An updated list of Government special advisers was published on GOV.UK on 15 July.<\/p>
As has been the case under successive administrations, staff employed in the No.10 Political Office are a matter for the governing party.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1609", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chloe Smith"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Norwich North"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Chloe Smith"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-07-28", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-07-28T09:31:08.547Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "53"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2021-07-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Douglas Smith"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what role Douglas Smith holds in his office.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4356", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Angela Rayner"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Ashton-under-Lyne"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Angela Rayner"} ], "uin" : "36656"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1344621", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1344621/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office set out the Government's position in her response<\/a> on 28 June 2021.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1609", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chloe Smith"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Norwich North"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Chloe Smith"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-07-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-07-12T16:40:53.697Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "53"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2021-07-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Lord Bethell"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to take steps in response to the late inclusion of ministerial meetings in transparency returns and the reported use of private email accounts for Government business by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Innovation).", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4356", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Angela Rayner"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Ashton-under-Lyne"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Angela Rayner"}
], "uin" : "29060"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1343089", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1343089/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The eight stage process to assess and approve offers of support to supply personal protection equipment (PPE) evolved over a short period of time at the end of April 2020 to formalise the checks quickly put in place by the cross-Government PPE procurement cell in March 2020. Contracts with Ayanda Capital and Pestfix pre-dated the formalised eight stage assurance process but these suppliers were evaluated by officials on financial standing, technical compliance and ability to perform the contract. The contracts are awarded by the appropriate Departmental accounting officer in line with our terms and conditions.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4380", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jo Churchill"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bury St Edmunds"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jo Churchill"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-07-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "previousAnswerVersion" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1343089/answer/previousversion/12073", "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4380", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jo Churchill"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bury St Edmunds"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jo Churchill"}
}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-07-13T13:25:10.4Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2021-07-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Coronavirus: Protective Clothing"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the contracts with (a) Ayanda Capital and (b) PestFix to provide personal protective equipment during the covid-19 outbreak were approved through the 8-stage process.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4356", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Angela Rayner"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Ashton-under-Lyne"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Angela Rayner"}
], "uin" : "25834"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1343097", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1343097/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Authorities are allowed to procure goods, services and works with extreme urgency in exceptional circumstances using regulation 32(2)(c) under the Public Contract Regulations 2015. These include a direct award due to extreme urgency or the absence of competition. Under the regulation contracting authorities may enter into contracts without competing or advertising the requirement.<\/p> We use Regulation 32 only where there is no alternative. All proposed business cases and contract awards are triaged by the NHS Test and Trace approvals secretariat and routed to appropriate delegated authorities or boards for review depending on value and nature of the required investment.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4380", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jo Churchill"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bury St Edmunds"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jo Churchill"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-07-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "previousAnswerVersion" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1343097/answer/previousversion/12052", "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4380", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jo Churchill"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bury St Edmunds"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jo Churchill"}
}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-07-08T16:39:13.66Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2021-07-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Coronavirus: Screening"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what process was used to approve emergency contracts for covid-19 testing; and whether there was a fast track by which some offers were prioritised.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4356", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Angela Rayner"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Ashton-under-Lyne"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Angela Rayner"}
], "uin" : "25835"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1342450", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Cabinet Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1342450/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "