Topical Questions

Answer from Michael Gove

My Department, along with the Leader of the House, has been reviewing the English votes for English laws procedure. The procedure has been suspended since April 2020 and, having reflected on the procedure, the Government believe that it has not served our Parliament well and that removing it would simplify the legislative process. It is a fundamental principle that all constituent parts of the United Kingdom should be equally represented in Parliament. Any changes, of course, would be for the House to decide and we will bring forward a motion in due course.

Answer from Michael Gove

I would reassure them by saying that all Government business is transacted through civil service colleagues, and that in order to ensure that a single penny of taxpayers' money is spent, or that a single decision is taken, that might infringe, or enhance anyone's liberty, it has to go through the process of review, legislation and action, which civil servants and Ministers do together in a way that is always clear, transparent and publicly accountable.

Answer from Michael Gove

My hon. Friend chairs the Committee brilliantly, but there are rules—the Osmotherly rules. They stress that serving civil servants act only in accordance with the wishes of Ministers and therefore it is rarely appropriate for them to appear to be questioned in the way that my hon. Friend would like. So I am ready, willing and able to appear in front of the Committee, but it is my view that it would be inappropriate for a serving civil servant to appear in the way that my hon. Friend requests.

Answer from Michael Gove

There were lots of interesting questions there. The first thing that I should say is that Lord Bethell is doing a fantastic job in the Department of Health and Social Care. I think it is quite wrong for the right hon. Lady to cast aspersions on his dedicated public service and the work that he has done as Minister for Innovation.

Answer from Michael Gove

The right hon. Lady quite rightly refers to the very powerful question from the hon. Member for Slough (Mr Dhesi), and I think all of us deeply sympathise with the family loss that he has had to endure, as so many others have had to. It is precisely because we take these things seriously that we took steps to ensure that we could source personal protective equipment as quickly as possible.

Answer from Michael Gove

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. If we reflect on how public-spirited individuals such as Alan Halsall and Darren Grimes were treated, I think it was quite right for the new head of the Electoral Commission to issue an apology. The Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission is a means by which parties across this House can ensure that the Electoral Commission does its important job, and the Elections Bill will ensure that the Speaker's Committee and others play an important role in making sure that the Electoral Commission does its job properly.

Answer from Michael Gove

The hon. Lady raises an important question. Action is being taken by the Transport Secretary, and the issue was discussed earlier this week at Cabinet. I am also working with Lord Frost to ensure that we can have free-flowing freight and that we get the goods that we need to consumers in a timely fashion.

Answer from Michael Gove

Yes, my hon. Friend is absolutely correct. In a former life he was a distinguished leader of West Sussex County Council and, as such, he knows how important it is to the delivery of public services to ensure that one has appropriate metrics, one shares data and that one uses digital innovation to improve service delivery.

Answer from Michael Gove

It is not my job to monitor the personal emails of all my colleagues. The only way you can conduct Government business is through civil servants.

Answer from Michael Gove

My hon. Friend makes a very important point. The point that my hon. Friend makes about the Advanced Research and Invention Agency's potential location in the north-east is a good one, and I will discuss it with the Business Secretary.

Answer from Michael Gove

We are only following what the Labour party does. It was the Labour party that introduced the requirement for voter ID in Northern Ireland, as pointed out earlier. There is no evidence that the requirement for voter ID will do anything to discriminate against Gypsy, Roma and Traveller individuals.

Answer from Michael Gove

My hon. Friend makes a very good point. We do not currently have plans to do that, but she makes a fair point. For remaining hereditary peerages in the House of Lords, when an hereditary peer passes away there is a by-election among those who are eligible.

Answer from Michael Gove

The hon. Lady raises an important point. There is much that we need to do to ensure the more effective inclusion in civic life of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller individuals. First, we must start with making sure that they receive a higher quality of education than is currently the case.

Answer from Michael Gove

My hon Friend makes a very important point. When I was in the north-east and the Western Isles recently, I heard individuals and businesses crying out for economic support. We have no idea how the money has been spent and the Scottish Parliament does not yet have the powers necessary to get that information. However, Her Majesty's Treasury can ask tough questions and require information to be shared, and unless the Scottish Government are more transparent, I will have to consider how I can work with Ministers and with my hon Friend to make sure that Scottish taxpayers know where their money has gone.

Answer from Michael Gove

No. This Government are committed to devolution. Like the Labour party and the Liberal Democrats, we believe in a United Kingdom that gets the best of both worlds: a strong Westminster Government working with strong devolved institutions. On the final point, the hon Gentleman and I are as one.

Answer from Michael Gove

The hon Gentleman makes an important point. As a result of the particular interpretation of the Northern Ireland protocol on which some in the European Commission have insisted, businesses in Strangford and elsewhere have faced additional costs. We have already devoted money through the trader support service and other means to support businesses, but I will talk to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Treasury and Lord Frost to see what we can do to ensure that businesses in Strangford and elsewhere in Northern Ireland are not further disadvantaged.