Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Government Transparency and Co-ordination

Thursday 16 March 2023 · 6 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Andrew Western questioned the Secretary of State about steps to improve government transparency and proposed an independent ethics commission.
  • Kenny MacAskill inquired about the Government's intentions regarding the upgrade of the east coast main line and the A1, receiving assurances of record levels of investment.
  • Kirsty Blackman raised concerns over the lack of a published register of Ministers' interests for 10 months and sought assurance of transparency and integrity.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Andrew Western Lab Stretford and Urmston
Standards & Ethics
Context

The MP is concerned about the lack of transparency in government decision-making following several scandals involving abuse of power.

Question

What steps he is taking to improve the transparency of decision making across Government. From partygate to VIP fast lanes, the level of sleaze we have seen under this Government amounts to a grotesque abuse of power, so transparency is surely necessary to restore public confidence. Does the Secretary of State agree with me about the need for a truly independent ethics commission?

Answer from Oliver Dowden

We have very high levels of transparency. The hon. Gentleman should release the details of meetings between Labour and Sue Gray if they want to restore public confidence through transparency.

Not addressed: The need for an independent ethics commission

How: Redirecting Blame

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Q2 Kenny MacAskill
Transport
Context

Sir Peter Hendy's Union connectivity review highlighted the need for upgrading the east coast main line and the A1, but there has been no progress due to ongoing obfuscation from both the UK and Scottish Governments.

Question

Can the Government provide clarity on their intentions regarding the upgrade of the east coast main line and the A1? We have had regular meetings with the Scottish Government, and sadly, we seem to have made no progress since Sir Peter Hendy's review.

Answer from Oliver Dowden

My right hon. Friend will be happy to provide that, and he can report record levels of investment across our whole United Kingdom under this Government.

Not addressed: Intention for upgrades on the east coast main line and A1

How: Changing Subject

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Q3 Andrew Western Lab Stretford and Urmston
Standards & Ethics
Context

The MP is concerned about the lack of transparency in government decision-making following several scandals involving abuse of power.

Question

From partygate to VIP fast lanes, the level of sleaze we have seen under this Government amounts to a grotesque abuse of power. Does the Secretary of State agree with me that an independent ethics commission is needed?

Answer from Oliver Dowden

We have very high levels of transparency, and Labour Members like to talk the talk but do not walk the walk. They should release details of meetings between the Labour party and Sue Gray.

Not addressed: The need for an independent ethics commission

How: Redirecting Blame

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Q4 Florence Eshalomi Labour (Co-op) Vauxhall and Camberwell Green
Taxation Standards & Ethics
Context

The Fair Tax Foundation revealed that one in six public contracts were won by businesses connected to tax havens between 2014 and 2019. This means billions of pounds are going towards tax avoidance.

Question

Does the Secretary of State support Labour's measures to increase tax transparency in our procurement system? The Fair Tax Foundation revealed that one in six public contracts were won by businesses connected to tax havens, and it is fair that taxpayers know how their money is spent.

Answer from Oliver Dowden

We already have high levels of transparency. The Procurement Bill is going through Parliament, and we are addressing issues like the double Irish issue to crack down on tax avoidance.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Support for Labour's measures specifically

How: Stating Existing Measures

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Q5 Kirsty Blackman SNP Aberdeen North
Standards & Ethics
Context

The Committee on Standards in Public Life is concerned that 18 months have been lost due to the Government's failure to respond to their report recommending stronger rules and a better compliance culture.

Question

When can we expect a formal response from the Government? The Committee on Standards in Public Life said it was concerned about 18 months of lost time because of the Government's lack of response to its report, which recommended stronger rules.

Answer from Oliver Dowden

We are working through responses. A new Administration came in in November, and we will shortly publish all the responses to the report after discussing it with the Prime Minister.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific timeline for formal response

How: Delaying

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Q6 Kirsty Blackman SNP Aberdeen North
Standards & Ethics
Context

There has not been a published register of Ministers' interests in the past 10 months, which raises concerns about transparency and integrity in decision making.

Question

How can we be assured of transparency and integrity if there is no published register of Ministers' interests? The lack of publication for 10 months undermines trust.

Answer from Oliver Dowden

The Government will publish the latest version shortly. We are moving to a situation where transparency returns will be produced more rapidly and aligned with the parliamentary register once systems are in place.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific timeline for publication of new register

How: Delaying

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