Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Topical Questions

Thursday 11 June 2020 · 13 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 13 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Lucy Powell (Labour) asked the Secretary of State to commit to a national mission to get children active and ready for learning this summer, working with charities and other organizations.
  • William Wragg (Conservative) requested the Secretary of State to commit to publishing a statement at the end of each review period for amended lockdown regulations.
  • Helen Hayes (Labour) inquired about the urgency and timeline for a clear, detailed action plan addressing covid-19 disparities.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Lucy Powell Labour (Co-op) Manchester Central
Culture, Media & Sport Children & Families
Context

The question addresses the mismanagement of school reopenings by the government and proposes a national mission to support children's education and social activities.

Question

Given the Cabinet Office's role in coordinating across Government, will the Secretary of State commit to taking up the Leader of the Opposition's call for a national mission to get children active, social and ready for learning this summer by working with charities, clubs, theatres, musicians, libraries, and others?

Answer from Michael Gove (The Secretary of State for Cabinet Office)

I am grateful to the hon. Lady and will work not just with the Leader of the Opposition but with others across civil society to ensure that those children who have lost out as a result of not being able to be in school can benefit from appropriate learning in appropriate circumstances.

Answered
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Q2 William Wragg Con Crewe and Nantwich
Parliamentary Procedure
Context

The question asks about the commitment to publish statements at the end of each review period explaining the reasoning for amending or maintaining existing regulations.

Question

Given that under amended lockdown regulations, the Government must now review the need for those regulations periodically, will he commit to publishing a statement at the end of each review period?

Answer from Michael Gove (The Secretary of State for Cabinet Office)

That is a characteristically good idea from the Chairman of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, and I will discuss it with my Cabinet colleagues.

Answered
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Q3 Helen Hayes Lab Dewsbury
NHS Women & Equalities
Context

The question is about the urgency of actions to address disparities in risk and outcomes for BAME communities affected by COVID-19.

Question

Given that Public Health England's report on covid-19 disparities did not include recommendations, where is the urgency? What date will we see a clear, detailed action plan?

Answer from Michael Gove (The Secretary of State for Cabinet Office)

We know that many frontline workers have come from BAME communities, who have been disproportionately affected both by the spread of the virus and its severity. We need to develop a more sophisticated scientific and medical understanding of why this happens and protect those communities.

Answered
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Q4 Laura Trott Con East Ham
Education
Context

The question is about the commitment to supporting the Education Secretary in getting children back to school.

Question

Does my right hon. Friend agree that getting children back to school is vital? Will he commit to marshalling all central Government resources to support the Education Secretary?

Answer from Michael Gove (The Secretary of State for Cabinet Office)

We all need to do more to ensure that children can be in appropriate environments, learning, growing and developing. My right hon. Friend the Education Secretary is utterly committed to this goal.

Answered
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Q5 Tommy Sheppard SNP Edinburgh East
Scotland
Context

The question is about facilitating or restricting the ability of the Scottish Parliament to seek additional powers under the devolution settlement, particularly regarding economic recovery.

Question

To enable restart and recovery, will the UK facilitate that the Scottish Parliament seeks additional powers under the devolution settlement?

Answer from Michael Gove (The Secretary of State for Cabinet Office)

We know that if Scotland were independent, it would have one of the largest budget deficits in Europe. It is only in the interests of the Scottish people to maintain our Union and the power of the Treasury to support citizens across the UK.

Answered
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Q6 Peter Aldous Con Waveney
Brexit
Context

The question is about confirming the principle that the UK will control who fishes in its waters after leaving the EU.

Question

To revitalise the Lowestoft and East Anglian fishing industry, can my right hon. Friend confirm that the UK's control over fishing in our waters remains non-negotiable?

Answer from Michael Gove (The Secretary of State for Cabinet Office)

It absolutely does. I know that my hon. Friend has spoken up passionately for fishermen in Lowestoft and indeed for inshore fishermen across the United Kingdom.

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Q7 Peter Grant SNP
Economy Brexit
Context

The Confederation of British Industry warned about the negative economic consequences of a no-deal Brexit during the ongoing covid crisis.

Question

What economic analysis have the Government done on the likely impact of a no-deal Brexit in the middle of a covid crisis?

Answer from Michael Gove

We cannot have a no-deal Brexit because we had a Brexit deal that was agreed and voted on in the House of Commons, which is why we left the European Union on 31 January.

Answered

Not addressed: The questioner's concern about economic analysis and potential impact of no-deal Brexit was not addressed.

How: Sticking To A Statement About Leaving The Eu With An Agreement

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Q8 Alexander Stafford Lab Rother Valley
Economy Democracy & Elections Parliamentary Procedure
Context

The questioner seeks confirmation on the government's commitment to level-up initiatives and economic recovery post-covid.

Question

Will my right hon. Friend reaffirm that as we come out of the lockdown due to coronavirus and rebuild our economy, the Government will do so in a way that levels up and works for all parts of our country and society, especially those in Rother Valley, as we pledged to do in the general election campaign?

Answer from Michael Gove

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. One of the sad phenomena of last two or three decades is the way in which divisions in our society have grown deeper. It is vital that we heal, unify and level up, never more so than after the coronavirus pandemic. The communities of Rother Valley and others in South Yorkshire are at the heart of the Government's commitment to making sure that opportunity is more equal.

Answered

Not addressed: null

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Q9 Kate Green Lab Wirral South
Education Economy Children & Families
Context

The questioner refers to a report highlighting the need for more coherence in addressing social inequalities.

Question

The right hon. Gentleman will have read yesterday's damning report from the Social Mobility Commission, which highlights a failure of coherence and effort across Government to address this important agenda. Will he put his personal authority and the weight of his Department behind developing and supporting a cross-Government strategy to ensure that we narrow inequalities and injustices?

Answer from Michael Gove

The hon. Lady is absolutely right. I know that even before she was in this House she had a very distinguished career in speaking up for the disadvantaged, particularly children and young people, who need the helping hand of Government as well as the support of civil society in order to achieve everything they can. She is absolutely right: there is much more that we need to do.

Answered

Not addressed: null

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Q10 James Davies Con Conwy
NHS
Context

The questioner inquires about the progress of setting up a joint biosecurity centre to control localized covid-19 outbreaks.

Question

Would my right hon. Friend outline progress in setting up the joint biosecurity centre, and how can we ensure that its work in controlling localised covid-19 outbreaks extends across the United Kingdom?

Answer from Michael Gove

The joint biosecurity centre is a very welcome addition to the armoury of weapons that the UK Government have in fighting this infection. It is the case that, for the JBC to work effectively, it needs to work across the whole United Kingdom. I can confirm that devolved Administration chief medical officers and Health Ministers have been working very successfully with the Secretary of State for Health in order to ensure that information can be shared in a way that benefits us all.

Answered

Not addressed: null

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Q11 Meg Hillier Labour (Co-op) Hackney South and Shoreditch
NHS Local Government
Context

The questioner highlights an issue with the test, track and trace system not providing detailed local information to councils for effective action.

Question

We know that test, track and trace has been slow to get to where it is, but we are glad it has started. However, the key thing, whatever happens centrally, is local tracking and tracing. Hackney Council is a pioneer borough, and we are really pleased that that is the case, but what is critical is that we are not getting the data that will help us track people. For example—forgive the long question, Mr Speaker—if an individual is tracked as having been close to someone who has tested positive, all Hackney gets is the information that they live in the borough of Hackney. That is not enough to act on. When will boroughs get that detailed localised information from central track and trace so that they can act and help attack this virus?

Answer from Michael Gove

I am very grateful to the hon. Lady for raising that point. I will be talking to the team who are operating the JBC later today, and I will raise that specific point with them. I am really grateful to her for raising it with me.

Answered

Not addressed: null

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Q12 Simon Baynes Con Clwyd South
Local Government
Context

The questioner acknowledges local authorities for their roles during the pandemic and asks for government recognition of their efforts.

Question

Would my right hon. Friend agree that the work of the UK Government during the coronavirus crisis has been hugely assisted by the excellent performance of local authorities across the UK, including, in my constituency, Wrexham County Borough Council and Denbighshire County Council, and all the town and community councils across Clwyd South?

Answer from Michael Gove

I know that in both Wrexham and Denbighshire there have been recent incidences of the spread of infection that have been concerning, and I know that my hon. Friend, along with colleagues in local government, has been highly effective in making sure that we deal with those in the most appropriate way. He is absolutely right: it is joint working with effective local councils and energetic Members of Parliament like himself that is critical to making sure that we deal with this infection.

Answered

Not addressed: null

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Q13 Cheryl Gillan Con Chesham and Amersham
NHS
Context

The questioner highlights the role of local people, charities, and public services in managing the crisis.

Question

In order to save lives, the covid crisis has actually seen the Government take, I think, the most difficult decision—to deprive people of their freedom—since the second world war. Now, as central Government take a strategic lead to set out the road to recovery, would my right hon. Friend agree with me that the real heroes of the piece are local people, charities and public services, such as the new Buckinghamshire Council and the Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, and should they not be recognised for their amazing work, which has brought out the best in our society and helped everyone?

Answer from Michael Gove

My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. I know that people in Chesham and Amersham, and elsewhere in Buckinghamshire, have benefited from her advocacy and from the energetic work of the local authority. She is right that we will, in appropriate time, need to recognise the commitment of those in civil society and elsewhere.

Answered

Not addressed: null

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