Cabinet Office

We support the Prime Minister and ensure the effective running of government. We are also the corporate headquarters for government, in partnership with HM Treasury, and we take the lead in certain critical policy areas.



Secretary of State

Andy Burnham
Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury

Shadow Ministers / Spokeperson
Scottish National Party
Brendan O'Hara (SNP - Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber)
Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Cabinet Office)

Liberal Democrat
Lisa Smart (LD - Hazel Grove)
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Cabinet Office)
Lord Pack (LD - Life peer)
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Cabinet Office)
Junior Shadow Ministers / Deputy Spokesperson
Conservative
Alex Burghart (Con - Brentwood and Ongar)
Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Mike Wood (Con - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Shadow Minister (Cabinet Office)
Baroness Finn (Con - Life peer)
Shadow Minister (Cabinet Office)
Ben Spencer (Con - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Shadow Minister (Cabinet Office)
Junior Shadow Ministers / Deputy Spokesperson
Conservative
Charlie Dewhirst (Con - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Ministers of State
Louise Haigh (Lab - Sheffield Heeley)
First Secretary of State, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Kanishka Narayan (Lab - Vale of Glamorgan)
Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
Hamish Falconer (Lab - Lincoln)
Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Dan Jarvis (Lab - Barnsley North)
Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)
Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State
Baroness Twycross (Lab - Life peer)
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Mark Ferguson (Lab - Gateshead Central and Whickham)
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Dan Tomlinson (Lab - Chipping Barnet)
Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
Sally Jameson (LAB - Doncaster Central)
Parliamentary Secretary and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government)
There are no upcoming events identified
Debates
Wednesday 16th September 2026
Select Committee Docs
None available
Select Committee Inquiry
None available
Written Answers
Friday 25th September 2026
Cabinet Office: Senior Civil Servants
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many departmental Senior Civil Service away days have taken place in …
Secondary Legislation
Wednesday 15th July 2026
Equality Act 2010 (Code of Practice on Services, Public Functions and Associations) (Revocation) Order 2026
The Commission for Equality and Human Rights has the power under Part 1 of the Equality Act 2006 (c. 3) …
Bills
Tuesday 15th September 2026
Church Appointments (Repeal of Discriminatory Provision) Bill 2026-27
A Bill to Repeal provision which prohibits persons of the Roman Catholic or Jewish faiths from advising the Crown on …
Dept. Publications
Sunday 27th September 2026
19:05
Measures to rewire the state
News and Communications

Cabinet Office Commons Appearances

Oral Answers to Questions is a regularly scheduled appearance where the Secretary of State and junior minister will answer at the Dispatch Box questions from backbench MPs

Other Commons Chamber appearances can be:
  • Urgent Questions where the Speaker has selected a question to which a Minister must reply that day
  • Adjornment Debates a 30 minute debate attended by a Minister that concludes the day in Parliament.
  • Oral Statements informing the Commons of a significant development, where backbench MP's can then question the Minister making the statement.

Westminster Hall debates are performed in response to backbench MPs or e-petitions asking for a Minister to address a detailed issue

Written Statements are made when a current event is not sufficiently significant to require an Oral Statement, but the House is required to be informed.

Most Recent Commons Appearances by Category
Sep. 10
Oral Questions
Jun. 10
Urgent Questions
Sep. 15
Westminster Hall
Jun. 10
Adjournment Debate
View All Cabinet Office Commons Contibutions

Bills currently before Parliament

Cabinet Office does not have Bills currently before Parliament


Acts of Parliament created in the 2024 Parliament

Introduced: 5th March 2026

A Bill to Make provision about the maximum number of salaries that may be paid under the Ministerial and other Salaries Act 1975 in respect of certain Ministerial offices.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 29th April 2026 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 5th September 2024

A Bill to remove the remaining connection between hereditary peerage and membership of the House of Lords; to make provision about resignation from the House of Lords; to abolish the jurisdiction of the House of Lords in relation to claims to hereditary peerages; and for connected purposes.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 18th March 2026 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 13th February 2025

A bill to Make provision for persons of the Roman Catholic faith to be eligible to hold the office of His Majesty’s High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 3rd April 2025 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 30th July 2024

A Bill to extend the period within which vacancies among the Lords Spiritual are to be filled by bishops who are women.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 16th January 2025 and was enacted into law.

Cabinet Office - Secondary Legislation

The Commission for Equality and Human Rights has the power under Part 1 of the Equality Act 2006 (c. 3) to issue a Code of Practice in connection with any matter addressed by the Equality Act 2010 (c. 15), and also to request the Secretary of State to revoke a Code of Practice. The Secretary of State can then revoke a Code of Practice by order.
Regulation 2(6) omits section 15C of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 to allow the United Kingdom co-chair to consent to the Joint Committee adopting decisions or recommendations by written procedure for the period in between meetings, provided for in Rule 9(1) of Annex VIII of the Withdrawal Agreement.
View All Cabinet Office Secondary Legislation

Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Trending Petitions
Petition Open
8,574 Signatures
(1,071 in the last 7 days)
Petition Open
635 Signatures
(267 in the last 7 days)
Petition Debates Contributed
3,084,713
Petition Closed
20 May 2025
closed 1 year, 4 months ago

I would like there to be another General Election.

I believe the current Labour Government have gone back on the promises they laid out in the lead up to the last election.

1,059,229
Petition Closed
5 Dec 2025
closed 9 months, 3 weeks ago

We want an immediate general election to be held. We think the majority need and want change.

I believe joining the EU would boost the economy, increase global influence, improve collaboration and provide stability & freedom. I believe that Brexit hasn't brought any tangible benefit and there is no future prospect of any, that the UK has changed its mind and that this should be recognised.

View All Cabinet Office Petitions

50 most recent Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department

28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether any recommendations in relation to local government have been submitted to the Call for Ideas on the 7th National Action Plan for Open Government.

The call for evidence for the Seventh UK National Action Plan for Open Government received 17 ideas that specifically mentioned ‘local government’. These are organised against different sub-themes such as open data, public participation, anti-corruption, and Freedom of Information. Further Information about themes and sub-themes are contained within ANNEX I: Detailed Theme Assessment Tables of the call for evidence outcome document.

We will look at the local aspect of sub-themes as relevant commitments are taken forwards.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
10th Jul 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Review into the Organisation, Performance and Transformation of the Permanent Civil Service, published on 1 July 2026, whether the names, biographies and declarations of interests of members of the external expert advisory panel will be published before they commence their work.

The Cabinet Secretary has agreed with the Prime Minister that she will lead a review into the organisation, performance and transformation of the permanent Civil Service, with the aim of setting out a vision for its future as a world class institution serving the duly elected government of the day, building on its existing strengths. An external expert advisory panel will be constituted to inform the review.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
11th Sep 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of increasing the minimum weighting for social value in public contracts worth £5 million or more from 10 per cent to 20 per cent on the ability of small and medium-sized businesses in rural areas to compete for Government contracts.

The Government is committed to supporting small and medium-sized enterprises across the country, including in rural areas and its social value policy is designed to take into account the excellent contribution small businesses make to economic growth. The £5m threshold and 20% weighting reflects that SMEs typically bid for contracts below that threshold.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
11th Sep 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 7 September 2026 to Question 17340 on Cabinet Office: Freedom of Information, what policy requests were made by the three organisations.

The meeting between Chris Ward MP and the steering committee of the UK Open Government Civil Society Network (UK OGN) took place ahead of the launch of the call for evidence to inform the Seventh UK National Action Plan for Open Government (NAP7), which is currently under development.

The main focus of discussion was a request to ensure that civil society voices were involved in the development of policy, particularly for NAP7 commitments, including on access to information and digital governance. There are ongoing opportunities for civil society involvement in the co-creation and implementation of NAP7.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
9th Sep 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the publication, Expenditure Over £25,000 - July 2026 (Cabinet Office Core), 27 August 2026, what the event, work activity and topic was relating to the transaction, PMO DOMESTIC VISITS, MGI LONDON LTD, Ref: 1037289238.

The referenced spending is a payment for multiple services and activities to facilitate the Prime Minister's domestic visits.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
4th Sep 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what contact did the former Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Member for Holborn and St Pancras, have with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles between April 2025 and July 2026.

It would not be appropriate to comment on private conversations under the previous Prime Minister. Readouts of the Prime Minister’s conversations with foreign leaders are regularly published on gov.uk.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
4th Sep 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Prime Minister plans to rename 10 Downing Street as No10 South.

No.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
9th Sep 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, who are the members of the external advisory panel for the review into the organisation of the Civil Service.

The Cabinet Secretary is leading a Review into the Organisation, Performance and Transformation of the Permanent Civil Service, with the aim of setting out a vision for its future as a world class institution serving the duly elected government of the day, building on its existing strengths.

As per the Review’s Terms of Reference, an external expert advisory panel is being constituted to inform the review.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
4th Sep 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Cabinet Office document entitled List of Ministerial Responsibilities, withdrawn on 4 August 2026, what responsibilities the First Secretary of State has for propriety and ethics.

An updated List of Ministerial Responsibilities is still in production following the formation of the government.

Cabinet Office ministers’ responsibilities can also be found on their GOV.UK profile pages.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to her Department's data entitled Public-sector trade union facility time data, for what reason Transport for London facility time expenditure and numbers are not listed in the 2024-25 dataset.

Transport for London did not submit their trade union facility time data for the year 2024-25 via the online reporting system.

The Trade Union (Facility Time Publication Requirements) Regulations 2017 required public-sector organisations to publish their facility time data. Under the previous administration, there was no penalty for organisations who did not submit their data.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
10th Jul 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many MP surgeries have Ministers in her Department had with MPs (a) in the period July 2024 to January 2025 and (b) since January 2025.

This information is not centrally held. For information on Ministerial meetings transparency returns can be found at gov.uk

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
10th Jul 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the HM Treasury, Defence Investment Plan Funding explainer, published on 30 June 2026, what programmes will be reduced to finance the reduced departmental capital budget in the Cabinet Office; and what is the monetary value of the reduction.

To deliver the Defence Investment Plan Cabinet Office’s capital budgets will reduce by 1% each year from 2026/27 to 2029/30. For the current financial year this equates to £6m.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
14th Jul 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the policy of the Government Property Agency is on the provision of free tampons in male lavatories.

The GPA does not provide tampons within toilets designated solely for male use within those buildings on its portfolio where it provides Facilities Management services.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
15th Jul 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 14 July 2026, to Question 12782, on Cabinet Office: Calder Conferences, what was the cost of each individual booking, including any associated hospitality.

Identifying and extracting specific catering and hospitality data for every individual booking would require a manual review of all transactions which would incur a disproportionate cost to the Cabinet Office.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of requiring (a) charities and (b) trade unions to register on the Register of Consultant Lobbyists.

Earlier this year, the Government commissioned the Ethics and Integrity Commission to conduct a review of transparency around lobbying. That report was published on 9 July 2026. We are grateful to the Commission for its work, which we are considering carefully. We will present our response to the EIC's report in due course.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Prime Minister's fax machine facility is still operational.

The fax machine has been decommissioned.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many departmental Senior Civil Service away days have taken place in calendar year 2026 to date; in what specific venues; at what cost; and if there was any associated social or team-building activity at public expense.

In the calendar year 2026, the Cabinet Office has not held any departmental Senior Civil Service away days.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Prime Minister has recused himself from any policy area.

As set out in the Ministerial Code, there is an established process in place for the declaration and management of interests held by ministers. This ensures that steps are taken to avoid or mitigate any actual or perceived conflicts of interest.

The personal information which ministers disclose to those who advise them is treated in confidence. A statement covering relevant ministers’ interests - the List of Ministers’ Interests - is published by the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards on a quarterly basis and is available on GOV.UK. Any relevant private interests for the Prime Minister will be published in the usual way.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what is the full-year (a) target headcount and (b) forecast of the Government Media Unit once it is fully established; and what proportion of staff will be (I) new staff and (II) reassigned from existing communications staff.

The Cabinet Office is currently finalising the operational requirements of the Government Media Unit and we are actively recruiting for this new team.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people are employed in the Government Media Unit.

The Cabinet Office is currently finalising the operational requirements of the Government Media Unit and we are actively recruiting for this new team.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people have been hired in the Government Media Unit since 20 July 2026.

The Cabinet Office is currently finalising the operational requirements of the Government Media Unit and we are actively recruiting for this new team.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Government orders that public spending must back British jobs and skills in every postcode, published on 5 August 2026, what recent discussions her Department has had with small and medium-sized businesses on the potential impact of the proposed procurement requirements on their ability to bid for government contracts.

The Government is committed to supporting small and medium-sized enterprises across the country. The government issued a public consultation on procurement reform last year and has continued to engage stakeholders, including the Federation of Small Businesses. Streamlining the social value requirements in central government procurement will simplify the procurement process and make it easier for businesses of all sizes to bid for government contracts.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what information her Department holds on the number of (a) voluntary and (b) compulsory staff exits from the Civil Service in 2025-26.

Departments that use the Civil Service Compensation (CSCS) Scheme, must obtain Cabinet Office approval for any schemes they intend to run..

Applications require a business case detailing the rationale, estimated exits by Voluntary Exit, Voluntary Redundancy, and Compulsory Redundancy, as well as mitigation plans and proposed tariff. The CO reviews applications to ensure the CSCS is operating in line with the scheme rules and frameworks and that proposed exit payments represent value for money to the taxpayer.

The Cabinet Office does not hold final exit totals by department, as actual exits may decrease after approval has been granted. Departmental exit numbers are published on GOV.UK as part of the annual Civil Service statistics: 2026, and within each individual annual report and accounts.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary has authority to remove or replace the Chief Executive of the Civil Service Commission as Accounting Officer.

The Chief Executive of the Civil Service Commission is designated an Accounting Officer by the Principal Accounting Officer (the Permanent Secretary at the Cabinet Office), who may also withdraw such a designation.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 16 July 2026 to Question 17343 on Subject Access Requests, if she will publish the updated version of the Cabinet Office Subject Access Request manual once completed.

There are no current plans to publish the updated manual. Comprehensive information on how the Cabinet Office handles Subject Access Requests along with clear guidance on how individuals can submit a request is publicly available on GOV.UK.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on what dates Tim Allan met Tom Baldwin to discuss government business following her appointment.

Relevant special adviser meetings are routinely published on gov.uk in transparency publications. This includes members of staff in the former administration.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many photographers are employed by the Office of the Prime Minister.

As of 01 September, there were 47 FTE Civil Servants in the overall communications team, covering a range of disciplines including digital, strategic planning, photography, and press office. Staffing costs and figures are regularly published as part of the Cabinet Office’s Organogram, available on gov.uk.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the answer of 19 March 2025, to Question 37432, on Prime Minister: Communication, how many FTE Civil Servants now work in the overall communications team in the Office of the Prime Minister; and of those, how many work on digital communications; and at what cost.

As of 01 September, there were 47 FTE Civil Servants in the overall communications team, covering a range of disciplines including digital, strategic planning, photography, and press office. Staffing costs and figures are regularly published as part of the Cabinet Office’s Organogram, available on gov.uk.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many communications staff currently work in the Office for the Prime Minister and Cabinet, as (a) FTE and (b) headcount.

As of 01 September, there were 47 FTE Civil Servants in the overall communications team, covering a range of disciplines including digital, strategic planning, photography, and press office. Staffing costs and figures are regularly published as part of the Cabinet Office’s Organogram, available on gov.uk.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Annual Publication of Relevant Special Adviser Interest, published on 16 July 2026, if she will list each of the specific mitigations that were agreed for Varun Chandra and the associated organisation it relates to.

There is an established system in place for the declaration and management of special advisers' interests. As has been the case under successive administrations, interests deemed relevant for publication for special advisers in No10 and the Cabinet Office are published on an annual basis by the Cabinet Office.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the House of Lords Appointments Commission has provided guidance to (a) the Cabinet Office and (b) 10 Downing Street on the period of time that should be given to the Commission to allow it to undertake due diligence on (i) political list and (ii) resignation peerage list peerage appointments.

Information regarding the vetting process undertaken by the independent House of Lords Appointment Commission is available on their website.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the House of Lords Appointments Commission has issued guidance on whether political parties who make recommendations for inclusion of proposed peers in a Political List should be given the option of submitting a substitute recommendation if a proposed name (a) does not pass the due diligence process and (b) requires substantive further consideration before that name can be approved.

Information regarding the vetting process undertaken by the independent House of Lords Appointment Commission is available on their website.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Gordon Brown’s (a) tenure and (b) terms of reference have changed since the appointment of the Prime Minister.

The following individuals remain in their roles:

  1. Oli De Botton as the Prime Minister’s Expert Adviser on Education and Skills,

  2. Hannah Bronwin as the Prime Minister’s Expert Adviser on Energy and Net Zero,

  3. Victoria Buhler as the Prime Minister’s Deputy Adviser on Business, Investment and Trade,

  4. Axel Heitmueller as Head of the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit and Expert Adviser on Delivery,

  5. Sir Michael Barber as the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Effective Delivery

  6. Gordon Brown as Special Reviewer on Global Finance and Cooperation

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Oli de Botton remains the Prime Minister’s Expert Adviser on Education and Skills or whether he has left Government.

The following individuals remain in their roles:

  1. Oli De Botton as the Prime Minister’s Expert Adviser on Education and Skills,

  2. Hannah Bronwin as the Prime Minister’s Expert Adviser on Energy and Net Zero,

  3. Victoria Buhler as the Prime Minister’s Deputy Adviser on Business, Investment and Trade,

  4. Axel Heitmueller as Head of the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit and Expert Adviser on Delivery,

  5. Sir Michael Barber as the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Effective Delivery

  6. Gordon Brown as Special Reviewer on Global Finance and Cooperation

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Hannah Bronwin remains the Prime Minister’s Expert Adviser on Energy and Net Zero or whether she has left Government.

The following individuals remain in their roles:

  1. Oli De Botton as the Prime Minister’s Expert Adviser on Education and Skills,

  2. Hannah Bronwin as the Prime Minister’s Expert Adviser on Energy and Net Zero,

  3. Victoria Buhler as the Prime Minister’s Deputy Adviser on Business, Investment and Trade,

  4. Axel Heitmueller as Head of the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit and Expert Adviser on Delivery,

  5. Sir Michael Barber as the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Effective Delivery

  6. Gordon Brown as Special Reviewer on Global Finance and Cooperation

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Victoria Buhler remains the Prime Minister's Deputy Adviser on Business, Investment and Trade or whether she has left Government.

The following individuals remain in their roles:

  1. Oli De Botton as the Prime Minister’s Expert Adviser on Education and Skills,

  2. Hannah Bronwin as the Prime Minister’s Expert Adviser on Energy and Net Zero,

  3. Victoria Buhler as the Prime Minister’s Deputy Adviser on Business, Investment and Trade,

  4. Axel Heitmueller as Head of the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit and Expert Adviser on Delivery,

  5. Sir Michael Barber as the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Effective Delivery

  6. Gordon Brown as Special Reviewer on Global Finance and Cooperation

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Axel Heitmueller remains the Head of the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit and Expert Adviser on Delivery or whether he has left Government.

The following individuals remain in their roles:

  1. Oli De Botton as the Prime Minister’s Expert Adviser on Education and Skills,

  2. Hannah Bronwin as the Prime Minister’s Expert Adviser on Energy and Net Zero,

  3. Victoria Buhler as the Prime Minister’s Deputy Adviser on Business, Investment and Trade,

  4. Axel Heitmueller as Head of the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit and Expert Adviser on Delivery,

  5. Sir Michael Barber as the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Effective Delivery

  6. Gordon Brown as Special Reviewer on Global Finance and Cooperation

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Sir Michael Barber remains the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Effective Delivery or whether he has left Government.

The following individuals remain in their roles:

  1. Oli De Botton as the Prime Minister’s Expert Adviser on Education and Skills,

  2. Hannah Bronwin as the Prime Minister’s Expert Adviser on Energy and Net Zero,

  3. Victoria Buhler as the Prime Minister’s Deputy Adviser on Business, Investment and Trade,

  4. Axel Heitmueller as Head of the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit and Expert Adviser on Delivery,

  5. Sir Michael Barber as the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Effective Delivery

  6. Gordon Brown as Special Reviewer on Global Finance and Cooperation

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate she has made of the number and proportion of civil servants who are EU nationals.

The Cabinet Office does not hold this information centrally on behalf of departments.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the No10 press release entitled Appointment of Gautam Rangarajan as an Expert Advisor on Structure and Process, of 11 August 2026, what (a) structure and (b) process Gautam Rangarajan is advising the Prime Minister on; and how he was selected.

The DMA portal has been updated with the information that was published on gov.uk about the appointments of the Expert Adviser on Structure and Process and the Adviser on Digital Communication Process and Strategy.

Gautam Rangarajan will advise on internal No.10 structures and processes and was selected in line with the published DMA guidance.

Information about the appointment of Alex Lloyd Hunter and his role are available on gov.uk and the DMA portal. This is an internal review, and the relevant internal stakeholders will be engaged as appropriate.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the 10 Downing Street press releases entitled Appointment of Gautam Rangarajan as an Expert Advisor on Structure and Process, and Appointment of Alex Lloyd Hunter as the Advisor on Digital Communications Processes & Strategy, published on 11 August 2026, when she will publish the details and terms of the appointment on the Direct Ministerial Appointments portal on gov.uk.

The DMA portal has been updated with the information that was published on gov.uk about the appointments of the Expert Adviser on Structure and Process and the Adviser on Digital Communication Process and Strategy.

Gautam Rangarajan will advise on internal No.10 structures and processes and was selected in line with the published DMA guidance.

Information about the appointment of Alex Lloyd Hunter and his role are available on gov.uk and the DMA portal. This is an internal review, and the relevant internal stakeholders will be engaged as appropriate.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the No10 press release, Appointment of Alex Lloyd Hunter as the Advisor on Digital Communications Processes & Strategy, what the terms of reference are of the review of the No10 Digital Operation; what the timetable is; whether a report will be published; and whether the review engages the work of the (a) New Media Unit and (b) Government Media Unit.

The DMA portal has been updated with the information that was published on gov.uk about the appointments of the Expert Adviser on Structure and Process and the Adviser on Digital Communication Process and Strategy.

Gautam Rangarajan will advise on internal No.10 structures and processes and was selected in line with the published DMA guidance.

Information about the appointment of Alex Lloyd Hunter and his role are available on gov.uk and the DMA portal. This is an internal review, and the relevant internal stakeholders will be engaged as appropriate.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the letter from the First Civil Service Commissioner to the Minister for the Cabinet Office of 9 July 2026, whether she plans to take forward the recommendations of the Commission on a strategic review of the Business Appointment Rules, and in what way these recommendations relate to the recommendations of the Ethics and Integrity Commission.

Following the closure of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, and the transfer of its functions to consider applications under the Business Appointment Rules from the most senior civil servants and special advisers to the Civil Service Commission; the First Civil Service Commissioner was asked to feedback any further strengthening of the Business Appointment Rules the Commission may recommend to ensure proper standards are applied as people leave the civil service.

The Government will of course consider any feedback from those administering the Business Appointment Rules, including the First Civil Service Commissioner. Alongside this, the Government is also carefully considering the Ethics and Integrity Commission’s report and its findings and will present the Government’s response to Parliament in due course.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, who line-manages the Chief Executive of the Civil Service Commission and which official conducts the annual performance appraisal of the Chief Executive of the Civil Service Commission.

As set out in the Framework Agreement between the Cabinet Office and the Civil Service Commission, the Chief Executive of the Civil Service Commission is a Senior Civil Servant at the Cabinet Office, recruited to the Civil Service on merit following an open and fair competition carried out under the terms of the Recruitment Principles, and seconded to the Civil Service Commission. They are line managed by the Senior Sponsor, the Director of Propriety and Ethics, with input from the First Civil Service Commissioner into their performance objectives and annual appraisals

The Commission is operationally independent of the Government. The Commission and its staff, including the Chief Executive, act in accordance with its legislation and under the direction of the independent First Civil Service Commissioner and the independent Civil Service Commissioners, who are appointed on merit on the basis of fair and open competition following the principles set out in the Governance Code on Public Appointments (although the Civil Service Commission is not a regulated body).

As set out in the Commission's Annual Report and Accounts for 2024-25, a department's audit report, score and recommendations are discussed and agreed at one of four audit moderation meetings with the First Civil Service Commissioner, a panel of Commissioners and the Chief Executive.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether a person employed by the Cabinet Office has authority to direct, influence or advise the Chief Executive of the Civil Service Commission in the exercise of their delegated powers including awarding departmental audit scores, allocating competitions, reserve list decisions, complaints under the Recruitment Principles, Civil Service Code appeals and appointments of near misses.

As set out in the Framework Agreement between the Cabinet Office and the Civil Service Commission, the Chief Executive of the Civil Service Commission is a Senior Civil Servant at the Cabinet Office, recruited to the Civil Service on merit following an open and fair competition carried out under the terms of the Recruitment Principles, and seconded to the Civil Service Commission. They are line managed by the Senior Sponsor, the Director of Propriety and Ethics, with input from the First Civil Service Commissioner into their performance objectives and annual appraisals

The Commission is operationally independent of the Government. The Commission and its staff, including the Chief Executive, act in accordance with its legislation and under the direction of the independent First Civil Service Commissioner and the independent Civil Service Commissioners, who are appointed on merit on the basis of fair and open competition following the principles set out in the Governance Code on Public Appointments (although the Civil Service Commission is not a regulated body).

As set out in the Commission's Annual Report and Accounts for 2024-25, a department's audit report, score and recommendations are discussed and agreed at one of four audit moderation meetings with the First Civil Service Commissioner, a panel of Commissioners and the Chief Executive.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Chief Executive of the Civil Service Commission may determine complaints regarding the Cabinet Office while being line managed by a Cabinet Office Director General.

As set out in the Framework Agreement between the Cabinet Office and the Civil Service Commission, the Chief Executive of the Civil Service Commission is a Senior Civil Servant at the Cabinet Office, recruited to the Civil Service on merit following an open and fair competition carried out under the terms of the Recruitment Principles, and seconded to the Civil Service Commission. They are line managed by the Senior Sponsor, the Director of Propriety and Ethics, with input from the First Civil Service Commissioner into their performance objectives and annual appraisals

The Commission is operationally independent of the Government. The Commission and its staff, including the Chief Executive, act in accordance with its legislation and under the direction of the independent First Civil Service Commissioner and the independent Civil Service Commissioners, who are appointed on merit on the basis of fair and open competition following the principles set out in the Governance Code on Public Appointments (although the Civil Service Commission is not a regulated body).

As set out in the Commission's Annual Report and Accounts for 2024-25, a department's audit report, score and recommendations are discussed and agreed at one of four audit moderation meetings with the First Civil Service Commissioner, a panel of Commissioners and the Chief Executive.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Chief Executive of the Civil Service Commission determines the audit score awarded to her Department.

As set out in the Framework Agreement between the Cabinet Office and the Civil Service Commission, the Chief Executive of the Civil Service Commission is a Senior Civil Servant at the Cabinet Office, recruited to the Civil Service on merit following an open and fair competition carried out under the terms of the Recruitment Principles, and seconded to the Civil Service Commission. They are line managed by the Senior Sponsor, the Director of Propriety and Ethics, with input from the First Civil Service Commissioner into their performance objectives and annual appraisals

The Commission is operationally independent of the Government. The Commission and its staff, including the Chief Executive, act in accordance with its legislation and under the direction of the independent First Civil Service Commissioner and the independent Civil Service Commissioners, who are appointed on merit on the basis of fair and open competition following the principles set out in the Governance Code on Public Appointments (although the Civil Service Commission is not a regulated body).

As set out in the Commission's Annual Report and Accounts for 2024-25, a department's audit report, score and recommendations are discussed and agreed at one of four audit moderation meetings with the First Civil Service Commissioner, a panel of Commissioners and the Chief Executive.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Prime Minister's Cost of Living Champion is still in post.

Since the change of Prime Minister, three new DMAs have been appointed. Details have been published on gov.uk and on the DMA portal. The former Prime Minister’s Cost of Living Champion, the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Women and Girls, and the Prime Minister’s Chief Economic Adviser have left their roles.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether changes have been made to the Prime Minister’s Direct Ministerial Appointments since the change of Prime Minister.

Since the change of Prime Minister, three new DMAs have been appointed. Details have been published on gov.uk and on the DMA portal. The former Prime Minister’s Cost of Living Champion, the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Women and Girls, and the Prime Minister’s Chief Economic Adviser have left their roles.

Mark Ferguson
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)