Every parliamentary written question tabled by Charlie Dewhirst this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 981–990 of 990 · this parliament
With reference to the policy paper entitled Fixing the Foundations: Public Spending Audit 2024-25, published on 29 July 2024, CP 1133, whether he plans to reduce consultancy spending on equality, diversity and inclusion (a) recruitment and (b) training for the civil service.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has set out this Government’s commitment to reducing consultancy spend across Government by 50%.
With reference to page 9 of HM Treasury's document entitled Fixing the foundations: Public spending audit 2024-25, published on 29 July 2024, which planned government communications programmes will be cancelled.
A review of planned government communications and marketing is currently in progress.
With reference to page 6 of HM Treasury's document entitled Fixing the foundations: Public spending audit 2024-25, published on 29 July 2024, what is the gross cost of the civil service pay award for 2024-25.
Pay for civil servants outside of the Senior Civil Service is not set centrally; rather, departments and bodies have freedom to make decisions on pay within the parameters of the Pay Remit Guidance published annually by the Cabinet Office. The Pay Remit Guidance for 2024/5 can be found using the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pay-remit-guidance-2024-to-2025/civil-service-pay-remit-guidance-2024-to-2025 The pay remit sets a percentage maximum by which bodies can increase their average paybill. Each department will need to consider how they intend to apply the award to their workforce, before implementing it. The final cost of the civil service pay award for 2024/25 will not be confirmed until this is concluded.
How many days a week staff in the Office for Value for Money will be allowed to work from home; and how many staff that Office will employ.
The Office for Value for Money (OVfM) is staffed by civil servants with a range of professional disciplines, from within HM Treasury and other partner organisations. In line with Civil Service expectations, staff will spend 60% of their time working from the office. The OVfM is a time-limited team within HM Treasury. We expect around 20 staff to be working within the office.
What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of (a) the junior doctors pay settlement and (b) other public sector pay rises on (i) the forecast rate of inflation and (ii) wage expectations in other sectors.
The impact of both the junior doctors’ pay offer and the public sector pay awards announced on 29 July 2024 is expected to be limited.
With reference to page 15 of HM Treasury's document entitled Fixing the foundations: Public spending audit 2024-25, published on 29 July 2024, for how long the Office for Value for Money will exist; and what its remit will be.
The Office for Value for Money (OVfM) will have two primary roles. First, to provide targeted interventions, working with departments, so that value for money governs every decision government makes. Second, to recommend system reforms to ensure any changes support the government’s missions and deliver value for money. The OVfM will be a time-limited team. No final decision has been taken on when to disband the office, but its vision is to leave a legacy of concrete, embedded improvements to spending controls, to minimise the risk of poor value for money in the future.
What her policy is on East Riding of Yorkshire Council receiving reallocated HS2 funding.
The previous Government made a number of funding commitments in the Network North Command Paper and these will be examined closely by my Government in the coming months.
Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential threat of an outbreak of African swine fever in the pig population.
Defra and its agencies keep the spread of African swine fever (ASF) under continuous review and is prepared to rapidly implement import restrictions based on changing scientific and risk data. A finding of ASF in a wild boar in western Germany in 2024 represented a further move in disease distribution towards the United Kingdom, following similar movements elsewhere in Europe. While we consider that the overall risk of entry of ASF virus into the UK from all combined pathways remains at medium, the particular pathway of human-mediated transport of non-commercial, infected products from the EU is considered to be high risk (please see the latest Animal and Plant Health Agency’s risk assessment from June 2024 for more detail: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/667444bb64e554df3bd0dbed/Update_ASF_in_Europe_35.pdf). UK safeguard measures are in place prohibiting live pigs, wild boar, or pork products from affected EU areas from entering Great Britain. There is also enforcement carried out by Border Force and Port Health Authority officers at seaports and airports. To further safeguard Britain's biosecurity and pig industry, travellers are no longer allowed to bring pork products weighing over two kilograms into Great Britain, unless they are produced to the EU’s commercial standards and commercially packaged with an identification mark. These measures help limit possibly infected pig meat being brought into Great Britain through various means, such as in passengers’ luggage or in vehicles.
Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Government response to the consultation entitled Contractual practice in the UK pig sector, published on 6 April 2023, whether it is his policy to implement the next steps set out in that Government response.
We will deliver a resilient and healthy food system, with a new deal that ensures fairness for farmers. We recognise that fairness in the supply chain is critical for farmers across all sectors. We want all farmers to get a fair price for their products and are committed to tackle contractual unfairness where it exists. We will continue the work closely with the pig sector, and all farming sectors, on the best way to achieve this.
Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of implementing a Hull and East Yorkshire devolution deal.
We want to see devolution extended to every corner of England, and have invited local areas without a devolution agreement to come forward with proposals on a sensible geography.We recognise that in some parts of the country, such as Hull and East Yorkshire, local authorities had already worked with the previous government to develop devolution deals, which were put on hold over the general election.We will work with local leaders, members of parliament and stakeholders, including those in Hull and East Yorkshire over the coming months, to ensure that our ambition for deeper and impactful devolution is expanded across the country.