Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Topical Questions

Thursday 18 January 2024 · 15 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 3 Partly answered 11 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ashley Dalton questioned the value for money of Government funding received by Avanti West Coast, to which the Minister responded by expressing concern and a willingness to investigate.
  • Luke Evans inquired about the availability of an alert system for flooding in Leicestershire, to which the Minister confirmed the service's availability but noted it is up to local responders to request its use.
  • Pat McFadden raised concerns about the delay in the flood protection plan and the decrease in the number of properties it will cover, prompting the Minister to explain the responsibilities of various departments and the record sums invested in flood defenses.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Ashley Dalton Lab West Lancashire
Transport
Context

It emerged this week that Avanti West Coast bosses were recently caught giving PowerPoint presentations bragging about receiving free money from the Government.

Question

It emerged this week that Avanti West Coast bosses were recently caught giving PowerPoint presentations bragging about receiving free money from the Government. Is this value for money?

Answer from Oliver Dowden

I am not aware of those allegations, but they sound very concerning and I am very happy to look into them on behalf of the hon. Lady.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The question asked about value for money in Government funding, but the answer stated a willingness to investigate without addressing the broader issue of whether it is value for money.

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Q2 Luke Evans Con Hinckley and Bosworth
Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Context

Last year, the Government trialled their emergency alerts system. This summer, in South Korea, Luke Evans had personal experience of typhoon-related emergency alerts.

Question

Recently in Leicestershire, the likes of Shenton and Witherley came under the cosh of flooding. My constituents are wondering whether the alert system could be used for something like this, as the Government website states that it can.

Answer from Oliver Dowden

Yes, the service is available, but it is up to local responders to determine whether to put in a request for it. In this case, they did not do so. I would commend the local responders—whether the Environment Agency, the police or the fire service—for their response. That tool is available to them should they need it.

Answered
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Q3 Pat McFadden Lab Wolverhampton South East
Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Context

The Public Accounts Committee stated that over 200,000 properties in England are vulnerable to flooding due to a reduction in the Government's flood protection budget.

Question

Yesterday, the Public Accounts Committee said that over 200,000 properties in England were vulnerable to flooding and the budget for flood protection is now expected to cover 40% fewer properties than originally stated. Can the Secretary of State explain why the plan is so far behind schedule?

Answer from Oliver Dowden

As the right hon. Gentleman highlights, the Cabinet Office has responsibility for resilience under a lead Government Department model, but the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is responsible for individual flood defences. We have put record sums into flood defences and we have provided record flood defence building. Clearly, there is more to do to allocate those resources, but we have made considerable progress.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The question asked about the reasons behind being behind schedule, but the answer focused on overall spending without addressing specific delays or inefficiencies.

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Q4 Pat McFadden Lab Wolverhampton South East
Taxation Science & Technology
Context

The National Audit Office head, Gareth Davies, said that Ministers could save up to £20 billion a year by modernising IT systems and better managing major projects.

Question

This week, the head of the National Audit Office highlighted potential savings from modernising IT systems. Why is it that time after time, the Government reaches for tax rises instead of implementing these cost-saving measures?

Answer from Oliver Dowden

That is precisely why we have created i.AI—the Incubator for Artificial Intelligence—under my leadership to make sure that we apply artificial intelligence to drive down the cost of public services and to improve outputs. I say gently to the right hon. Gentleman that it is a bit rich to be taking lectures from the Labour party, which wasted over £26 billion when it was in government on failed IT projects—failed IT projects in the NHS, the Ministry of Defence and DEFRA.

Not addressed: The question about cost-saving measures was largely ignored in favor of criticizing the Labour party's past spending record.

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Q5 Harriett Baldwin Con West Worcestershire
Women & Equalities Parliamentary Procedure

Question

On 23 February, this House has the opportunity to correct the constitutional sexism that means that one eighth of the seats in the other place are reserved for men only. Will the Government support and work with me on my Hereditary Titles (Female Succession) Bill?

Answer from Alex Burghart

I thank my hon. Friend for her question and the work she has done in this area; I know she has thought about it a great deal. I will be writing to her in due course. It is a complicated area of constitutional law, but we appreciate the position from which she is coming.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The question asked for support and collaboration on the Hereditary Titles (Female Succession) Bill, but the answer was vague about direct support or action.

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Q6 Tan Dhesi Lab Slough
Economy
Context

Only 2% of the tip-offs received by the Government's covid fraud hotline are being actively pursued.

Question

In light of the shocking revelation that only 2% of the tip-offs received by the Government's covid fraud hotline are being actively pursued, can the Secretary of State explain to an increasingly despairing nation what steps the Government are taking to recover every single penny of that fraudulently claimed taxpayer money?

Answer from Oliver Dowden

That is precisely why we set up the Public Sector Fraud Authority and I can update the House that in its first year it met more than double its target. In addition, there are both civil and criminal investigations ongoing to bring every person responsible to justice if they have defrauded the taxpayer.

Answered
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Q7 Caroline Dinenage Con Gosport
Veterans
Context

The constituency of Gosport has the highest number of veterans in the UK, with around 12% of its population having served. However, MPs are frustrated by the lack of direct interface and support from the Veterans agency.

Question

My constituency boasts the highest number of veterans of any in the UK, with about 12% of people having served, but the veterans agency is not assisting me and other MPs like me in serving my constituents. Will the Minister get the veterans agency to introduce an MPs helpline so that veterans' concerns can be answered quickly and efficiently?

Answer from Johnny Mercer

We are retiring Veterans UK because of a plethora of issues. We are looking to establish an MPs hotline in the new organisation.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not commit to establishing the helpline immediately or providing timeline

How: We Are Looking To

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Q8 Chris Stephens SNP
Justice & Courts NHS
Context

Sir Brian Langstaff's recent report on the Victims and Prisoners Bill requires urgent attention, as delays can impact victims' compensation.

Question

May I remind him that Sir Brian Langstaff said yesterday that compensation proposals were published in April 2023 and must be dealt with urgently. Can he confirm that Sir Brian Langstaff's proposals are being accepted by the Government in full and that there will be no watering down of the decision?

Answer from John Glen

The next stage of the Victims and Prisoners Bill in the other place will be the week after next. The issue of further interim payments will need to be considered in the round as the Government considers the recommendations.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not confirm full acceptance or commitment to Sir Brian's proposals without alteration

How: We Are Working On

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Q9 Duncan Baker
Veterans
Context

The Veterans Minister had committed to ending rough sleeping for veterans during the festive period.

Question

Ending veteran homelessness and rough sleeping has been an absolute passion of the veterans Minister. Can he give us an update on how this is faring after the festive period?

Answer from Johnny Mercer

We housed 407 of the most desperate, most vulnerable veterans across the UK during Christmas. We are working towards ending all homelessness.

Answered

Not addressed: null

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Q10 Helen Hayes Lab Dulwich and West Norwood
Economy Business & Trade
Context

The National Audit Office highlighted inefficiencies in procurement worth between £4 billion and £8 billion annually.

Question

This week, the head of the National Audit Office told Parliament that between £4 billion and £8 billion of annual efficiencies could be achieved by better use of competition. When so many areas of our public services are on their knees and would benefit from that funding, can the Secretary of State set out what steps he is taking to stop this colossal waste of taxpayers' money?

Answer from Alex Burghart

Better competition and better procurement are at the heart of the Procurement Act 2023, which creates a world-leading framework for the good use of public money.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific measures or timeline

How: At The Heart Of

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Q11 Jessica Morden Lab Newport East
NHS
Context

Victims of the infected blood scandal have been waiting for compensation, with some dying due to delays.

Question

As others have said this morning, every week victims of the contaminated blood scandal will die as we wait for the final report. We know the will of the House on this. Why do constituents have to wait any longer for the compensation scheme?

Answer from John Glen

If the House of Commons indicates its will, that piece of legislation moves to the House of Lords and the Government will respond at that point. The psychological support is now in place.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide a specific timeline or clear commitment

How: That Is The Process

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Q12 Florence Eshalomi Labour (Co-op) Vauxhall and Camberwell Green
NHS
Context

A constituent contacted the MP expressing concern over delays in receiving compensation for the infected blood scandal.

Question

I have just listened to the Minister's response, and I appreciate that the situation is complex, but people are dying. My constituent contacted me earlier this week. He has renal failure and cirrhosis of the liver. How many people have received interim payments and how many are still outstanding?

Answer from John Glen

A large number of payments were made available quickly in the last quarter of 2022. The victims' organisations said that there were 141 deaths last year.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide exact statistics on interim payment numbers

How: Every Death Is A Tragedy

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Q13 Meg Hillier Labour (Co-op) Hackney South and Shoreditch
Parliamentary Procedure
Context

The Government launched the public bodies review programme to scrutinise quangos.

Question

Arm's length bodies across Government spend more than £200 billion a year, and my Committee has been looking at that issue. Will the Minister commit to publishing the review of individual quangos as it goes through? What will the final publication date be for the outcome of the review?

Answer from John Glen

The review of public bodies was announced in the spring statement in March 2022. There are 125 arm's length body reviews, covering 90% of arm's length body expenditure.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide commitment to publishing during process or final deadline

How: Not Familiar With

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Q14 Andrew Bridgen Con
Parliamentary Procedure
Context

In 2012, the Cabinet Office rejected a request by Andrew Bridgen to fund the forensic investigation into the Horizon IT system by Second Sight. This decision allowed the Post Office to control and coerce the lead investigator Ron Warmington, delaying justice for sub-postmasters.

Question

In 2012, the Cabinet Office rejected my request that it fund the forensic investigation into the Horizon IT system by Second Sight. Indeed, the Cabinet Office insisted that the Post Office pay for its own investigation, which ultimately allowed the Post Office to try to control and coerce the lead investigator Ron Warmington, thus delaying justice for the sub-postmasters. Will the Minister look into the reasoning behind this historic decision and write to me about it, please?

Answer from Alex Burghart

I am happy to do that.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific details of why the Cabinet Office made its historic decision in 2012 and what the reasoning behind it was not addressed.

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Q15 Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
Northern Ireland Standards & Ethics
Context

The Police Service of Northern Ireland experienced numerous data breaches of office information, highlighting flaws in how data is handled. These incidents occurred across the PSNI and throughout the United Kingdom.

Question

What discussions has the Minister had with the Police Service of Northern Ireland's cyber protect team in relation to learning the hard lessons that have arisen from the numerous data breaches of office information across the PSNI and throughout the United Kingdom?

Answer from Oliver Dowden

This was an appalling incident, as the hon. Gentleman knows, and it highlighted big flaws in how data is handled in respect of freedom of information requests. We have issued further guidance on how such requests should be handled, but I continue to work with officials in my Department and across Government to make sure that that sort of incident never happens again.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific discussions had with the Police Service of Northern Ireland's cyber protect team were not detailed.

How: We Have Issued Further Guidance On How Such Requests Should Be Handled

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