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.
Andy Burnham
Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury
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: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.
Cabinet Office does not have Bills currently before Parliament
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
We want an immediate general election to be held. We think the majority need and want change.
Apply for the UK to join the European Union as a full member as soon as possible
Gov Responded - 19 Nov 2024 Debated on - 24 Mar 2025I 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.
The UK Government Resilience Action Plan, available on GOV.UK, outlines the approach the Government is taking to enable the whole of society to increase their resilience. A July 2026 implementation report set out our progress and next steps. These include an updated National Risk Register, the public-facing version of the UK Government’s classified assessment of risks facing the UK.
The Government launched beready.campaign.gov.uk on Thursday 22 October and a Written Ministerial Statement was delivered by the Security Minister. The launch of new guidance marks the first phase of the gradual roll out of a three-year campaign designed to increase household resilience across the country.
The ‘Be Ready’ campaign has been built in collaboration with numerous charities and campaigners to ensure accessibility, including people with insecure housing and people who use foodbanks, as well as with Local Resilience Forums and officials from the Welsh and Scottish Governments and the Northern Ireland Executive Office.
As the Prime Minister confirmed to the House on 12 October, the Government's red lines for this Parliament regarding a return to the EU Single Market and Customs Union remain in place. However, around the time of the next UK-EU Summit, the Prime Minister will lay out to the country the different options for Britain's long-term relationship with our European partners.
As the Prime Minister confirmed to the House on 12 October, the Government's red lines for this Parliament regarding a return to the EU Single Market and Customs Union remain in place. However, around the time of the next UK-EU Summit, the Prime Minister will lay out to the country the different options for Britain's long-term relationship with our European partners.
As the Prime Minister confirmed to the House on 12 October, the Government's red lines for this Parliament regarding a return to the EU Single Market and Customs Union remain in place. However, around the time of the next UK-EU Summit, the Prime Minister will lay out to the country the different options for Britain's long-term relationship with our European partners.
The UK is one of the best destinations globally for investment in artificial intelligence start-up companies. In 2024 the UK’s AI sector generated £24 billion pounds worth of revenue while at the same time employing around 86,000 people. According to the Stanford AI Index, in 2025 the UK produced the second most AI startups globally, while also attracting the third highest levels of AI private investment. In April we also launched our Sovereign AI Fund, backed by up to £500 million, which will provide targeted Government support for high-potential UK start-ups and scaleups in areas of strategic national interest.
The National Risk Register (NRR) is the public-facing version of the National Security Risk Assessment (NSRA), which follows a rigorous methodology that assesses the likelihood and impact of the most significant risks to the UK and its interests overseas. Risks are presented as reasonable worst-case scenarios to allow planners to prepare for a severe but plausible manifestation of them.
The NRR and NSRA are updated via a dynamic process, meaning assessments can be updated as frequently as real-world evidence demands. To ensure that the assessment process is robust, risks are reviewed by panels of technical and scientific experts, each led by an independent chairperson. More information on the methodology can be found in the Guide to the NRR and Chapter 2 of the NRR.
The UK and the EU agreed in the May 2025 Common Understanding to protect the public and increase the safety and security of UK and EU citizens through a range of commitments on law enforcement and judicial cooperation, including in relation to drug risks and threats and border security. This is in addition to existing exchanges of law enforcement and criminal justice data with EU Member States through the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. None of these existing arrangements provide for oversight of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) and there have been no discussions on CJEU jurisdiction with respect to our work to enhance cooperation in these areas.
Departments are responsible for their own decisions on the technology they procure and use under established commercial frameworks, including AI models. As this procurement is managed at department level, information on the specific AI models used by individual departments is not held centrally by the Cabinet Office.
Government has robust processes for assessing the security, technical and commercial implications of technology before it is approved for use. Where appropriate, departments engage with the Government Digital Service, Government Cyber Unit and the National Cyber Security Centre as part of this assurance.
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 22 October to Question UIN 28819. Departmental performance in responding to written questions on time will be scrutinised by the Procedure Committee in the usual way.
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 22 October to Question UIN 28819. I apologise for the delay in responding. Following the Machinery of Government changes in July, it took longer than expected to confirm where the information requested was held.
The Government takes the risks from advanced AI extremely seriously, and recognises the importance of ensuring our approach keeps pace with a rapidly evolving technology.
That is why the AI Security Institute has moved to the Cabinet Office, bringing our world-leading capability on AI safety and security into the centre of Government. Its work continues uninterrupted.
The AI Assurance Innovation Fund will issue up to £11 million in funding to support the development of innovative and novel AI assurance mechanisms and help actors across the AI value chain identify and address the risks posed by high-capability AI systems, ensuring the UK is ready and equipped to respond to rapidly advancing AI capabilities.
The Centre for AI Measurement, led by the National Physical Laboratory, was established by Government to deliver on the objectives of the AI Assurance Innovation Fund, with a call for applications to be announced later this year. Fund awards will support industry, start-ups and researchers looking to develop novel assurance techniques in a variety of sectors.
The Cabinet Office oversaw two cross-system National Exercises within this period – more than in 14 years of successive Conservative governments. Exercise PEGASUS on pandemic preparedness was conducted in three primary phases in September and October 2025 helping to shape this government’s new Pandemic Preparedness Strategy. A classified cross-system exercise was also conducted in 2026. Findings from PEGASUS will be made public by winter 2026. Findings from the cyber resilience exercise will not be made public for national security considerations.
HMG has made significant progress in advancing the Home Defence Programme since its inception in 2024 and continues to develop civilian-military preparedness. As announced in July, the programme is leading the regeneration of the Government War Book and we will be holding the largest home defence exercise in recent UK history next year. I am driving forward this work at pace in the Cabinet Office, working with colleagues in the Ministry of Defence.
The Cabinet Office has adopted the National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) guidance on timelines for migration to post-quantum cryptography as the standard for its departments and arm's-length bodies
The Alignment Project awarded 60 grants with a combined value of £21.8 million to projects that are dedicated to accelerating progress in AI alignment research. This figure is part of a wider £27 million programme that includes compute and other partner support. Of the grant funding, roughly 55% is from the UK Government (AISI), 7% is from other UK public bodies (UKRI and ARIA), and 38% comes from other funders.
We do not routinely comment on meetings between the National Security Adviser and the Prime Minister, on national security grounds
The decision to issue the Emergency Alert on Friday 14 August was taken following direct requests from front-line emergency responders because national capabilities were at risk of being overwhelmed. The Cabinet Office issued the alert following these requests. The Alert was advisory in response to adverse environmental conditions. Transmission of the emergency alert ended at 23:00 on Friday 14 August. There is no formal decision point to 'end' the advice, instead, we refer to ongoing guidance from the emergency services and government's statutory guidelines on the ban for disposable BBQs available on www.GOV.UK. Please note that statutory restrictions apply specifically to the sale of disposable BBQs and do not apply to bonfires.
This Government is taking decisive steps to strengthen our national resilience, coordinated centrally through the Cabinet Office, so our country is better prepared for threats like extreme weather, cyber attacks or another pandemic. In July 2026, immediately after coming into government, we announced an acceleration to home defence planning, including updating the Government ‘War Book’, which will be tested through a home defence exercise planned for next year. We have also announced we will do a public awareness campaign on how households can prepare for emergencies like severe weather.
The Amber Book, publicly available on gov.uk, is the UK Government’s national framework for crisis response. It establishes clear roles and responsibilities for emergencies, including defining expectations across the lifecycle of a crisis. It also defines arrangements for responding to acute emergencies, as well as enduring response arrangements for issues that continue to pose an enduring challenge over a longer timeframe.
The Cabinet Office works with other government departments, including MHCLG (lead government department for wildfires) and Defra (lead government department for flooding) to closely monitor emerging risks to enable the government to respond rapidly and proportionately as required. The Cabinet Office will continue to liaise with the relevant departments throughout any response required.
The Prime Minister has announced we are working on a new National Centre for Information Defence to transform the UK’s capabilities for detecting, attributing and disrupting information attacks from foreign adversaries, to support and defend our democracy and national security.
By contrast, the NCSC is the UK’s national technical authority for cyber security. It is the authoritative voice on technical cyber security and threat assessment, providing expert advice and guidance. We expect that the two organisations will work closely together.
The underspend on national security programmes in 2025-26 was due to adjustments to project delivery schedules, leading to a variance against the allocated budget.
The UK Biological Security Strategy operates on an integrated One Health approach, recognising the links between human, animal, and environmental health to protect the UK from biological threats.
The UK Biological Security Strategy does not govern private laboratories or breeding facilities. These facilities are regulated by the Home Office’s Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
The Act recognises that maintaining a robust sovereign preclinical research capability is essential to delivering key commitments for the government's ambitions across life sciences. In particular, the rapid development and scaling of vaccines and therapeutics within 100 days.
In November 2025, the former Science Minister published a £75 million Replacing Animals in Science strategy, which looks to accelerate the phase-out of animal testing using non-animal technologies.
The AI Security Institute is not recruiting a direct replacement for the role of Chief Technology Officer. The newly appointed Chief Strategy Officer, as well as the Institute's two Research Directors, will take on the role's relevant responsibilities.
The Minister for AI has not yet made any direct ministerial appointments.
Following the machinery of government changes in July 2026, the AI Economics Institute (AIEI) will operate as a joint unit of the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury. It brings together expertise in economics, data and tech to provide robust analysis on how AI is affecting the labour market and wider economy.
The Institute is currently being stood up and based in former Department for Science, Innovation and Technology offices whilst a permanent location is identified.
The AI Security Institute (AISI) has built trusted, voluntary relationships with the world's leading AI labs. AISI signs a collaboration agreement with every developer whose models it tests before release. This collaborative approach lets us keep pace with a fast-moving technology and adapt as it evolves.
The headcount of the AI Security Institute is 243, equivalent to 227.8 full time equivalent (FTE) posts (as at 12 October 2026). This includes over 100 technical frontier AI specialists in the Institute’s Research Unit.
The AI Security Institute’s future staffing is managed in line with the budget it was allocated in the Spending Review, and is kept under regular review so that it is resourced to deliver its priorities.
The AI Economics Institute is currently operational, with a small core team already in place and a recruitment campaign for additional roles to launch imminently. A Director has been appointed, taking up post in early November 2026.
Professor Simon Johnson, Nobel Prize-winning economist, former Chief Economist of the IMF, has been appointed as Chair of the Institute. His appointment brings a wealth of experience in understanding how AI can create good jobs and boost shared prosperity, and how institutions are formed and affect economic growth.
I refer the hon. Member to PQs 20877 and 28369.
The Prime Minister’s AI Taskforce has been established in OPMC to drive the government’s overall strategy on AI and to unlock the opportunities it holds for growth, prosperity and public sector transformation. It is a small central unit of 60-80FTE which will set AI strategy across government and work with departments to deliver on the government’s key AI priorities.
As I outlined in my speech on 12 October, the Government has been working closely with the US government and frontier labs to ensure the AI Security Institute continues to have access to the most powerful AI models before they are released.
AI scientists at the AI Security Institute continue to conduct rigorous evaluations of the latest generation of models, including Gemini 4 Argon, to build a scientific understanding of the risks posed by the most advanced AI systems and develop technical mitigations against them, so that policy decisions are grounded in evidence.
The AI Security Institute (AISI) has trusted, voluntary relationships with the world's leading AI companies. This collaborative approach lets us keep pace with a fast-moving technology and adapt as it evolves.
As I outlined in my speech on 12 October, the Government has been working closely with the US government and frontier labs to ensure AISI continues to have access to the most powerful AI models before they are released.
AI scientists at AISI continue to conduct rigorous evaluations of the latest generation of models to build a scientific understanding of the risks posed by the most advanced AI systems and develop technical mitigations against them, so that policy decisions are grounded in evidence.
This Government remains committed to ensuring AISI is equipped to fulfil its vital role, and will continue to keep the House updated on its work.
The AI Security Institute (AISI) has trusted, voluntary relationships with the world's leading AI companies. This collaborative approach lets us keep pace with a fast-moving technology and adapt as it evolves.
As I outlined in my speech on 12 October, the Government has been working closely with the US government and frontier labs to ensure AISI continues to have access to the most powerful AI models before they are released.
AI scientists at AISI continue to conduct rigorous evaluations of the latest generation of models to build a scientific understanding of the risks posed by the most advanced AI systems and develop technical mitigations against them, so that policy decisions are grounded in evidence.
This Government remains committed to ensuring AISI is equipped to fulfil its vital role, and will continue to keep the House updated on its work.
Hon. Members can write to the AI Security Institute through the Cabinet Office's ministerial correspondence mailbox, [email protected].
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Question of 9th October is attached.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 9th October is attached.
As I outlined in my speech on 12 October, the Government has been working closely with the US government and frontier labs to ensure AISI continues to have access to the most powerful AI models. AISI holds trusted, voluntary relationships with the world's leading AI companies, and continues to have access to frontier models for testing both before and after public release. AISI scientists continue to conduct rigorous evaluations of the latest generation of models, including GPT-6 Astra and Gemini 4 Argon.
Between 1 April 2025 and 31st March 2026, 627 staff were appointed in the core Cabinet Office. This figure excludes Fast Stream and Arms Length Bodies.
I refer the hon. Member to PQs 20877 and 28369.
I refer the hon. Member to PQs 20877 and 28369.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the hon. lady’s Parliamentary Question of 14th October is attached.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the hon. Member's Parliamentary Question of 9th October is attached.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the hon. Member’s Parliamentary Question of 9th October is attached.
The Government is committed to Freedom of Information (“FOI”) and continues to monitor the performance and implementation of the FOI Act to ensure it is operating as intended by Parliament. Any changes to FOI legislation would be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny.
Information regarding total government spending on cloud computing services across Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, and Amazon Web Services over the last five financial years is not held centrally.