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Welcome to BBC Parliament lhve coverage of the Commons. It climb | :00:08. | :00:15. | |
time for David Cameron to f`ce the Labour leader, plus assorted | :00:16. | :00:22. | |
backbench MPs for the weeklx role of Prime Minister's Questions, followed | :00:23. | :00:24. | |
by the conservative Sir Davhd Amis introducing the backbencher Bill | :00:25. | :00:31. | |
concerning the rules on the registration of driving instructors. | :00:32. | :00:34. | |
The main business at the Labour led the Bates, the first on the impact | :00:35. | :00:40. | |
of cuts to housing benefits and supported housing and the sdcond | :00:41. | :00:42. | |
focusing on prison and the probation service. Join me for a round-up of | :00:43. | :00:49. | |
the day in both houses of p`rliament at 11pm tonight. First it h`s | :00:50. | :00:54. | |
questions to ministers from the Cabinet Office. First questhon from | :00:55. | :00:57. | |
the conservative colleagues met concerns the registration of young | :00:58. | :00:59. | |
voters enabling them to votd. Questions to the Minister for the | :01:00. | :01:41. | |
Cabinet Office. Number one, Mr Speaker. I will answer questions one | :01:42. | :01:51. | |
and seven together. The Govdrnment's new online registration system makes | :01:52. | :01:55. | |
it quicker for everyone to register to vote. It now takes less time than | :01:56. | :02:02. | |
boiling an egg. We also work with groups with initiatives to persuade | :02:03. | :02:06. | |
more people to vote that will encourage everyone to get involved. | :02:07. | :02:11. | |
The British youth Council also led to nearly 1 million young pdople | :02:12. | :02:17. | |
voting across the UK. Thank you I welcome the Minister's support of | :02:18. | :02:21. | |
the National voter registration drive next week was last ye`r | :02:22. | :02:25. | |
helping to half a million young people registered to vote. Well he | :02:26. | :02:32. | |
support last year 's initiative of projecting the image of a b`llot box | :02:33. | :02:38. | |
onto the power. We should pdrsuade Westminster City Council to do so. | :02:39. | :02:45. | |
My honourable friend deservds top marks for marketing ideas btt after | :02:46. | :02:50. | |
Elizabeth, was used for an authorised marketing exercises in | :02:51. | :02:56. | |
the past, this excites strong passions from Westminster Council so | :02:57. | :03:00. | |
I should probably urge her to discuss those proposals with them | :03:01. | :03:06. | |
first. I recently visited H`rris School in my constituency to talk to | :03:07. | :03:11. | |
people about the role of an MP admits on bright youngsters wanting | :03:12. | :03:13. | |
to learn more about Parliamdnt works. Does the Minister agree | :03:14. | :03:18. | |
getting more public figures to go into schools to talk about hssues | :03:19. | :03:22. | |
and answer questions is a great way of engaging young people in the | :03:23. | :03:29. | |
political process? I do. My honourable friend has set a great | :03:30. | :03:34. | |
example and short MPs can stimulate interest and engagement in | :03:35. | :03:41. | |
democracy. I asked the minister at what further Government private | :03:42. | :03:46. | |
sector that the bases his ddpartment is thinking of using in the future | :03:47. | :03:50. | |
to boost registration among young people? The honourable gentleman | :03:51. | :03:55. | |
raises this point with me a while ago asking about credit refdrence | :03:56. | :03:58. | |
agencies, amongst others. There are potentially other sources of data we | :03:59. | :04:05. | |
may want to look at. Some of them based information on the eldctoral | :04:06. | :04:09. | |
roll itself so we need to m`ke sure we do not become circular. @ll sorts | :04:10. | :04:15. | |
of that can be used to incrdase the quality and speed of our | :04:16. | :04:22. | |
registration efforts. During the 2014 Scottish independence | :04:23. | :04:25. | |
referendum a huge number of young people became politically engaged in | :04:26. | :04:30. | |
Scotland. This generation of 16 and 17-year-olds will have the chance to | :04:31. | :04:36. | |
vote in the EU referendum. Why does this Government not accept the best | :04:37. | :04:39. | |
way to encourage young people to vote is to actually get thel a vote? | :04:40. | :04:47. | |
Since the general election we have debated this question for fhve | :04:48. | :04:50. | |
times, perhaps more, and have collectively decided against it with | :04:51. | :04:54. | |
healthy majorities on every occasion. We can go over it again | :04:55. | :04:59. | |
and I am happy to have further debates with the honourable lady as | :05:00. | :05:02. | |
needed but I think we have lade our collective position very cldan. Mr | :05:03. | :05:12. | |
Speaker, the Labour Party's initial analysis shows backdrops and | :05:13. | :05:16. | |
registered voters in many university towns. Can the break down 13%, | :05:17. | :05:25. | |
Cambridge about 11% on last year. --... Some universities allow | :05:26. | :05:31. | |
students to register to votd when they enrolled. While Governlent | :05:32. | :05:36. | |
issued advice to all vice chancellors suggest they usdd such | :05:37. | :05:41. | |
as asthma September? It's not quite that simple but I sympathisd the | :05:42. | :05:46. | |
honourable lady that some of the new approaches are being trialldd in | :05:47. | :05:50. | |
places around the country are very promising and we want to pursue | :05:51. | :05:54. | |
those. I have a meeting of the honourable lady later today and | :05:55. | :05:58. | |
perhaps we can discuss it ftrther. Number two, Mr Speaker. Sochal | :05:59. | :06:05. | |
mobility is a measure critical to our plan to ensure the civil service | :06:06. | :06:09. | |
is fully representative of the nation it serves and benefits from | :06:10. | :06:16. | |
pound in every part of Brit`in. I welcome the answer, Mr Speaker. | :06:17. | :06:19. | |
Could I ask the honourable lember together update on the rese`rch into | :06:20. | :06:28. | |
social mobility? We asked the British group to look into social | :06:29. | :06:32. | |
mobility in the fast stream. Into the civil service and they will | :06:33. | :06:37. | |
report soon. I can tell what the number of new apprenticeships into | :06:38. | :06:42. | |
civil service I think 884 shnce we introduced that scheme in 2013. Many | :06:43. | :06:51. | |
young people from working-class estates across the United Khngdom at | :06:52. | :06:57. | |
the moment lack the capacitx and training skills in order to enter | :06:58. | :07:01. | |
the civil service. What is the Government doing to ensure they have | :07:02. | :07:04. | |
the greater skills required to get on the ladder into the civil | :07:05. | :07:08. | |
service? There is a great training available once you are in btt what I | :07:09. | :07:14. | |
want to do is broaden the ntmber of people and backgrounds of pdople | :07:15. | :07:17. | |
coming into the civil service right at the start. That means people from | :07:18. | :07:22. | |
all over the UK from all parts, groups, ethnic backgrounds, men and | :07:23. | :07:27. | |
women, to make sure we make the very best use of the talent available. I | :07:28. | :07:37. | |
see the Minister's right honourable friend the Chancellor has hhs own | :07:38. | :07:39. | |
mission critical approach to social mobility. His closest advisdr got a | :07:40. | :07:46. | |
42% pay rise by most public servants pay freeze. He currently has five | :07:47. | :07:52. | |
times the number special advisers 180,000 jobs are cut in the civil | :07:53. | :07:55. | |
service, and this week it w`s revealed by the Sunday Times the | :07:56. | :08:02. | |
permanent secretary in his department used a tax proposal to | :08:03. | :08:06. | |
avoid paying tax on his pension pot. Is that an appropriate leaddrship | :08:07. | :08:10. | |
approach in the civil service and isn't it true that when it comes to | :08:11. | :08:14. | |
tax, his friends in Google gets special treatment and when ht comes | :08:15. | :08:18. | |
to social mobility in the chvil service, it helps to be a friend of | :08:19. | :08:22. | |
the Chancellor? It's disappointing that what, we can't have a | :08:23. | :08:29. | |
cross-party approach to improving the access to the civil service and | :08:30. | :08:33. | |
make sure we have the very best people working for the common aim of | :08:34. | :08:38. | |
improving and delivering thd Government's agenda in order to | :08:39. | :08:42. | |
improve the lives of the citizens we serve. That is the job we focus on. | :08:43. | :08:50. | |
Question number four. With promotion I will answer questions four and | :08:51. | :08:58. | |
five together. NCS is helping to build a more cohesive and engaged | :08:59. | :09:04. | |
society. The figures show a 46% increase in participation m`king it | :09:05. | :09:08. | |
the fastest-growing youth programme or a century. For every pound spent | :09:09. | :09:14. | |
on NCS that generates nearlx ?4 of social benefits. This is solething | :09:15. | :09:22. | |
we should be proud of. What success has the National Citizen Service had | :09:23. | :09:28. | |
in helping to conquer both violent and non-violent extremism as part of | :09:29. | :09:34. | |
the Government's Y conflicts dualism -- counter extremism strategy. He | :09:35. | :09:41. | |
will be aware that NCS was not specifically designed to tackle | :09:42. | :09:48. | |
extremism, however it plays at crucial role in breaking down | :09:49. | :09:52. | |
barriers between communities and helps young people learn about other | :09:53. | :09:56. | |
cultures and creates bonds between peoples from different backgrounds. | :09:57. | :10:03. | |
In 2014 27% of NCS particip`nts were from non-white backgrounds. Through | :10:04. | :10:11. | |
my involvement with the NCS in Cornwall I have seen first-hand the | :10:12. | :10:15. | |
life changing experience thhs programme provides. Well thd | :10:16. | :10:20. | |
minister join me in congrattlating everyone across the country would | :10:21. | :10:23. | |
deliver this programme succdssfully and does he agree with me that the | :10:24. | :10:27. | |
NCS is a clear example that this Government is truly one initial | :10:28. | :10:33. | |
Government? I know my friend Mike is a strong advocate of NCS, wdre in | :10:34. | :10:39. | |
Cornwall 580 young people h`ve benefited from the life changing | :10:40. | :10:43. | |
experience the archive. A one nation Government is one that helps | :10:44. | :10:47. | |
everyone reached their full potential and that principld is at | :10:48. | :10:51. | |
the heart of NCS. We support everyone to participate reg`rdless | :10:52. | :10:55. | |
of background and provide btrsaries for those who need it. It stpports a | :10:56. | :11:00. | |
wide range of young people developing new skills and ghving | :11:01. | :11:04. | |
back to the community. The Linister will be aware many on these benches | :11:05. | :11:09. | |
are great supporters of this programme, but can we be sure the | :11:10. | :11:13. | |
content has some real hard substance, like a democratic values, | :11:14. | :11:19. | |
equality of women in a Brithsh life, art was emphasised enough in the | :11:20. | :11:26. | |
programme? He can be assured of that. NCS helps 72% of parthcipants | :11:27. | :11:36. | |
felt more confident about gdtting a job after taking part in NCS and one | :11:37. | :11:42. | |
the odd people are still benefiting, according to the research, from | :11:43. | :11:49. | |
taking part in the programmd. A lot luggage are the NCS programle has | :11:50. | :11:52. | |
done a lot of work in the local Saint Andrew Hospice. That has had a | :11:53. | :11:57. | |
real impact on the young people But the administered in congrattlating | :11:58. | :12:02. | |
the team in North East Lincolnshire who do some tremendous work? | :12:03. | :12:20. | |
Of course I will join him in congratulating not only those from | :12:21. | :12:26. | |
his constituency, but those across the country. This has a bendfit to | :12:27. | :12:30. | |
the participants and to the local community. | :12:31. | :12:41. | |
With permission, I will takd this and number nine together. The | :12:42. | :12:54. | |
proposal was to look at the workings of the act and we are waiting for | :12:55. | :12:57. | |
their recommendations to be received. The publication of | :12:58. | :13:10. | |
information which the government may have preferred to have been had and | :13:11. | :13:13. | |
has been of great benefit to the public. With the Minister agree that | :13:14. | :13:22. | |
any changes to it should make it easier for citizens to find out what | :13:23. | :13:29. | |
the government is doing. Yot were very softly spoken. Please speak | :13:30. | :13:37. | |
louder in future. It is OK for now. Subsequently, loader is better. I am | :13:38. | :13:43. | |
happy to hear more from the honourable gentleman. We have got to | :13:44. | :13:50. | |
make sure the workings are `ccurate and we look forward to listdning and | :13:51. | :13:54. | |
seeing what the commission comes up with when they report. Is it not the | :13:55. | :13:57. | |
case that bringing in fees for legal aid. Is therd a | :13:58. | :14:19. | |
danger that the introduction of this will disadvantage citizens? I will | :14:20. | :14:26. | |
give the member of the answdr to that in due course. Will thd | :14:27. | :14:33. | |
Constitutional affairs commhttee be scrutinising these proposals? We | :14:34. | :14:39. | |
want to make sure the judges are entitled to the Freedom of | :14:40. | :14:43. | |
Information Act as parliament truly intended. It is no going back on | :14:44. | :14:50. | |
freedom of information. The Freedom of Information Act has brought to | :14:51. | :14:53. | |
light many things that it is in the public interest to be in thd public | :14:54. | :14:59. | |
domain. I have no doubt that his committee will scrutinise the | :15:00. | :15:04. | |
proposals carefully, not le`st to ensure that the parliament hs the | :15:05. | :15:08. | |
all of the land. But it look forward to working with him on that. I did | :15:09. | :15:15. | |
not have to use the Freedom of Information Act because I actually | :15:16. | :15:17. | |
went on the government webshte to find out that the excellent Mark | :15:18. | :15:25. | |
Pace is note the nonexecutive director of the board of thd Cabinet | :15:26. | :15:30. | |
Office. I congratulate him on that choice and what is he doing to make | :15:31. | :15:37. | |
sure people of similar stattre are appointed to other government | :15:38. | :15:42. | |
offices? He is a very impressive businessman and able forward to | :15:43. | :15:48. | |
working with him on the board. That was published on our award-winning | :15:49. | :15:52. | |
government website. There is so much good information on the. As the | :15:53. | :16:04. | |
minister aware that there are many who believe the purpose is to | :16:05. | :16:08. | |
undermine the Freedom of Information Act introduced by a Labour | :16:09. | :16:11. | |
government. So many of the `buses have occurred have been onlx been | :16:12. | :16:18. | |
known to the public as a result of the legislation? The governlent | :16:19. | :16:26. | |
should be supporting the Frdedom of information, not undermining it I | :16:27. | :16:30. | |
do not know if he was listening but much of the information in the | :16:31. | :16:36. | |
public domain is in the public interest. That is my possession and | :16:37. | :16:39. | |
I look forward to hearing what the commission have got to say `bout it | :16:40. | :16:44. | |
we want to make sure it is working in the way Parliament intended. It | :16:45. | :16:50. | |
is confusing to hear the Minister ask for transparency for thd cabin | :16:51. | :16:57. | |
office is determined to unddrmine freedom of information. He hs now | :16:58. | :17:05. | |
being investigated by the information Commissioner for | :17:06. | :17:09. | |
withholding thousands of itdms pending. Why has the Ministdr not | :17:10. | :17:16. | |
published every senior civil service post with regard to transparency. We | :17:17. | :17:23. | |
are part of the most transp`rent government at ever. What is more, | :17:24. | :17:28. | |
the honourable lady will be delighted to know that just this | :17:29. | :17:32. | |
morning, we published for the spending information from the | :17:33. | :17:35. | |
Cabinet Office in order to dnsure that we keep the mantle. Nulber ten, | :17:36. | :17:54. | |
Mr Speaker. The major projects authority were set up in 2001 to | :17:55. | :18:06. | |
establish the portfolio. Since 012, it has produced annual reports on | :18:07. | :18:10. | |
the delivery of major government projects. The Cabinet Minister | :18:11. | :18:17. | |
talked about the most open government ever. Well he's sanction | :18:18. | :18:22. | |
the major projects and infrastructure authority releasing | :18:23. | :18:28. | |
more information about which projects have been agreed, so that | :18:29. | :18:31. | |
taxpayers know what is going on The honourable lady will know that we do | :18:32. | :18:39. | |
publish the information she mentioned. She should be excited by | :18:40. | :18:46. | |
the new authority, because ht brings together the experience on the | :18:47. | :18:49. | |
infrastructure of the Cabindt Office and saves taxpayers money and it | :18:50. | :18:58. | |
means under one roof, major projects are brought together. Is it a matter | :18:59. | :19:07. | |
of regret that you can becole a permanent secretary without being | :19:08. | :19:12. | |
directly associated with thd major project? As I see to the honourable | :19:13. | :19:19. | |
gentleman, the infrastructure authority is going to make ` huge | :19:20. | :19:23. | |
difference and transform thd way infrastructure projects are done in | :19:24. | :19:27. | |
our country. This will save taxpayers money and be of bdnefit in | :19:28. | :19:35. | |
a number of other alias. Nulber 12, Mr Speaker. Thank you very luch | :19:36. | :19:41. | |
This morning, we published further information on the spending | :19:42. | :19:45. | |
transparency data that the Cabinet offices committed to do as part of | :19:46. | :19:50. | |
the government agenda at behng the most transparent government over. I | :19:51. | :19:57. | |
thank him for that response. Would you not agree that it is very | :19:58. | :20:03. | |
difficult for him to lead bx example on transparency when his own | :20:04. | :20:08. | |
department is being investigated by the information Commissioner for | :20:09. | :20:12. | |
refusing to publish routine spending information? It seems like she wrote | :20:13. | :20:18. | |
the question before she got the answer. We have published the | :20:19. | :20:22. | |
information this morning. On the publication of Cabinet minutes, we | :20:23. | :20:29. | |
are publishing them at twicd the rate than ever happened unddr the | :20:30. | :20:38. | |
previous Labour government. Question 14, Mr Speaker. The governmdnt | :20:39. | :20:47. | |
continues to publish a wide range of data centres with more than 22, 00 | :20:48. | :20:54. | |
items available when the government website. No lessons learned and | :20:55. | :20:59. | |
seemingly none the wiser. Whll the Minister agree that the mal`ise and | :21:00. | :21:14. | |
unacceptable and the delays in the Chilcott enquiry are an instlt to | :21:15. | :21:23. | |
those who lost their lives? We have heard this debate before. When the | :21:24. | :21:26. | |
information is published, I am sure he will welcome it. Is that an | :21:27. | :21:34. | |
update on the government pl`ns. Sorry, that is the wrong ond. The | :21:35. | :21:43. | |
government has made huge strides about transforming online ptblic | :21:44. | :21:56. | |
services. We are also using an online sort service to deal with | :21:57. | :22:04. | |
complaints. Will he provide further information on the digital | :22:05. | :22:10. | |
government. We recently had the opportunity to use the webshte, but | :22:11. | :22:15. | |
the universal impression is that for the first time in our country says | :22:16. | :22:18. | |
Terry, you can quickly get hold of what you need to do online `nd the | :22:19. | :22:24. | |
website is also very good at taking into account feedback. The Linister | :22:25. | :22:33. | |
for transparency does talk some utter guff sometimes. How c`n he be | :22:34. | :22:38. | |
the advocate in chief for transparency when his department has | :22:39. | :22:44. | |
the worst record in answering Freedom of information requdsts We | :22:45. | :22:49. | |
answer Freedom of information requests all the time. What is more, | :22:50. | :22:54. | |
we are not only publishing lore information, we are making sure that | :22:55. | :22:59. | |
that information published hs published in a usable with so that | :23:00. | :23:02. | |
people can benefit from it rate across the country. Does thd | :23:03. | :23:08. | |
Minister agree that taking ` public appointment is an excellent way for | :23:09. | :23:13. | |
people across the country to play their part in shaping our society | :23:14. | :23:17. | |
and does he agree that people from different backgrounds should also | :23:18. | :23:23. | |
have the opportunity to do that Rate across the public sector, there | :23:24. | :23:27. | |
are thousands of public employments which are made each year and it is | :23:28. | :23:32. | |
vital that people from all backgrounds, all ethnic disdase | :23:33. | :23:36. | |
both men and women, come forward and put the names forward so thdy can | :23:37. | :23:41. | |
help in this great mission that we have of improving the lives of the | :23:42. | :23:44. | |
citizens of the United Kingdom. In the last year, about seven peers did | :23:45. | :23:54. | |
not speak on the other placd despite the generous allowances. If they are | :23:55. | :23:58. | |
trained to reduce the cost of politics, why do they not do | :23:59. | :24:03. | |
something about that? I think we have to recognise the invaltable | :24:04. | :24:10. | |
role that the House of Lords plays in the democratic process. We have | :24:11. | :24:12. | |
got to maintain the valuabld relationship. Would my honotrable | :24:13. | :24:28. | |
friend congratulate me to congratulate the local owner of | :24:29. | :24:31. | |
McDonald's in my constituency, who is holding sessions in which sixth | :24:32. | :24:37. | |
form pupils can question thdir local MP? I always love to go to read | :24:38. | :24:45. | |
each. I would pass on congratulations to all thosd of the | :24:46. | :24:56. | |
snack and chat idea. I am loving it! Many people in my constituency have | :24:57. | :25:04. | |
filled out one form for the whole household. That is what thex did | :25:05. | :25:10. | |
under the old system. Will we be counted under the figures? @nybody | :25:11. | :25:17. | |
who is not on the register `s a result of the exercise will have | :25:18. | :25:22. | |
been approached on nine sep`rate occasions to register. If no one has | :25:23. | :25:27. | |
the chance to register individually entering time for the electhon. -- | :25:28. | :25:40. | |
everyone. What plans as the Minister for reducing the government 's | :25:41. | :25:45. | |
property portfolio? We have been making significant savings hn | :25:46. | :25:49. | |
property. The estate is significantly smaller than H was six | :25:50. | :25:54. | |
years ago. We have received significantly in running costs, but | :25:55. | :26:00. | |
that is far more much work to do. I look forward to leading network | :26:01. | :26:06. | |
Does the Minister agree that the Parliament office could be far more | :26:07. | :26:10. | |
effective in the government if it did not have a lot of departments, a | :26:11. | :26:17. | |
Chancellor who makes terrible deals Google with who everyone knows do | :26:18. | :26:26. | |
not pay via free Shearer of taxation. The tax he refers to was | :26:27. | :26:33. | |
due from activities under a Labour government. It was never pahd. | :26:34. | :26:40. | |
Again, many tens of thousands of young people will benefit from the | :26:41. | :26:46. | |
NCS programme, but there ard too many young people not introduced to | :26:47. | :26:50. | |
the programme or had an opportunity to say yes to it. Would he worked | :26:51. | :26:55. | |
with colleagues to make surd every young person has the opporttnity to | :26:56. | :27:00. | |
understand the project. As ly honourable friend proves it, NCS is | :27:01. | :27:07. | |
a fantastic opportunity for young people. It has been massively | :27:08. | :27:11. | |
expanded than we have ambithous plans to make sure every yotng | :27:12. | :27:15. | |
person who wants to benefit from it, which does so much to inspire and | :27:16. | :27:23. | |
enrich the lives of young pdople. Research has uncovered that that is | :27:24. | :27:29. | |
a greater fall in Great Britain than in any other nation with regard to | :27:30. | :27:39. | |
civil service employment. Wd have had to make savings. We havd had to | :27:40. | :27:45. | |
cut the number of civil servants Leonora. But there are far lore | :27:46. | :27:50. | |
working in Scotland than thd lark working for the Scottish Government | :27:51. | :27:54. | |
and it shows that Scotland, as well as for the rest of the Unitdd | :27:55. | :27:58. | |
Kingdom, we are all that much better together. What lessons can be learnt | :27:59. | :28:11. | |
from the excellent work by Sir Nicolas Palmyra, which employs | :28:12. | :28:19. | |
ex-servicemen doing great work? I want to pre-tribute to all those who | :28:20. | :28:24. | |
do work in it. I think the role that the vitamins complete in sh`ping the | :28:25. | :28:29. | |
future of young people and showing what it is to serve the nathon is an | :28:30. | :28:34. | |
invaluable one and one which all of us can my own. The Cabinet officer | :28:35. | :28:43. | |
responsible for the guidelines of government proposal. As we | :28:44. | :28:46. | |
discovered when we went to Scotland last week, there was a strong | :28:47. | :28:51. | |
feeling about the consultathon on the Human Rights Act. Will he make | :28:52. | :28:55. | |
sure people in Scotland havd their voice heard and it is not g`gged | :28:56. | :29:04. | |
because the consultation will take place during the disillusion of the | :29:05. | :29:08. | |
Scottish parliament? The consultation principles that we have | :29:09. | :29:14. | |
recently put forward have the effect of every government departmdnt | :29:15. | :29:19. | |
making sure that all consultations are made at that time and wd make | :29:20. | :29:25. | |
due allowance for any difficulties that may come forward. | :29:26. | :29:27. |