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1136930

	registered interest
	date	04/07/2019
	answering body	Wales Office
	answering dept id	28
	answering dept short name	Wales
	answering dept sort name	Wales
	hansard heading	Wales Office: Overtime
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what estimate he has made of the amount of unpaid overtime worked by staff in his Department in the last 24 months.
	tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
	tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
	uin	273327
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2019 answer text <p>The Office of the Secretary of State encourages flexible working and uses flexible working policies to enable staff to have working patterns that suit both individuals’ and the Department’s needs. The Department has arrangements in place for monitoring hours worked and line managers are responsible for ensuring that employees are not working excessive hours and are compliant with the Working Time Regulations.</p><p> </p><p>The Department is committed to the wellbeing of staff and regularly informs them about wellbeing-related topics, including maintaining good physical and mental health.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 10/07/2019 10:54:03 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

1138896

	registered interest
	date	15/07/2019
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Temporary Employment: Pay
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reasons the rate of pay which requires approval for temporary staff was set at £750 per day in his Departments announcement of 4 July.
	tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
	tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
	uin	277113
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/07/2019 answer text <p>Ministerial approval has been set at £750 per day as a control mechanism to consistently achieve value for money, provide greater transparency and to ensure that all other resourcing options have been considered.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 18/07/2019 09:22:37 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

1146034

	registered interest
	date	25/09/2019
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Rapid Response Unit
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Rapid Response Unit is involved in the Get ready for Brexit campaign.
	tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
	tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
	uin	290660
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/10/2019 answer text <p>The Rapid Response Unit was established in 2018 to identify and rebut disinformation and misinformation, as well as increasing the visibility of government information so it is more accessible to the public. This includes all government communications on core policy areas, including Brexit.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 01/10/2019 12:19:36 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

1133264

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2019
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason the Government has not issued a commencement order for Section 10 of the Political Parties Act 2009, in relation to non-resident donors.
	tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
	tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
	uin	266672
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>Successive Governments have considered section 10 of the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009 to be unworkable</p><p>There is already a robust legal framework in place to ensure only individuals that are registered on the electoral register and organisations that carry out business in the UK can<br>make donations to political organisations in the UK</p><p>In May this year, the Government announced it will consult on strengthening the current provisions which protect UK politics from foreign influence. The consultation may consider<br>recommendations on foreign spending in elections and donations from shell companies.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 24/06/2019 16:25:16 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

1134466

	registered interest
	date	25/06/2019
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2019 to Question 266672 on Political Parties: Finance, for what reason the Government considers Section 10 of the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009 to be unworkable.
	tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
	tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
	uin	268969
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2019 answer text <p>The Coalition Government took the decision not to implement the 2009 legislation, as it was not deemed to be workable, and the Conservative Government continues to hold this view.</p><p>During the passage of the 2009 Act, the Electoral Commission raised concerns about the legislation (further to Official Report, 15 October 2009, Col. 998W), and in 2013, the Electoral Commission also flagged issues about the tax status declaration requirements. The Labour Government conceded that the provisions could not be commenced at that time “due to their complex nature” (as outlined in the answer of Official Report, 10 March 2010, Col. 5MC).</p><p> </p><p>An individual’s tax status is subject to confidentiality between them and HMRC. It may therefore be difficult or impossible for the political party and the Electoral Commission to accurately determine whether a donor meets the permissibility test set out section 10 in the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009.</p><p>The Government also has a principled objection to the measures:</p><p> </p><ul><li>The UK has a robust legal framework in place that bans foreign donations. There is a long-standing principle – as originally recommended by the Committee on Standards in Public Life in 1998 – that permissible donors are those on the UK electoral register, and this includes UK citizens who are registered overseas electors. Companies wishing to make donations must be UK-registered and carrying on business in the UK.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>If a British citizen is able to vote in an election for a political party, they should also be able to donate to that political party, subject to the requirements for transparency on donations. Supporting a political party is part of the democratic process, and is an expression of freedom of association.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>Since the adoption of universal suffrage, taxation has never been the basis of enfranchisement in the UK. Those who do not pay income tax, such as those earning less than the tax-free personal allowance, rightly remain entitled to vote. Similarly, full-time students are legally exempt from paying council tax, but still have the right to vote in local elections.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Notwithstanding, as I stated in my previous answer, the Government has announced it will consult on strengthening the current provisions which protect UK politics from foreign influence. The consultation may consider recommendations on tackling loopholes in relation to foreign spending in elections and donations from shell companies which are not properly operating in the UK.</p><p> </p><p>More broadly, since 2010, the Government has taken action to sanction and deter those involved in offshore evasion, including creating a new criminal offence for serious offshore evasion, and introducing penalties for those who deliberately help others to evade tax offshore. The Government has introduced over 100 new measures to tackle tax avoidance, evasion and non-compliance.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 01/07/2019 09:32:22 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

1134468

	registered interest
	date	25/06/2019
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has received representations from the Electoral Commission on the workability of section 10 of the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009.
	tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
	tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
	uin	268970
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2019 answer text <p>The Coalition Government took the decision not to implement the 2009 legislation, as it was not deemed to be workable, and the Conservative Government continues to hold this view.</p><p>During the passage of the 2009 Act, the Electoral Commission raised concerns about the legislation (further to Official Report, 15 October 2009, Col. 998W), and in 2013, the Electoral Commission also flagged issues about the tax status declaration requirements. The Labour Government conceded that the provisions could not be commenced at that time “due to their complex nature” (as outlined in the answer of Official Report, 10 March 2010, Col. 5MC).</p><p> </p><p>An individual’s tax status is subject to confidentiality between them and HMRC. It may therefore be difficult or impossible for the political party and the Electoral Commission to accurately determine whether a donor meets the permissibility test set out section 10 in the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009.</p><p>The Government also has a principled objection to the measures:</p><p> </p><ul><li>The UK has a robust legal framework in place that bans foreign donations. There is a long-standing principle – as originally recommended by the Committee on Standards in Public Life in 1998 – that permissible donors are those on the UK electoral register, and this includes UK citizens who are registered overseas electors. Companies wishing to make donations must be UK-registered and carrying on business in the UK.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>If a British citizen is able to vote in an election for a political party, they should also be able to donate to that political party, subject to the requirements for transparency on donations. Supporting a political party is part of the democratic process, and is an expression of freedom of association.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>Since the adoption of universal suffrage, taxation has never been the basis of enfranchisement in the UK. Those who do not pay income tax, such as those earning less than the tax-free personal allowance, rightly remain entitled to vote. Similarly, full-time students are legally exempt from paying council tax, but still have the right to vote in local elections.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Notwithstanding, as I stated in my previous answer, the Government has announced it will consult on strengthening the current provisions which protect UK politics from foreign influence. The consultation may consider recommendations on tackling loopholes in relation to foreign spending in elections and donations from shell companies which are not properly operating in the UK.</p><p> </p><p>More broadly, since 2010, the Government has taken action to sanction and deter those involved in offshore evasion, including creating a new criminal offence for serious offshore evasion, and introducing penalties for those who deliberately help others to evade tax offshore. The Government has introduced over 100 new measures to tackle tax avoidance, evasion and non-compliance.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 01/07/2019 09:32:44 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

1135945

	registered interest
	date	01/07/2019
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2017 to Question 268970, whether his Department received proposals from the Electoral Commission on the implementation of section 10 of the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009.
	tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
	tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
	uin	271380
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2019 answer text <p>The Electoral Commission set out their concerns and recommendations for implementation in their 2013 report ‘<em>A regulatory review of the UK’s party and election finance laws: Recommendations for change</em>’.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 04/07/2019 09:59:54 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

1146821

	registered interest
	date	27/09/2019
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Ministers: Conduct
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many requests for investigations into the conduct of ministers has the Director General of the Propriety and Ethics Team received in the last 12 months.
	tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
	tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
	uin	291542
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/10/2019 answer text <p>The Ministerial Code sets out the process for investigations into the conduct of Ministers:</p><p>“If there is an allegation about a breach of the Code, and the Prime Minister, having consulted the Cabinet Secretary, feels that it warrants further investigation, he may ask the Cabinet Office to investigate the facts of the case and/or refer the matter to the independent adviser on Ministers’ interests.”</p><p>The published reports of the independent adviser on Ministers’ interests contain information about investigations conducted in response to allegations about the conduct of Ministers.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 02/10/2019 16:48:44 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

1147080

	registered interest
	date	30/09/2019
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Ministers: Conduct
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of the efficacy of the Ministerial Code.
	tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
	tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
	uin	292097
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/10/2019 answer text <p>Responsibility for the Ministerial Code rests with the Prime Minister. The Ministerial Code sets out the standards of propriety and behaviour expected of all Ministers and was updated and re-issued by the Prime Minister on 23 August.</p><p>The updated Code includes a new section setting out the policy for ministers taking parental leave and other extended absences from Government, as well as a number of updates, including obligations related to Cabinet confidentiality and the acceptance of foreign decorations.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster grouped question UIN 292216 question first answered 03/10/2019 14:27:08 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

1147086

	registered interest
	date	01/10/2019
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Johnny Mercer: Crucial Academy
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, when his Department first received a communication from the hon. Member for Plymouth Moor View on the (a) continuation and (b) termination of his role at Crucial Academy Ltd.
	tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
	tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
	uin	292099
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/10/2019 answer text <p>The Ministerial Code sets out the process by which Ministers should declare and manage potential conflicts of interest, working with their Permanent Secretary and the independent adviser on Ministers’ interests.</p><p>As part of this process the Minister declared his directorship in Crucial Academy following his appointment and has resigned from this role. Whilst this process has been underway, the Ministry of Defence put in place measures to avoid any potential conflict. Sir Alex Allan, the independent adviser, has not raised any concerns about the conduct and there has been no breach of the Ministerial Code.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster grouped question UIN 292100 question first answered 08/10/2019 16:05:05 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett