Live Cabinet Office Questions House of Commons

service operations. Join me for a

round-up at 11am tonight but first

we have questions to the new team at

the Cabinet Office.

I pay tribute to

predecessors in these roles, in

particular my right honourable

friend 's the member for Ashford and

the member for Derbyshire Dales.

They have done great service for

their constituents, for this

thousands for the country during

their time in office. I want to but

my thanks on the record to them.

They also thank the right honourable

friend the member for Kingswood for

the work they did in the Cabinet

Office before moving on to other

responsibilities. The Electoral

Commission 's report shows that

overall the 2017 general election

was successfully do that by a

committed community of electoral

administrators. We work with the

commission to ensure that returning

officers are effectively supported

to run polls.

I thank the Minister

for that response and welcome him to

his new role. But apart from this

trap general election last year my

global authority last year presided

over the greater magister combined

authority mayoral election is for

which it received no central funding

which is surprisingly considering

that one of the functions is to

replace a police and crime

commissioners role which did receive

central funding. What action will

the government take to help local

authorities like mine deliver

well-run elections to these new

rules?

The Cabinet Office

responsibility lies with reimbursing

local authorities returning officers

for the cost incurred in

administration of national

elections. The responsibility for

life with local authorities for the

cost arising out of local elections

and local authority resources are

going to be more than 200 billion

over the current spending review

period for both 2018, 2019 and 20

20.

May I be the first to offer my

right honourable friend from the

1992 intake congratulations on his

latest appointment. Is your way of a

landmark ruling in the United States

of the Supreme Court which has said

that the boundary changes in North

Carolina are unconstitutional and

gerrymandering and will he join me

in praising the work of the boundary

commissions despite their appalling

recommendations ball a trail for at

least being transparent and

nonpartisan?

It is always -- it has

always been an accepted strength of

our Constitution arrangements that

we have Parliamentary boundary

commission for each part of the UK

that is wholly independent of party

politics and party influence. I hope

therefore that all parties in this

House will rally behind the

Parliamentary boundary commission

recommendations.

On behalf of the

opposition front bench I welcome the

Minister to his new role. The chair

of the Electoral Commission has

warned our system is facing a

perfect storm due to funding

pressures. 43% of local authority

elections had experienced real term

cuts since 2010 so can the Minister

outlined why the government

engagement plan fails to address

these concerns and will be in short

a full and conference review of the

delivery and funding in services is

limited as a matter of urgency?

Can

I thank the honourable lady for

their welcome to me to many

responsibilities but I have to

repeat her what I said in my initial

response that the Electoral

Commission concluded that while

there were problems that overall the

2017 general election was

successfully delivered. The

government is committed to

strengthening our electoral

processes and we are planning as

part of that to run pilot schemes in

a number of local authorities later

this year. So we will look seriously

at recommendations from the

Electoral Commission.

Every application to the electoral

register is now subject to identity

verification checks. In late

December the government made that

legislation aimed at improving the

registration process further.

Last

month a 21-year-old man was

convicted of voting twice, firstly

by post and then by voting in

person. He then bragged about it on

Twitter. Over a thousand similar

complaints have been dealt with,

most relating to students. What

steps is the government taking to

deal with this?

I am glad he has

brought that example to life. I

understand that following

examination of these reports the

Electoral Commission has stated

there is a lack of evidence of

widespread abuse but nonetheless we

will continue to work with the

police and the Electoral Commission

to reduce the risk of double voting.

I welcome the honourable lady to her

position. Will she agree with me

that the electoral process in

Northern Ireland was severely

corrupted eight months ago by

thousands of proxy vote applications

and the previous member lost his

seat as a result of thousands of

proxy vote applications that were

approved without any electoral

identification and any photographic

identification.

I struggled to hear

the gentleman but what I would say

to the honourable gentleman is that

as he knows the electoral system in

Northern Ireland is devolved and my

colleagues at the Northern Ireland

Office will be taking his concerns

very seriously.

Can I add my welcome

to the front bench. I am delighted

to see the strong team in the

Cabinet Office. Can I ask the

minister if she has given any

consideration to restrict doing

registration for elections to one

address which may help with the

problem of double voting?

I think

the points to refer to hear is the

breadth of the pickles review into

electoral fraud which gave us the

basis for a number of reforms to our

electoral system all designed to

reduce fraud and improve its

security. In that context I will be

looking carefully at all of its

recommendations and the government

has already accepted and will be

moving forward with a number of

them.

One of the ways in which the

government could give more security

is if they moved to automatic

registration when National Insurance

them as I given out. It would

actually resolve any issues to do

with registration.

I am aware of the

arguments although I confess that

this point I have not yet had a

chance to study the particular

private members bill. I will be

happy to do that and take up the

conversation from that point.

May I

also welcome the minister to her

post. She is the fourth that I have

had the privilege of facing in the

last two years. The biggest threat

to the integrity of the electoral

registration process is the fact

there are millions of our citizens

who are not on the electoral

register. All of their predecessors

promised they would bring forward

proposals to address this problem.

We were told they would be a plan in

Easter last year, then the summer,

then December and still nothing.

When will she bring forward

proposals to make sure we can

increase the number of people on the

register?

He will know that we have

near-record levels of participation

in our democracy. For the turnout

has risen. Completeness has

improved. There are 30 million new

registrations to vote since 20 14.

75% of those use the website which

I'm sure he will agree is a rip --

an important reform. The electoral

register for the 2017 election

reached a record level. I don't

agree with his assessment.

Number

three.

Thank you to honourable

members for that warm welcome. Small

businesses are the backbone of our

economy and this government is

committed to supporting them in

securing government contracts. We

have already streamlined our

procurement process to assist small

businesses. Our small business panel

is working to improve accessibility

of government contracts and we've

focus on breaking down the barriers

that might deter SME's.

Many small

businesses are put off from trying

to get contracts by the emotive

information they have to go through.

What can the government do to reduce

that information they need to

supply?

I think he raises an

important point. It is vital that

small businesses can access

government contracts so to achieve

this we have taken action to ensure

business business bidding process is

a simple fight. Conflict

prequalification crossing is

abolished for low value contracts.

We will continue to look at ways to

reduce burdens for small businesses.

What information does the Minister

have that there has been an increase

in the number of small and

medium-sized businesses accessing

contracts?

I thank the member for

that question as I would point to

three pieces of information. Direct

spend with SMEs is up 80% since the

Conservatives came to power in 2010.

More small businesses than ever are

bidding for government business and

government now spends directly

around £5.6 billion for SMEs.

Can I congratulate as a fellow

Hertfordshire MP for his new role?

Doing more to bring in the small to

medium-sized businesses,

particularly in specialist areas

where Hertfordshire is so strong?

I

think my honourable Hertfordshire

friend for his welcome. He raises an

important point, I think there are

two aspects. Firstly, the direct

spend, 5.6 billion around. We also

need we get spending in contracts

lower down so the people who have

Government contracts spend with

small businesses and that is

something we are committed to doing

as a Government.

Too often, rather

than outsourcing to SMEs, large

companies are employed. This is

subject to an investigation by the

FCA. Karelian remains a major

supplier in terms of work

procurement. -- Carillion. Does the

Government have such a contingency

plan and what is the likely cost to

the taxpayer.

We of course make

contingency plans for all

eventualities. If I could briefly

update the House, as members will

know, Carillion is a major supplier

to the Government with long-term

contracts. We are committed to

maintaining a healthy supply

markets. I can tell the House that

Carillion's performance continues to

move forward, including work on

Crossrail over the Christmas period.

The central question is not

answered. The Government has been

outsourcing public services to large

companies on an industrial scale.

When these massive outsourcing

companies fail, does the Minister

they failed that the costs stay with

the taxpayer while the profits are

going to the shareholders?

Do not

think there is anything wrong with

profits. Profit is a reward for

investment made by businesses.

Perhaps of the honourable gentleman

had recently has it he would not

have do read the pre-scripted

question previously. I would gently

suggest that the honourable

gentleman, this is something the

Government take seriously and for

the first time as a Government

started measuring this, something

that had not been done for 13 years

before, measuring small and

medium-sized enterprises with

Government contract. We set a 25%

target and have delivered, a record

of success for this Government.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. The first

duty of Government is to safeguard

the nation and we take the security

and integrity of our democratic

processes seriously. Other we have

not seen evidence... We will not be

complacent and will continue to

protect ourselves.

In order to

protect ourselves, the Chair of the

Electoral Commission has said we

need new rules for online political

advertising to combat political

influence particularly by Facebook

and Twitter. When will the

Government bring forward legislation

we need?

One of the very first

things to do in my new role is to

meet the Commission and discuss that

with them.

I welcome the new

Minister. Though she agree with me

that one of the ways of reducing

foreign influence in our democratic

processes will be aged members of

this House did not go on Russia

today and Sputnik and be paid money

for doing so?

To hear from the right

honourable member reminds me of the

heady days in the Coalition

Government where we served in the

Cabinet office or thereabouts

together. His question today reminds

us that there are honourable members

of this House here who seem to feel

the need to do as he says. I think

it would be more helpful if we

recalled the words of the Prime

Minister at Mansion House Speech, we

should be well aware of what Russia

seeks to do and seek to protect the

UK from it.

Question number five.

With your permission, I will answer

this and question eight together.

The Government is considering the

responses to our call to evidence on

the accessibility of the voter

registration system. We have

recently released the plan for

Democratic engagement which includes

strategies for disabled electors.

The Government has also implemented

the findings of an accessibility

review of the register to vote

website.

For those who are disabled

physically and visually who want to

carry out a normal role to vote like

the rest of us, could the Minister

outlined that those with wheelchairs

can gain access to the polling

stations and that papers in Braille

are available to those who are

visually disabled?

Notwithstanding,

Mr Speaker, the caveat that in

Northern Ireland the system is

devolved and in some ways different

to that in GB, in general terms I

will say certainly we should not

regard people with disabilities,

restricted to voting in one way or

another, polling stations are

equipped with tactile voting

devices. More broadly there are some

arguments as to whether Braille

brings some opportunity to identify

a voter but I welcome the question

and welcome for the conversation.

I

would like to welcome my honourable

friend to her new role. In

Southport, my constituency, three

excellent school specialising in

teaching children with autism as

well as behaviour and learning

disabilities. Does my honourable

friend agree with me that

encouraging children with these

conditions to learn about our

political structure they will become

more likely to engage with the

electoral systems as adults?

I do

agree with my honourable friend and

am glad he raises these points. My

predecessor in this role, member for

Kingswood, excellent work in the

every voice matters project, social

justice. It should be that any

citizen should be at the heart of

voting, their ability to cast their

votes as a matter of public service.

Thank you. In November 2017 we

published the 20 15th-16th figures

for central Government departments.

The Government is fully committed to

supporting our small businesses

which are of course the engine room

of our economy. We continue to make

action to meet our targets of a

third opportunity being the small

businesses by 2022.

Good to see the

Minister looking in a state of high

excitement, as well he might.

In

those 2015-16th figures the level of

procurement to SMEs shown to be

following from 17 to 24%. Direct

procurement, the majority. Also

changes needed to a Government

procurement system that just

delivers from large contractors to

SMEs.

This is a challenging target,

that is right. We set a challenging

target in 2010 and we met that

challenging target by the end of the

parliament. I am confident we will

reach that target again and in

particular taking the following

further measures in relation to

SMEs, we will use transparency to

encourage large businesses to employ

more SMEs and make prompt payments

part of the selection process. I can

tell the House we will be bringing

forward proposals very shortly on

that.

Question number seven.

The

Cabinet office is responsible for

coordinating action to increase

social economic diversity. Within

the civil service, delivering on all

recommendations recommended in the

2016 report.

The recent Social

Mobility Commission 's report found

the worst performing areas for

social mobility are no longer in

city areas but remote, rural and

coastal areas and former industrial

areas. What steps will the

Government take to retrace the

funding imbalance, North faces and

tackle social mobility in

post-industrial town such as leave.

-- Leigh.

Action on education and

housing an appointment at the key

steps to be taken, as the Prime

Minister said. That is what the

Government and the premise is giving

priority to. We have 1.9 more

children now in good or outstanding

schools than we did in 2010.

I am

delighted to see the honourable

gentleman has been promoted from the

whips office. And cannot speak.

CHEERING

Would my right honourable friend

agree that social mobility is

essential to maximise the potential

of individuals and our country.

While the Government has achieved a

great deal so far, does he agree

that there is still more to be done?

I completely agree with my

honourable friend and the Government

looks forward to delivering, in

full, on the social mobility action

plan for education that my right

honourable friend the Member for

Putney announced just before

Christmas.

Finally, briefly, Fiona

Bruce.

Cabinet Office ministers and

officials meet regularly with

colleagues across Government to

discuss security of private and

public sector organisations.

Investing 1.9 billion as part of the

cyber Security strategy.

Protect

themselves against attacks on their

cyber security?

The National Cyber

Security Centre gives direct help

and advice to public sector

organisations and offers advice and

guidance and help in responding to

attacks to private sector

organisations. I would encourage all

to use its services.

There is far

too much noise in the Chamber. Very

loud and persistent private

conversations. Let's have a better

order, topical questions.

I intend

to continue the work of the Cabinet

office to deliver its purpose is to

maintain the integrity of the union

of the United Kingdom to coordinate

the security of the realm, to

sustain a flourishing democracy,

ensure the delivery of the finest

public services and help implement

the Government 's pass policies and

the Prime Minister pass priorities.

The Government has put out a dozen

documents related to its European

policy in the early 1990s. What is

the Government trying to hide? What

embarrassment is the Tory party

trying to cover up, and will the

Minister released these documents?

I

am happy to look at the particular

case if the honourable gentleman

would like to write to me, but I can

assure him that the documents are

not withheld. Likely sometimes

individuals, information still

sensitive in diplomatic terms.

The

Dorset Knight himself, Sir Robert

Simmons.

One of the new

responsibilities of the Secretary of

State is important negotiations with

the devolved assemblies and

Parliament. When will the Secretary

of state take meetings for the

supporting -- important discussions

for the future of our country.

It is

true that the Prime Minister has

asked me to continue with my

predecessor's responsibilities

overall supervision of

intergovernmental relations in the

United Kingdom. I spoke last evening

to the Deputy First Minister of

Scotland and the First Minister of

Wales and I assured them that I hope

to visit both Scotland and Wales in

the near future. I have very much to

visit Northern Ireland as well.

The

other remark that the 20 17th snap

election had been well run. But they

felt the need to provide its members

with a free counselling service

following the election. What action

will be Government take to address

unsustainable workloads and staffing

pressures experienced by our

election staff?

One of the challenge

facing electoral staff this year is

an unprecedented amount of people

taking advantage of the opportunity

to register online and the

Administration had to sort out

duplicate registrations. We are

looking at the lessons to be learnt

by that but we should not fail to

acknowledge the fact that online

registration has made it easier for

people to register than in the past

and a great boon to many of our

citizens.

With over 25% of overseas

development being spent outside

of... Is there a role for Cabinet

Office encouraging more cross

departmental spend and better

reporting across all departments?

My

honourable friend with his expert

knowledge of Africa makes an

important point. The national

security adviser based in the

capital -- Cabinet Office

responsible for £3.2 billion of

cross departmental ODA spending and

I am looking forward to discussing

with them how that money can best be

spent and will certainly take

account of my honourable friend pass

views.

Lewisham has over 2000

residents in temporary

accommodation. Three quarters of

those who have been in contact with

me are not on the electoral

register. I am not happy with this,

is the Government? If you are not,

what is the Government going to do

about this?

Despite the success of

online registration, we accept there

is more to do and think it is

important we encourage all our

citizens of this country to take

advantage of the democratic rights

they have to cast a vote locally and

nationally.

I have a number of

constituents who have suffered

terribly as a result of the

contaminated blood scandal. Would my

right honourable friend please

update the House and the process

towards an appointment of the chair

and timescales of enquiry?

The

contaminated blood scandal was an

appalling tragedy from which

individuals and their families are

still suffering. I regard this as a

very high priority for me. We

approached the Justice, asked him to

nominate a judge to chair the

enquiry and they had to make an

announcement of the name of that

judge soon.

After the Prime Minister

pass painful and protracted

reshuffle clearly failed to ensure

that the Cabinet reflects diverse

and modern Britain, what steps is

the Minister taking to increase

diversity in the civil service?

We

are implementing in full and the

report to which I alluded earlier.

We are encouraging all Government

departments to step up their work,

to make sure that they are

recruiting people, seeking to

recruit people, from groups in

society harder to reach than others

in the past. Important that

continues and I think the Prime

Minister pass commitment to racial

disparity project which in 14 years

of Labour Government something we

didn't see from the party

opposite...

Personal assurances

given to me and colleagues about the

Repeal Bill. Can he assure me

Government remains committed to

working with devolved

administrations... I can give my

honourable friend that commitment.

When I spoke to the Deputy First

Minister of Scotland last night I

said we were disappointed we had not

been able to reach agreement with

the devolved administrations on the

acceptable form of words for such an

amendment but was committed to

intensifying discussions with

devolved administrations...

By New

Year pass Eve, and other four young

people lost their lives to knife

crime. We have failed to tackle the

epidemic because we have the

lowest...

Order. The question is

about knife crime. This is a matter

of the utmost gravity. Please, it is

the last question. And the answer.

Sarah Jones.

New Year pass Eve,

another four people lost their lives

to knife crime in London. We have

failed to tackle the epidemic

because we have failed to recognise

the solutions span health,

education, poverty and aspiration.

What can he do in his role to get

Government departments working

together to fight a long-term

solution?

Can I first of all say and

a half of myself I am sure the whole

House will want to express an

reserve sympathy and condolences to

the families. Of those for young

people who must be going through

hell at this time. -- four young

people. The Government stands on

knife crime is tougher than ever

before, and the latest figures show

that more people are being sent to

prison for knife crime. Like I

accept this has to involve local

government, the mayor in a big way.

I know the Home Secretary is very

committed to seeing further action

taken to drive down the rates of

these appalling crimes and I promise

that I will