Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Topical Questions

Thursday 6 March 2025 · 9 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 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Andrew Mitchell questioned the Minister for Intergovernmental Relations about reviewing a decision to cut the integrated security fund by 120 million.
  • Tom Rutland inquired about steps being taken to ensure trade union recognition for Bidfood employees following the company's unilateral termination of union agreements.
  • Rachael Maskell requested a meeting with the Minister to ensure that a Government hub in York is integrated into the economic vision for the city.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Andrew Mitchell Con Sutton Coldfield
Defence Foreign Affairs
Context

The right hon. Member highlighted his extensive experience in the matter and noted concerns about recent funding decisions.

Question

Mr Andrew Mitchell asked if the Minister for Intergovernmental Relations will review the decision to cut the integrated security fund by £120 million, given that it is an example of how development complements defence. He expressed great concerns at this terrible decision to axe crucial development spending.

Answer from The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Pat McFadden)

The right hon. Gentleman has great experience in this area, and I respect his judgment very much. He will also have seen the world rapidly change before our eyes in recent weeks. The leadership task when the world is changing so fast is to understand the change, respond to it and explain it. I believe that in the decisions the Prime Minister has taken in this area in recent weeks he has fulfilled those obligations in full and in a way that this House is proud of.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific decision to cut the integrated security fund by £120 million was not addressed with concrete figures or review plans. The response focused on leadership responding to global changes without committing to reviewing the funding cuts.

How: Understanding And Responding To Change

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Q2 Tom Rutland Lab East Worthing and Shoreham
Employment
Context

Bidfood, a food wholesale and distribution company with a site in East Worthing and Shoreham constituency, has unilaterally torn up union recognition agreements that have been in place for over 30 years.

Question

Food wholesale and distribution company Bidfood, which has been awarded public sector contracts and has a site in my constituency, recently unilaterally tore up union recognition agreements that have been in place for more than 30 years. What steps are Ministers taking to ensure that trade union recognition and access is valued and considered as part of the process of awarding public sector contracts?

Answer from Georgia Gould

The Employment Rights Bill will introduce new measures that will give staff and their chosen trade union a meaningful shot at gaining statutory recognition. I hope those provisions will ensure that GMB Union members across the country can have their voices heard in their workplaces.

Answered
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Q3 Lincoln Jopp Con Spelthorne
Parliamentary Procedure
Context

The Minister announced that he was going to send 'crack teams' to Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield and Essex to test, learn, and fix by Friday.

Question

In those three months, how many of those crack teams have gone in, what have they tested, what have they learned, and what have they fixed by Friday?

Answer from Pat McFadden

The teams are on the ground, and the process is to learn every week. The Minister has already visited a couple of those areas, and good work is under way. The whole point is that this will develop, it will adapt, and perhaps it will be different from the record of the Conservative party, which saw a growth of 131,000 public officials over the last eight years.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide specific details on the number of teams deployed or what they have tested and learned.

How: Changed Subject

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Q4 Rachael Maskell Labour (Co-op) York Central
Economy
Context

The York Central development site is pivotal for the economy of York and North Yorkshire, with a Government hub at its heart.

Question

Will the Minister meet me to ensure that the Government hub is not separate from the rest of the site but integrated into the economic vision for York?

Answer from Georgia Gould

It is critical that Government property and Government assets support economic growth in constituencies, including that of my hon. Friend, and I would be delighted to meet her to discuss that further.

Answered
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Q5 Joe Robertson Con Isle of Wight East
Context

The Government cancelled the previous government’s contract for ministerial travel by helicopter, describing £40 million as 'grossly wasteful'. The new government has signed a secret contract.

Question

Will the Minister confirm whether this new contract will cost more or less than £40 million?

Answer from Pat McFadden

I think on this one I had better write to the hon. Gentleman.

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide a direct answer, instead saying he would write to the MP.

How: Deferred

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Q6 Claire Hazelgrove Lab Filton and Bradley Stoke
NHS Education
Context

The MP highlights the investment in public services such as NHS and schools.

Question

Will the Minister please set out what steps are being taken to reform our public services, working with other Cabinet colleagues?

Answer from Pat McFadden

Reform is important, particularly when the taxpayer is being asked to put in extra investment. That is true in schools as well as in the NHS, because we want to ensure that teachers can do what they want to do, which is teach children in the classroom. That is also why the best start in life is one of the targets in the Government’s plan for change.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide specific steps but mentioned a broad reform agenda.

How: Broadened

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Q7 John Glen Con Salisbury
Standards & Ethics
Context

The MP asks about the assessment of civil service productivity by the ministerial team.

Question

During their eight months in government, what assessment have the ministerial team made of the productivity of the civil service? What measures are they putting in place to improve it, and will the Minister report back to the House?

Answer from Pat McFadden

I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for the work that he did on public sector productivity. It was probably essential given that in the eight years between 2016 and 2024 the previous Government employed an extra 131,000 civil servants, so it is quite right that we look at the productivity for the extra employment sanctioned by the last Government.

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide a detailed assessment or measures but referred to previous government actions.

How: Changed Subject

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Q8 Desmond Swayne Con New Forest West
Foreign Affairs
Context

The MP asks about the Minister's appetite for a policy of like-for-like retaliation when a cyber-attack by a hostile state is confirmed.

Question

Does the Minister have an appetite for a policy of like-for-like retaliation when a cyber-attack by a hostile state is confirmed?

Answer from Pat McFadden

I have both appetite and full faith in our excellent intelligence and security services, who protect us every day.

Answered
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Q9 Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
Education Science & Technology
Context

The MP asks about the volume of apprenticeships offered within the cyber-security industry.

Question

What assessment has the Minister made of the volume of apprenticeships offered within the cyber-security industry, specifically in relation to digital software and hacking prevention online?

Answer from Pat McFadden

We want to see more apprenticeships. The numbers have come down compared with where they should be. The area that the hon. Gentleman highlights would be a very good and fruitful one for people to learn more about and get the skills they need.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide specific details on apprenticeship volumes but highlighted the importance of cyber-security.

How: Broadened

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