Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Government’s Five Missions

Thursday 24 October 2024 · 4 questions

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

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Emily Darlington asked the Minister about steps being taken to implement the Government's five missions, which aim to rebuild Britain and improve living standards, clean energy, and housing.
  • Alan Gemmell inquired if a new way of doing politics is needed to deliver change, working in partnership with communities and business. The Minister agreed and highlighted the Prime Minister's direction to mobilise action beyond government.
  • Luke Charters emphasized the role of businesses in delivering the five missions, citing local examples in his constituency. The Minister concurred, stressing the importance of business engagement in mission success.

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Questions & Answers

Context

No specific background or context provided. The question focuses on the steps being taken to implement the Government's five missions.

Question

What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to implement the Government's five missions?

Answer from Ellie Reeves

We were elected on a manifesto with five missions to rebuild Britain and turn the page on 14 years of decline under the Conservative party. Those five missions offer real and tangible benefits to people living in every part of our country: higher living standards, cleaner energy, safer streets, longer and healthier lives, and a renewed confidence that the future will be better for our children. I am delighted to report to the House that we have already begun the change that we set out in our national missions, making our economy stable, launching a new border security command, setting up Great British Energy and setting out ambitious plans for housing.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The question was about specific steps being taken with Cabinet colleagues but the answer focused on broad benefits of the five missions without specifying concrete actions or commitments from individual departments.

How: We Were Elected On A Manifesto, Offering Real And Tangible Benefits

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Context

The question highlights the work of the Ayrshire chamber of commerce in supporting businesses and asks if the Government agrees that new politics are needed to deliver change.

Question

Does the Minister agree that, to deliver the change that our country needs, we need a new way of doing politics, working in partnership with communities, business, civil society and trade unions?

Answer from Ellie Reeves

I thank my hon. Friend for that question and commend the work of the Ayrshire chamber of commerce and businesses in his constituency. The Prime Minister has set a clear direction for missions to mobilise action beyond Government, including across business, civil society and local government. Missions require wider sectoral and societal engagement and action across the UK; they are not simply tasks for one agency or sector. I am pleased by the progress that we are making in this area, and was delighted last week to see the launch of the civil society covenant, which marked a new beginning in the Government's relationship with, and made clear the pivotal role of, civil society in delivering our missions.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The question asked for agreement on a new way of doing politics but the answer focused more on existing initiatives and relationships without explicitly agreeing to or outlining specific plans for change.

How: Committed To Action Beyond Government, Launched Civil Society Covenant

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Q3 Luke Charters Lab York Outer
Context

The question references highly innovative businesses such as Brew York and Piglets Adventure Farm in the constituency.

Question

Does my hon. Friend agree that, from lager to lambing, businesses will play a critical role in delivering the five missions, so business engagement is key?

Answer from Ellie Reeves

I thank my hon. Friend for highlighting the work that Brew York and Piglets Adventure Farm do in his constituency. I absolutely agree that engagement and working with business will be key to delivering on all five of our missions.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The question was about engaging businesses specifically but the answer only restated agreement without providing concrete plans or commitments.

How: Agreed That Engagement Is Key, Highlighting Work In Constituency

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Q4 Emily Darlington Lab Milton Keynes Central
Context

The question highlights the importance of linking various departments to ensure public support for house building and infrastructure.

Question

How is the Cabinet Office bringing together all those Departments so that we can achieve our housing mission?

Answer from Ellie Reeves

I thank my hon. Friend for highlighting the importance of housing, which is central to what we are doing in government. Each of our five national missions is ambitious and will require input and action from a number of Government Departments. That is precisely why we are running them as missions, and not in the traditional departmental silos. As would be expected, the Cabinet Office is key to supporting that; the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, who is deputy chair on all mission boards, and myself are playing active roles in facilitating that cross-Government working, supported by a specialist mission delivery unit in the Cabinet office.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The question asked about specific coordination efforts but the answer was more general, focusing on the concept of missions rather than detailed coordination plans.

How: Running Missions As Cross-Government, Facilitating Cross-Government Working

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