cabinet office minister Matthew Hancock and his team. The first

question from the SNP's Martin Doherty Hughes concerns and steps

being taken to increase active participation in democracy. Order,

order. Questions to the Minister for the Cabinet office. Martin Doherty

Hughes. Some elements of participation like polling day

turnout life are beyond the powers of mere Government and depend on the

importance of the poll and the brilliance or otherwise of

campaigns. Government can help things like voter registration and

we are about to begin countless pilots to make the registration

process quicker, cheaper and more digital. Were also working with a

British youth Council, and universities UK to encourage and

registered groups to sign up and we are partnering with the embassies

abroad and electoral commission to run registration drives in the

run-up to the polls on May the 5th of June 21. I'm grateful for the

ministers answer but nevertheless the week before the Scottish

Parliament elections, the Welsh Assembly and the Northern Irish

assembly, this Government has overseen the disenfranchised of over

770,000 people by the introduction of a self-assessment terms of

registration process, how can the Government helmets had up and say

increasing participation? The registrars are being reduced by the

entries are people of moved House or died. They are not therefore likely

to turn up vote. There is a parallel problem which is of the missing

millions of people who've never been on the register and need to be found

for that we can't cross them off because they aren't on it but we

all, collectively, on a cross-party basis, need to get out there these

people up. If he wants to join in a deputation to do so, I be delighted

to help. Michael fabricant. Equally as important as ensuring that those

who are entitled to vote are able to vote, it is to make sure that

genuine candidates are not disenfranchised by those people who

get onto the electrical register who oughtn't to be there because thereon

thereby fraud. Absolutely, it is crucially important we have a

register which is both complete and accurate and therefore I'm looking

forward with great anticipation to the report by the Member for

Brentford into electoral fraud which will cover this. What specific work

if the Government doing with students and young people to ensure

that they are both registered about? Mr Speaker, we are working with

universities UK and the Association of colleges, great deal of work

being done in universities to examine very closely the work being

done in places like Sheffield University to sign up students when

they first arrive and enrol at the University of cell, serve as a great

deal we can do but probably more as well. I would like to congratulate

the Government on driving up Democratic participation in the EU

referendum. By publishing their leaflet, the Government leaflet,

which is up for the Pulitzer prize for the best works of fiction. What

the Minister agree with me that that is driving more people to take part

in the EU referendum because they're so cross and want to leave? I'm glad

that my honourable friend enjoyed the read. I would just point out to

him about 85% of the population said they want to hear more about the

issues from the Government but if it does serve to drive a participation

amongst remainders or levers, I'm sure he and I will both be pleased.

Thank you. There is much concern about the Government's new proposals

for Public appointments in that they might decrease social mobility, Sir

David Normanton has said that the grim stone's proposals will enable

ministers to set their own rules, override them whenever they want,

point their own selection panels, get preferential treatment for

favourite candidates, ignore the panels advise that they don't like

it, and appoint someone considered by the panel as not up to the job.

What the Minister like to answer that question? I'm sure the

honourable gentleman is concerned about the appointment in the context

of the drive to increase democratic participation. Yes, social mobility

and public appointment is very important for the democratic

participation. I'm not quite sure how I linked any kind of answer to

democratic participation but I will nonetheless point out we are

adhering consistently to the principles and everything we're

doing in this area. I appreciate the ministers answers to my treated

question. I don't believe everything I read in the papers. But this week

it was revealed the culture secretary appointed, recommended

five candidates for a trustee of the public gallery, three of them were

Tony tourers -- donors and one was a former Tory minister. Is that the

way we do democratic participation for Tory cronies? I suspect the

honourable gentleman is trying to raise a serious point but that ideas

to the principle of a whole and you should stop digging. Rebecca Paola.

Question number two, Mr Speaker. We have ambitious plans to make NCSA

rite of passage for young people. We have committed over ?1 billion to

grow the programme to reach the majority of 16-year-olds by 2021 and

we would like them to benefit regardless of where they live in the

UK. It is therefore extremely disappointing there is currently no

NCS programme in Scotland or Wales, despite the generous funding made

available through the autumn spending review. Last summer I was

invited to a highly successful launch event for veterans and others

organised by young people through the National citizens service scheme

and this year, on that scheme, they are running a social action project

which involves creating a sensory garden for young adults with

learning difficulties. Does he agree with me that the skills learned

through this programme, confidence building teamwork, I make no real

difference to young getting into work and closing our skills gap?

Yes, indeed, it's absolutely true that NCS is creating a generation of

more responsible and engaged young people. The skills being developed

by NCS participants in Taunton are echoed widely around England and

Northern Ireland, indeed, 90% of participants say it helps them

develop these skills for the future. NCS is now recognised by UCAS and

taking part is becoming a very sought-after addition to any young

person's CV. The Minister will know I'm a great supporter of the

National citizens service, but isn't it true that it is underfunded and

come at the moment, we have got to be honest, it's reaching down mostly

into more affluent communities and not those communities with kids from

poorer backgrounds. That's the truth. He should do something about

it. 200,000 young people have been through the NCS programme so far and

we're aiming to get up significantly and it made ?1 billion available to

do so, but what I would say to him is, in terms of diversity, we are

doing extremely well, 21% of participants are eligible for free

school meals compared to the national average, at 8%, and 27% of

participants are from non-white backgrounds compared to 90% across

the country, so we are doing better than the national average. The

Government of the group this question with question before. Some

reason, didn't do so but I will take the question now. I'm very grateful.

I'm grateful for his earlier answer and it's right to say NCS is proving

invaluable for young people across the country. In Dorset there was

recently a successful scheme about replanting trees. I would be

grateful if he could give advice and guidance to members on both sides as

to how they can get more involved in this excellent scheme best mark

well, I know he's doing he can all he can to support it in his

constituency and every member of the House can help by visiting a local

NCS programme to raise awareness and ensure local schools and colleges

are encouraging students to but is about. The Secretary of State for

Education and I will soon write to all members of this House to

highlight how everyone can make their contribution to NCS. I've

visited NCS in my constituency and I was hugely impressed with the work

we're doing with young people on that particular scheme but many of

the young people more widely raised the cats to youth services so I

wonder whether any impact assessment has been done by the Minister as to

how, why cats have impacted on the aims and objectives of the NCS

programme? I thank you for that question and it gives me the

opportunity to say how disappointed I am local authorities are choosing

to make cuts in their local service provision. But we are investing over

?1 billion in NCS over this Parliament. The overwhelming

majority of that funding will flow through delivery organisations, most

of whom are public or the CF he voluntary organisations and beyond

that we are also investing more widely in the sector through

programmes like the British youth Council and Stepped Up To Serve to

reshape the local youth provision. The Minister gave the sadistic

barely in response to his question but could you tell us what steps he

is taking to encourage the participation in NCS of those young

people with this kind of background? Can I thank again for asking about

these participation clubs, because it is really important every young

person gets the opportunity, to take part in NCS because it creates a

more cohesive society, it adds a social mobility, social engagement,

but also with the programme which delivers value for money and those

statistics I cited earlier show this is a programme the Government and

the whole country can be very proud of. Patrick Grady. Number three, Mr

Speaker. With your permission, I would like to take questions three

and six together. And set out earlier this month we are continuing

to work with charities, universities and others on this issue, the

principle of clay, tax payers money should not be wasted on Government

lobbying Government. Will he not admit that this policy

is a mess and he has been forced into a U-turn? Will he undertake to

urgently review the operation of the entire class, at the very least

commit to an ongoing reviews that we can be sure that the freedom of

speech of others organisations and charities is not undermined? As we

have said, we are reviewing representations and will take a

decision on the form of the clause and we are pausing on implementation

but we are committed to this. To ensure that taxpayer's money is used

in the good causes for which it is intended and not wasted on

Government lobbying Government. Six years after the Government promised

to crack down on lobbying, the big corporate lobbyists are free to

lobby in secret and anonymously, but charities have had their lives made

a misery by new bureaucracy. Why do they persistently dabble in the

shallows, worrying the medals while the big, fat salmon swim by

unhindered? -- minnows. I am an enormous supporter of charities but

what I find extraordinary is that the honourable gentleman seems to be

a supporter of lobbyists using money, but only when it comes from

taxpayers. I think taxpayer's money should be put to better use. Mr

Speaker, does my honourable friend agree with me that when our

constituents give money to charity, they expected to be used directly to

help those disadvantaged people the charity claims to help, and if they

wanted it to be used for political lobbying, they would have made a

donation to a political party? Mr Speaker, I could not have put it

better myself. Would my honourable friend not agree that when people

donate money, they want to see the money

being provided by a charity and most people in this country would be

shocked at the amount of money spent on administration and lobbying. My

honourable friend makes an important point, which is that charities play

an enormous role in alleviating suffering, in improving good causes,

and in strengthening our communities, and let's make sure

that where money is donated to a charity, as many if not all of us on

this house do and many people around the country, that that is spent on

the good causes that it is intended for. Mr Speaker, this Government has

succeeded in uniting the entire British voluntary sector against it.

Including household names like the girl guide, Mencap and Oxfam.

Indeed, its actions are reminiscent of the Algerian regime. I would like

to ask the minister this. If voluntary organisations, cross

systemic child abuse or female genital mutilation -- are they

really saying they need to remain silent when a change in the law

could make these practices outlawed? It seems an absurd suggestion, but

the principle that taxpayer's money should not be used to lobby

Government is a perfectly reasonable one and I would say one that most

people support. A leading board member of the Charity commission has

written an essay calling for the UK to leave the EU. This essay comes

after the Charity commission tried to clamp down on charities engaging

in the EU debate. If the Minister able to explain why the Charity

commission appears to be explaining to as I say, not as I do. I welcomed

his voice but it flies in the face of their own recent gagging clauses.

Can he now confirmed that it is the case that charities are allowed to

speak out, but only if they agree with the Minister? No. In the last

round, my honourable friend will remember that we held a referendum

where this country resoundingly rejected a proposal to abandon our

tried and tested first past the in favour of an alternative. I believe

we should respect that result and the clear democratic decision is

addressed the presents, and therefore we have no plans to change

the voting system. Given that the British people voted overwhelmingly

for first past the post, does my honourable friend agree with me that

as with all referendums, the result is final when settled and that the

Government is absolutely right to push ahead with delivering its vital

manifesto commitments? Mr Speaker, as in many things, I could not have

put it better myself. The honourable gentleman's timing

could be improved in future. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. When it

comes to electoral reform, in Northern Ireland, we're all of

electoral offices. Surely part of electoral reform is trying to get

more people involved and closing electoral offices is the way -- is

the wrong way to do it? I will not trample on the poor views of the

default administrations and the Northern Ireland Office but I would

say if you would like to write to me with more details, I would be happy

to respond. If the Government looking seriously at how the

security challenges of online voting might be overcome so that future

generations of young people could actually vote online in this

country, safely and securely and thereby increasing voter

registration? And participation? My honourable friend is absolutely

right that online activity is an increasing part of our everyday

lives, whether it is shopping or everything else, and as technology

improves and as online voting becomes steadily more secure, then

it is something which we will need to continue to revisit. At the

moment, the prospects of potentially stealing the Government of a country

are too great to allow it to happen as yet. Will the Minister agree that

we must do everything possible to bring power closest to people in

every part of the country and a good start would be to make it easier for

people to engage in politics? I absolutely would agree with that and

as I said in my remarks in response to an earlier set of questions,

there is a great deal which governments can do, but of course

there is a great deal which political parties and others need to

do as well to engage the interests of the voters. I thank my honourable

friend for his question and his work for social mobility in the house. In

our mission to increase social mobility, we are working with a

number of leading businesses and organisations in our plans to

improve my chances across the nations. This includes the civil

service is pushing ahead with the delivery of more than 30,000 of the

overall 300 million apprenticeships which will start by 2020,

introducing named live recruitment and leading the development of a new

national common measure of social economic diversity for employers. It

is vital that the civil service reflects the society it serves. Good

might honourable friend explain how the Government is acting on the

recommendations made in the report of the Bridge group? Well, my

honourable friend will be pleased to know that we are accepting every

part of the recommendations of the bridge report and I say this to him

because he will know that we are the party of the ladder. We are the

party of social mobility and the party of the living wage, the party

of lower taxes for Middle earners, and the party that brings millions

and millions of jobs. Topical question number one. Mr Speaker, the

Cabinet Office is responsible for efficiency in reforming Government

for transparency civil society, digital technology, cyber security,

and for delivering the Government's agenda. I commend my honourable

friend for releasing vast amounts of Government data which will improve

transparency across Government. What further action can he take to ensure

that performance improves, transparency is available to the

general public, and their data is in a manageable form so that people can

analyse it? By honourable friend is right that it is not only about

releasing more information, it is about releasing it in a way that is

usable, but I can announce to the house that we have now as a

Government since 2010 released 27,000 open data sets, eight new

high, and it goes to show that we are the most transparent Government

ever. British troops serve fewer years in Iraq. But the first and

Second World War did not take as long as it has taken to publish the

Chilcott report. Will the Minister gave my friend whose son who died in

the Iraq war and apology for these delays and also promised that they

will be able to see the embargoed report? I understand the member's

concern and the concern of his constituents. He will note that the

timing of publication of the matter for the independent enquiry. It has

set out a timetable. National security checking is very important

and will take place appropriately and thankfully we will get to the

end of this conclusion of this process soon. Thank you, Mr Speaker.

Government needs to keep up with the digital revolution and I applaud the

minister's efforts to ensure this is being done. Does he agree with me

that as more interaction between citizens and Government is

increasingly taking place online, cyber security must keep pace? I

entirely agree with my honourable friend. He is absolutely right that

cyber security is increasingly important, not just 40 minute

station between citizens and the Government but also any wide range

of businesses and that is why we have laid aside ?1.9 billion in this

Parliament to improve our cyber security and why we are creating a

new cyber Security centre. Thank you. We have heard earlier on the

anti-lobbying clause the Secretary of State determined to introduce any

drive to clean up politics. The lobbying Scotland act, unlike UK

rules, covers lobbying of endless peace. Does he have any plans to

expand the scope to cover lobbying of MPs? Well, we brought in the

lobbying act in the last parliament. There was progress made on this

issue. But the crucial point about tackling lobbying through grants is

that taxpayer's money should be spent on the things it is intended

for not spent on lobbying Government. Damian Collins. The Fifa

corruption scandal and other scandals around the world have sold

a need for a more integrated international approach to tackling

corruption. Will the Minister be present at the anti-corruption

Summit next month? In short, yes. That is also part of the global

goals which my honourable friend the Prime Minister led the world in

establishing, the development goals, one of the targets within that is to

reduce that kind of corruption and we will be emphasising that in our

work and lamenting our part in fulfilling those targets. Mr

Speaker, what steps has the Minister taken to make his colleagues aware

of the disastrous impact the trade union Bill had on relations with

civil servants? The trade union Bill, which is currently before

Parliament, takes important steps to modernise the relationship between

trade unions and their members, because while trade unions play a

very important part in our national life, and they represent the

interests of many, they don't represent the interests of all, and

we got to make sure that that relationship is modern and

appropriate. Order. There is a lot of noise in the chamber. The

Minister must be very disappointed to have such an inattentive

audience. Let's hear the words! Mr Speaker, in return to individual

electronic registration and in addition to today 's proposition to

the honourable member for West Dunbartonshire, can the Minister

give further assurance that all steps are being taken to engage

harder to reach groups such as private renters of which there are

very many in my constituency? Yes, indeed. We are determined to reach

out to a new set of potential electors who have failed to

register, as my honourable friend was making clear earlier in our

proceedings, but I should also tell my honourable friend that every

single person whose name appeared in the old register and who has been

discounted from the individual electoral registration will have

been approached at least nine times before their name is removed. Appeal

to ministers to face the house. When I used to work for a charity, I was

often called by the Ministry of Justice, the Home Office to give

expert advice, on one occasion do a very anxious Minister just before

home affairs Select Committee. Under the new anti-advocacy clause, can I

ask whether charity specialists will continue to be able to help the

Government, or will the new rule only apply when it suits Government

rather than when it suits the public? Of course charities will be

able to contribute to debate and they will be able to advise

researchers will be able to bring forward their world beating ideas,

but this idea is supported by the Labour Party that taxpayer's money

should be used for paid lobbyists, we are going to put a stop to that.

I welcome the Government's commitment to improving social

mobility in these civil service. Will the Minister join me in

encouraging more private sector employees to do the same? I would

strongly endorse that approach, Mr Speaker. If you or if any other

member has not already been involved in an inspiring the future event, I

would encourage you to do so because it is not only good for the country,

it is an incredibly enjoyable way to spend some time. 67% of people in

the senior civil service were based in London last year, which was the

highest proportion in the last five years. Does the Minister not accept

that his policy in moving civil servants out of London and into the

regions is failing? Well, we are introducing regional hubs for the

civil service and of course there are many UK civil servants who work

in Scotland and support the people in Scotland, but it is inevitable

and we have got to make sure they represent the country that they

serve. We know that special advisers are required to submit their e-mails

and their telephones to public view because that is under the Freedom of

Information Act. What is the policy of the Government on the question of

using various applications which they are using to conceal Government

business from public view? I have never personally use the service in

my life, but I am happy to be able to reassure him that all aspects of

Government business are properly regarded and subject to freedom of

information requests as normal despite the rumours he has heard.