Live Cabinet Office Questions House of Commons

Order, order. Questions to the Minister for the Cabinet Office and

the Chancellor of the Duchy of us do. Thank you, may I answer this

with question six together. The persistence and ingenuity of those

means we need to work even harder to means we need to work even harder to

keep pace with the threat which is why we launched a cyber security

strategy supported by ?1.9 billion worth of investment in which we set

up ambitious steps to respond to that threat. Many local firms

struggle to afford the very best in cyber protection and I wonder if the

minister could shear what they should do to benefit from the

experience of MPs. My honourable friend raises an important point and

it is regrettable that increasingly, cyber security is an essential part

of normal business operations. That's why we're trying to make it

easy. We have got a cyber essential scheme which helps businesses

understand what they need to do to protect themselves. We have a cyber

exchange which provides information about businesses and directories

which can help small businesses, and we have action fraud which is the

report malicious activity. Will my report malicious activity. Will my

right honourable friend also reassure the host but as well as

protecting the infrastructure, the government has taken appropriate

steps to protect businesses and individuals from the threat of cyber

attacks? I can reassure the house. My honourable friend raises the

issue of wider threat to infrastructure. That was the purpose

behind setting up the centre, where we bring together all the expertise

across government. I'm confident we can do that to a capacity that is

world leading. We know that Russian cyber attacks had an impact on the

US election, what assessment has MI5 made of cyber attacks in relation to

the Brexit output and the Scottish referendum? The honourable gentleman

will know that I cannot comment on the operational details of the

security agencies but he should be reassured that our agencies have

some of the best capacities in the world, they are being funded

appropriately and we are making sure that they are doing what they need

to do. A cyber attack earlier this month affecting several Internet

service providers resulted in over 100,000 people across the UK losing

their connection. With the economy becoming ever more reliant on

digital infrastructure, what further measures is the government putting

in place to protect businesses and consumers? The honourable lady is

right to point out the threat to not only businesses but individuals.

That is why the National Security Centre has been set to engage with

business as early but where there is a cyber attack, ensure that

customers are alerted early something is done about it, and we

are able to learn from those attacks and make sure they don't happen in

other parts of the economy. MI5 for wind of a threat from eastern Europe

of packages of measures to subvert the economic process. If

government fully prepared to defend government fully prepared to defend

the UK from such attacks? We are. It would not be for me to add to the

words of the director of the security services but it is

important we protect the integrity important we protect the integrity

of our democracy and he can be sure that all agencies in this country

are prized of the necessity of doing just that. In light of the Russian

intervention in the US election and the credible threat to the German

election recognised by Chancellor Merkel, will he give a guarantee

that no cyber attacks have been carried out on the UK which could

have impacted on our democracy, and assure the house of what measures

his government will be implementing to defend the UK from such attacks

in the future? I am gratified that we are told register is one of the

secure but we need to protect the integrity of the democratic process

which is why we will be making sure our systems are secure as possible.

Grateful to those people working in the centre for the work that they

do. A lot of it is very difficult than technical and that is why we

are better protected than most countries around the world and I

intend to make sure that capability and capacity increases and improves.

Single departmental plans represent this procedure. We track progress

against manifesto commitments and encourage greater efficiency in

government. The Cabinet Office is encouraged to oversee cross

government implementation of its proposals. Can I ask my right

honourable friend what steps he is taking to ensure it is a priority

for each department? I am grateful for it to be raised. I know that it

is close to her heart. It is very important that we coordinate this

matter across government because it's not just a matter for the

Department of Health although I should just say my right honourable

friend is taking this as a personal issue. Our purpose is to make sure

government so that this is a government so that this is a

response across government by the whole of government to something

which affects everyone in this country. In order that benefits are

seen and enjoyed across the UK can he give a commitment to discussions

with devolved legislature to ensure that best practice is enjoyed by

everyone, irrespective of where they live in the UK. Special advisers are

an important part of ministers. The government is committed to making

the most of patient use of public money and will keep under review the

cost of the service. While the Prime Minister has introduced a salary

cap, the Times has reported the Prime Minister's own special

advisers are not subjected to this. Oh can you reassure the public that

the costs are being controlled? We are required to publish a number on

the cost and we will publish one shortly. We will provide the total

payment for special advisers and severance costs.

The government is clear that the House of Lords cannot continue to

grow indefinitely however comprehensive reform of the House of

Lords is not a priority for this parliament. Given the number of

pressing priorities elsewhere, where there are measures that can command

consensus across the house the government welcome working with

peers to look at how to take them forward. Even the House of Lords

thinks the House of Lords is too big thinks the House of Lords is too big

so how can it be the priority to reduce the elected house by 50

members went under David Cameron it expanded by 260? I'm grateful for

the honourable member raising the excellent debate which took place.

I manifesto set out it would be a priority. It is absolutely critical

to save money across Parliament and increase constituencies.

I don't think anybody is concerned about the size of Lord spot the

possibles. David Nuttall. Does my honourable

friend agree with me that whilst reform of the House of Lords may not

be a priority at the moment, if their lordships try to frustrate the

will of the British people over Brexit, reform of the House of Lords

should become a top priority. A debate took place last week in which

there was an interesting consensus positing the solution, while

ensuring we look for new expertise... It is importantly the

House of Lords has a critical part in our constitution as a revising

chamber. I hope that will continue. Last week, we witnessed the

outrageous spectacle of Tory peers trying to filibuster plans which

would have removed the archaic principle of the hereditary peer

by-election that takes place in the House of Lords, where a small number

of privileged lords decide which among their number will join the

legislator. With the Minister not agree that makes a laughing stock of

the House of Lords and underlines the need to engage in serious

reform? It is a shame that there were no SNP members taking part in

that debate. This party refuses to engage in the democratic process and

let stand the people of Scotland by not allowing them adequate

representation. There was a vote in 2014 where 2 million people voted to

remain as part of the UK, and this party continues to frustrate the

will of the Scottish people. I am sure that the minister will share my

view that it was disappointing when there was an opportunity to reform

the House of Lords on government time in this chamber, and the main

opposition party decided to frustrate that. Would he agree that

any reform needs to be linked to wider reform that delivers a whole

package, not just setting a particular number on existing

membership? What is important when it comes to the reform of the House

of Lords is that it is led by the Lords themselves. There is clearly

an appetite for that to take place. Around 50 peers have retired. I

welcome the fact the Leader of the House of Lords suggested that she

would like to consider whether setting up a more practical step of

a consultative group overseen by the Speaker the House of Lords... I look

forward to these plans. How can the government justify the idea of

having more than 800 unelected members of the House of Lords, and

they are reducing the elected House, the House of Commons, from 650 to

600? There are that many people now in the House of Lords, they are

running short of toilets! I'm not sure about the toilets is

you, but I refer back to a comment made by the Labour peer, Baroness

Taylor Bolton, one of his colleagues. She stated that while

there are 845 members of the House of Lords, average attendances about

497. Let's come back to the boundary changes. He knows that when you look

at the constituencies in this House, you have some constituencies that

have 95000 and some 30 8000. That discrepancy has been a discrepancy

first picked up around the charter. 200 years ago we had the working

class organisation demanding change and we will deliver that. I thank

the Minister for his history lesson, which he is in a good position to

provide. But we must move on. We have had

lots of words from the Minister. Like can't he understand that it is

just untenable to have a blunted a revising chamber with substantially

more members than we have in this elected chamber, and this coming at

a time when he is ploughing ahead with his plans to reduce the size of

this place. He may not think reform of the House of Lords is a priority.

Their Lordships do. So what is he going to do about it? It is up to

the House of Lords to provide cross-party consensus across this

House. There are Labour members willing to get involved. Let's talk

about priorities. The language of priorities is the language of

politics. Our priorities ensure we deliver the will of the British

people in leaving the European Union. His seems to be frustrating

the Brexit process and taking of our legislative time talking about the

House of Lords. Mr Speaker, we are committed to

ensure that digital systems -- assistance is always available to

those not online. Also, since we will have the means of access for

those not able to use the online service. Thank you. I am encouraged

by my right honourable friend's answer. Whiley continues to improve

access to service online, Willie ensure that is done in a way that

avoids excluding those who are unable to access such services? I

will be able to give my honourable friend the reassurance. We have

travelled a great distance in the last six years. Online services are

now immeasurably better in terms of access than they were in 2010. We

want to make sure that everybody has the ability to gain access to

government services and will provide alternative routes online to those

who can't do so. The Minister will know that if we have online access,

it has got to be of the highest quality. Some of the experienced

government -- experiences, the Department have had has not been

reassuring. Could you look at some very real talented people on the

autism spectrum who are actually very good at this? And could he

recruit many of them to get these online services better than they

are? The honourable gentleman is right to point to former failures of

accessibility in online services. We make sure that all services are

accessible by design. How is progress on his excellent verify

system preceding? It is proceeding well. It is not proceeding well

enough fund I would like to see it go faster. It is most impossible to

get a physical address to write two on the government website. Is this

deliberate? It is not delivered but if he wants to show me the examples

I will make sure I corrected. Would he agree that giving the skill base

of the UK and our creativity in digital services, there is an

opportunity for the government to be a world leader in the proviso --

provision of services? We are already the world leader. We have

the finest government digital service in the world. Comparable

organisations have also said that. We can still do better. I look out

for a forthcoming strategy on this important matter.

Topical questions. Douglas Carswell. Number one, please. The purpose of

the Cabinet office is to deliver democracy that works for everyone.

Supporting the design and delivery of government policy and delivering

efficiencies and reforms to make government work better. Since 2008,

many select committees have held pre-appointment hearings. Would the

minister consider making a routine for a select committees to hold a

formal confirmation hearings, particularly when the position

requires substantial control over tax payer money? I'm not -- I'm not

sure why he has two phrase every question he asks with an insult. --

to phrase. We will ensure that select committees have even more

influence in scrutinising government policy and I will take is careful

and wise comments on board. WoodMac right honourable friend please

update the house as to what progress is being made to make a single point

of complaint for users of public services? Last week I public --

published the draft paper on this bill. The draft bill sets out how

you will create a single point of contact, make the system simpler,

more efficient and give the new ombudsman a wider role. The Minister

will no doubt be aware of the 2014 Electoral Commission survey which

found there were 7.4 million people are missing from the electoral

register. And that young people were identified as being particularly

underrepresented. When he committed to introducing a schools

registration scheme along the lines of the initiative in Northern

Ireland, which has resulted in the increase in the number of young

people registered to vote? As part of our commitment to a democracy

that works, I have been touring the country, I am investigating how we

can ensure that we get more than people actively engaged in politics.

I held a round table with youth organisations last week to discuss

our strategy going forward. The Northern Ireland example is not

something we wish to take forward. The idea of compulsion on schools

doesn't work. There must be local ownership of schemes to ensure that

civil society groups canning courage young people to join the register

when they turn 18. Can I welcome the government's race

disparities audit seeking to address the geographical disparities,

including in some of the most deprived communities in the country.

Can he update the House on progress? We are making very good progress

with the audit. I thank my honourable friend for raising it. As

the Prime Minister said, if you are a white working-class boy you are

less likely than anybody macro else in Britain to go to university. That

is why we are looking at these disparities so carefully.

A victim of a cyber attack in my Wrexham constituency went to North

Wales police for help and was referred to me to speak to a human

being to get information about the case. Can the City of London police,

who have control of these matters, that human beings at the end of the

line to assist people who are, after all, victims of crime. --? I regret

the experienced the honourable gentleman's constituent had. We have

said up a group to look after victims of cybercrime. He and his

constituents should attend to them first. We have ensured the National

cyber centre is providing a personal security to business. I will take up

this issue personally to make sure it is corrected.

Is my right honourable friend aware that sometimes a cyber attack is

inadvertent? Is he aware that the register and other magazines are

reporting that a Microsoft download and update has massed disconnection

of computers to the Internet, particularly those running Windows

eight and Windows ten? Does the government have a role to advise

people about how that sort of thing can be corrected? My honourable

friend is a far more astute reader of IT journals than I am. I can say

that we are aware of responsibilities. Have set up the

cyber essentials website. I will relay his Commons back to the people

who know more about it than I do, to reflect on them. For what specific

reason, for what specific reason is the government blocking the bill to

end the ludicrous situation of elections to her registry peerages?

-- hereditary. As I have stated already, the government is

absolutely committed to ensuring we go forward with a consensus in the

House of Lords on Lords reform and the size of the House of Lords. The

debate demonstrated there is a consensus and the Leader of the

House of Lords is working to establish that committee. That is

the approach the government is taking.

Mr Speaker, the ministers have talked about creating a democracy

that works for everyone. With a look further at making sure that first

past the post is rolled out for mayoral and police Commissioner

elections? I sat in on the ten minute rule Bill last week, which I

listened to with good intent. I have to say that while this government is

absolutely committed to first past the post as an electoral system, we

need to ensure that we had -- when we have elections that are set out

by legislation, we ensure the conduct of those elections is

carefully managed. Where is John Cryer? Dear, oh dear. Danny King. I

appreciate this is a devolved matter. Surely there has to be a

process that the Cabinet office can hold of the Northern Ireland

executive over 400 million being wasted of all of our money on the

renewable heat initiative? The honourable gentleman does say it is

a devolved matter. And it is. It would not be right for me to

comment. Tomorrow, this House will debate the Broadband universal

service obligation. Does the Minister agree that we must

complement the excellent work of the government digital service with a

real commitment to superfast broadband wherever we can take it?

Is right and that is why our manifesto was the most ambitious of

all the main parties in terms of the roll-out of superfast broadband.

He will be hearing more about it in the weeks to come. Order, questions

to the Prime Minister. This I had the ministerial

colleagues and others in addition to my duties in this House, and I shall

have further such meetings later today to talk can I take the

opportunity to wish you, Mr Speaker, and all members of the House a merry

Christmas. In the light of the