Wednesday Volume 626 5 July 2017 No. 12 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Wednesday 5 July 2017 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2017 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 1147 5 JULY 2017 1148 Damian Green: My hon. Friend makes a perfectly House of Commons valid point. Everyone in this House wants to be fair to public sector workers, but Conservative Members also Wednesday 5 July 2017 want to be fair to taxpayers. It is very important that we strike the right balance. If we do not strike that balance, we will wreck the economy, which is what would happen The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock with the Labour party’s ridiculous uncosted policy proposals. PRAYERS Jon Trickett (Hemsworth) (Lab): While cutting the [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] real-terms pay of nurses, the police, fire officers and others, the Prime Minister has broken her own £72,000 cap that she advocated for the salaries of political appointees. A third of all her special advisers earn more Oral Answers to Questions than that, and her two ill-fated chiefs of staff earned almost double that amount. How can the Minister justify pay restraint for nurses when there is no restraint CABINET OFFICE AND THE CHANCELLOR OF in No. 10? Will he put an end to the pay cap in the THE DUCHY OF LANCASTER public sector by changing the guidelines that the Government give to the pay review bodies? Finally, will he reject the former Prime Minister’s disgraceful slur The Minister for the Cabinet Office was asked— Public Sector Pay that wanting to earn a decent income in the public sector is somehow selfish? 1. Neil Gray (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP): If he will hold discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer Damian Green: Let me answer some of the hon. on bringing forward proposals to review public sector Gentleman’s questions. I hope he recognises that, as I pay. [900232] have just said, the Government have accepted every recommendation made by a public sector pay review The First Secretary of State and Minister for the body since 2014. Striking the right balance between Cabinet Office (Damian Green): Public sector pay policy being fair to public sector workers and being fair to has always been designed to strike the right balance taxpayers must be the right way forward. The suggestions between being fair to our public servants and fair to that were made during the election campaign, and those who pay for them. The Government will continue clearly continue to be made, by the Labour party would to assess that balance. lead to the situation that the Greek people have had to suffer: precisely because of irresponsible commitments Neil Gray: I thank the Minister for that answer, and I made by their Government, they have had to slash their ask the House to note that my wife is a primary school public services. Public services get worse under the sort teacher in Scotland. According to an academic report of economic policy advised by the Labour party. published this week by the UK Government, average public sector earnings have fallen in the last decade by Prompt Payment Code 6%, or up to £3 per hour for some people. With that in mind, will the Minister advise us on whether he supports, 2. Neil Parish (Tiverton and Honiton) (Con): What and wishes this Government to follow, the lead that the progress the Government are making on the delivery of Scottish Government have taken in ending the 1% cap the prompt payment code. [900233] for public sector workers? Or does he support what the former Prime Minister David Cameron said yesterday: 9. Gillian Keegan (Chichester) (Con): What progress that it is “selfish” to campaign for an end to the cap? the Government are making on the delivery of the Damian Green: It is interesting that the hon. Gentleman prompt payment code. [900240] brings up Scottish education, which is, as he knows, the responsibility of the Scottish Government. I point out The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the that in England, where this Government have responsibility Cabinet Office (Caroline Nokes): Since 2015, we have for education, there are 15,500 more teachers than there worked closely with the Government’s major strategic were in 2010. As he knows, the Government have asked suppliers to encourage them to sign up to the prompt independent public sector pay review bodies to recommend payment code. I am pleased to say that all 32 strategic what should happen in their respective professions each suppliers that we targeted in 2015 have now signed up. year, and the House may be interested to know that the Government have accepted every recommendation made Neil Parish: Will my hon. Friend explain to me exactly by a public sector pay review body since 2014. how we are speeding up payments to companies? Cash flow from Government contracts is so important. Also, James Gray (North Wiltshire) (Con): The Gray family is there a way to make sure that Government contracts have a monopoly on Question 1. Of course, we all have are of a size such that small and medium-sized companies every sympathy with public sector pay bodies, and it is are more able to bid for them? right that we listen to what they say. Nevertheless, does my right hon. Friend agree that if we are to accede to Caroline Nokes: We know how important prompt every request, we will have to pay for it by either payment is to smaller businesses, and we are committed decreasing spending or increasing taxation? Which would to making further improvements to payment practice. he prefer? We are working to remove all barriers facing small and 1149 Oral Answers 5 JULY 2017 Oral Answers 1150 medium-sizedenterprisesbiddingforGovernmentcontracts, The Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office (Chris and we are committed to increasing spend with SMEs, Skidmore): The Government believe that electoral fraud both directly and through the supply chain. We have is unacceptable on any level. We have a clear path to also opened the free-to-use Contracts Finder website building a democracy that is both clear and secure, and for suppliers to advertise subcontracting opportunities. we will work closely with key partner organisations to deliver a comprehensive programme of work for reforming Gillian Keegan: Cash flow is vital to small businesses our electoral system and strengthening electoral integrity. in Chichester and throughout the country. What are the Government doing to ensure that they lead the way and Sir Henry Bellingham: Is the Minister aware that pay their suppliers properly? there is now clear evidence that many students boasted on social media of voting twice—once at university, and Caroline Nokes: I welcome my hon. Friend to the once by post at home? Surely this is straightforward House. The Government are committed to paying our electoral fraud. suppliers promptly. All public sector buyers must include a 30-day payment term in new public sector contracts, Chris Skidmore: The offence of double voting that pay undisputed invoices within 30 days, and require that my hon. Friend mentions is completely unacceptable. this payment term be passed down the supply chain. Indeed, it is nothing less than an abuse of our democracy. Our own payment performance is published quarterly, I am meeting Sir John Holmes, the chair of the Electoral and the Government are doing brilliantly well in meeting Commission, this afternoon, and I intend to raise this our targets. with him as a priority. Let all of us in this House be clear: this is a crime. If anyone has any evidence of Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North) (Lab): When my party people voting twice, they should report it to their local becomes the Government of this country very soon, we returning officer and the police, who must take this will declare war on late payments, requiring companies issue seriously. bidding for a public sector contract to pay their suppliers within 30 days, and going beyond that with heavy fines Mr Wragg: Will my hon. Friend provide more for late payers. Will the Conservatives in opposition information about how the introduction of individual support us in passing the necessary legislation? electoral registration has assisted in preventing electoral fraud? What checks are in place to ensure that a person Caroline Nokes: I congratulate the hon. Gentleman is eligible to vote when they register online? on his optimism. In fact, this Government have made sure that undisputed invoices are paid within five days Chris Skidmore: The IER digital service operated by in many cases, and 96% of all contracts are paid within the Cabinet Office checks the details provided by the 30 days when the invoices are not disputed. applicant, including their national insurance number, against government data before passing on the application Bill Esterson (Sefton Central) (Lab): The prompt to the relevant local electoral administration teams. payment code simply has not done enough to address the scourge of late payment, with £26 billion owed and Andrew Bridgen: It has been highlighted that all an average of 72 days being taken to pay invoices across someone needs when they go to vote is a name and an the country. May I say to the Minister that she should address. In theory, someone could get hold of a telephone stop paying lip service to the problem and take the directory and vote all day in different polling stations. action needed for smaller businesses, which just want to Does the Minister agree that it is time to use photo be paid on time? identification to prevent electoral fraud? Caroline Nokes: The hon.