Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government plans to disapply the Procurement Act 2023 to UK-produced steel used in public infrastructure projects under Section 25 of that Act.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Government is committed to supporting the steel sector, and is considering a range of options to ensure that public procurement supports UK jobs and industry, including steel.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of tableware and crockery used in his Derpartment is made by a British manufacturer.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office does not hold information regarding this, and it would incur disproportionate costs to gather this information.

The Government is committed to supporting British businesses and ensuring they have the best chance to win public contracts.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government which officials of the government of China Jonathan Powell has met during his term as National Security Adviser; and whether they will publish a summary of the content of those meetings.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The government has a clear and consistent policy not to comment on any of the National Security Adviser’s meetings with external parties, for obvious reasons to protect sensitive information pertaining to this country’s national security. This has been the case under successive governments.

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Found: Sir Chris Wormald KCB Cabinet Secretary Cabinet Office 70 Whitehall London SW1A 2AS

Found: Letter to Sir Chris Wormald, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the UK Civil Service on the Cabinet Office

Found: include: 1) Last year, the Government Communication Service International (GCSI) within the Cabinet Office

Found: We then have our regular updates and checks from the Cabinet Office in terms of the departmental health

Found: s creative industries globally competitive to create a ‘single soft-power team sitting in the Cabinet Office

Found: creative industries globally competitive to create a ‘single soft-power team sitting in the Cabinet Office

Found: A Cabinet Office paper in May 2024 recommended the creation of a single Senior Responsible Officer and

Found: A Cabinet Office paper in May 2024 recommended the creation of a single Senior Responsible Officer and

Found: Commonwealth Development Office, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Cabinet Office

Found: Commonwealth Development Office, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Cabinet Office

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Found: It will only work if the centre—the Treasury, No. 10 or the Cabinet Office—insists that it works, because

Found: agreements) are supported through a spend control process facilitated by NHS England and the Cabinet Office

Found: Euan Stainbank: I have also sought assurances from the Cabinet Office, the Northern Ireland Office and

Found: Dan Jarvis MBE MP Security Minister Cabinet Office and Home Office Cabinet Office

Found: Correspondence from the Minister for the Cabinet Office to the European Affairs Committee and Foreign

Found: Cabinet Office. Emergency Response & Recovery (CCA framework). 2013; online updates. 30.

Found: Q282 Chair: Finally, you have the Cabinet Office with its review of arm’s-length bodies.

Found: governance documents that you would expect from an arm’s-length body of government, in line with Cabinet Office

Found: to support businesses that are scaling up. 65 NISTA reports jointly to the Treasury and the Cabinet Office

Found: I had conversations with my own team, Cabinet Office lawyers and external counsel.

Found: I had conversations with my own team, Cabinet Office lawyers and external counsel.

Found: Rt Hon Nick Thomas-Symonds MP Minister for the Cabinet Office His Majesty’s Paymaster

Found: Nick Thomas-Symonds MP Minister for the Cabinet Office His Majesty’s Paymaster General Cabinet

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to implement the For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers Supreme Court judgment.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers Supreme Court judgment has a range of implications.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission - Britain’s independent equality watchdog - has revised its Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations (the Code) following a six-week consultation. The Code includes practical guidance for service providers, associations and those delivering public functions on how they should comply with the Equality Act 2010, following the Supreme Court ruling.

The Government is considering the draft updated Code and, if the decision is taken to approve it, the Code will be laid before Parliament. Parliament will then have a period of 40 days to consider the Code.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the UK-Japan Investment Memorandum of Cooperation on the UK’s digital transformation.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The UK-Japan Investment Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) aims to strengthen bilateral investment relations and drive economic growth by creating opportunities for UK businesses to grow and scale in the Japanese market, particularly in sectors such as those driving green innovation and digital transformation.

Through the MoC, DBT will champion UK investors and exporters by showcasing success stories, by addressing market access and business environment challenges directly with Japan’s Cabinet Office, and by providing a direct channel for UK businesses to access DBT expertise on the ground in Japan. This cooperation supports the UK’s modern Industrial Strategy, which sets out plans to transform the UK’s clean energy and digital and technologies sectors over the next decade.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the UK-Japan Investment Memorandum of Cooperation on the UK’s clean energy sector.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The UK-Japan Investment Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) aims to strengthen bilateral investment relations and drive economic growth by creating opportunities for UK businesses to grow and scale in the Japanese market, particularly in sectors such as those driving green innovation and digital transformation.

Through the MoC, DBT will champion UK investors and exporters by showcasing success stories, by addressing market access and business environment challenges directly with Japan’s Cabinet Office, and by providing a direct channel for UK businesses to access DBT expertise on the ground in Japan. This cooperation supports the UK’s modern Industrial Strategy, which sets out plans to transform the UK’s clean energy and digital and technologies sectors over the next decade.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the guidance entitled Digital ID scheme: explainer, published on 26 September 2025, from which database will the digital ID validate (a) identity, (b) age, (c) residency and (d) a photo.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government has announced plans for a new national digital identity credential to be available to UK citizens and legal residents aged 16 and over. This will make it easier for people to securely access the services they are entitled to, where they want to, while also helping to prevent illegal working and deter illegal migration. Employers will be required to conduct digital right to work checks using the new digital ID by the end of this parliament.

We recognise the importance of both cybersecurity and privacy. We will consult and engage on the practical operation of the scheme, and the data structures underpinning it, as it is developed. The data for the digital ID scheme will be federated, as doing so is good practice for things like this. That means most data will stay where it is already safely stored, such as in HM Passport Office or other government departments, and only joined up if and when needed.

Following the Machinery of Government changes of 23/10/2025 policy responsibility now sits with the Cabinet Office.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2025 to Question 63915 on Digital Technology: Proof of Identity, for what reason the Government has now taken such steps.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government has announced plans for a new national digital identity credential to be available to UK citizens and legal residents aged 16 and over. This will make it easier for people to securely access the services they are entitled to, where they want to, while also helping to prevent illegal working and deter illegal migration. Employers will be required to conduct digital right to work checks using the new digital ID by the end of this parliament.

We recognise the importance of both cybersecurity and privacy. We will consult and engage on the practical operation of the scheme, and the data structures underpinning it, as it is developed. The data for the digital ID scheme will be federated, as doing so is good practice for things like this. That means most data will stay where it is already safely stored, such as in HM Passport Office or other government departments, and only joined up if and when needed.

Following the Machinery of Government changes of 23/10/2025 policy responsibility now sits with the Cabinet Office.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she plans to introduce digital identity cards.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government has announced plans for a new national digital identity credential to be available to UK citizens and legal residents aged 16 and over. This will make it easier for people to securely access the services they are entitled to, where they want to, while also helping to prevent illegal working and deter illegal migration. Employers will be required to conduct digital right to work checks using the new digital ID by the end of this parliament.

We recognise the importance of both cybersecurity and privacy. We will consult and engage on the practical operation of the scheme, and the data structures underpinning it, as it is developed. The data for the digital ID scheme will be federated, as doing so is good practice for things like this. That means most data will stay where it is already safely stored, such as in HM Passport Office or other government departments, and only joined up if and when needed.

Following the Machinery of Government changes of 23/10/2025 policy responsibility now sits with the Cabinet Office.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether their Department has run any (a) recruitment and (b) internship schemes aimed to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups in the workforce in the last year.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

As set out in the Civil Service People Plan 2024 - 2027, we are committed to ensuring we attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds to create a modern Civil Service, now and for the future

Civil Service recruitment must follow the rules set out in legislation within the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaGA) 2010 which outlines the requirements to ensure that civil servants are recruited on merit, via fair and open competition

Going Forward into Employment (GFiE) accredits life chance recruitment pathways across government. GFiE pathways recruit people from a wide range of backgrounds into the Civil Service, including people from low socio-economic backgrounds, prison leavers, veterans, carers and care leavers.

People recruited by GFiE develop skills, gain experience and build a career, contributing to the Opportunity Mission and to the wider economy.

Defra took part in the Autism Exchange Internship Programme in 2025 and previous years. This Cabinet Office led scheme supports young, autistic people aged 18 - 25 to gain work experience and develop employability skills.

Defra also participates in the Fast Stream Summer Internship Scheme, which from 2026 will be targeted at those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the recruitment process was for her Department's new Permanent Secretary; and whether he plans to publish any declarations of interest.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The new Permanent Secretary for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, was recruited under a fair and open competition managed by the Cabinet Office. Any declarations of interest will be made, published and updated in accordance with Cabinet Office guidance.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on veterinary medicine access.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Government has engaged with the Northern Ireland Executive extensively on the issue of veterinary medicine access. This includes through the Veterinary Medicines Working Group, which I co-chair and which is also attended by Northern Ireland’s Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir MLA.

The working group has met five times under this Government, most recently on 15 October. We are looking to convene the next meeting before the end of the year and intend to meet again early in 2026. I am grateful for the constructive and positive contributions that Minister Muir has made on this work. In addition, officials in the Veterinary Medicines Directorate and the Cabinet Office regularly engage with DAERA officials on this issue.

Furthermore, in June this year, the Government published its position with regards to the supply of veterinary medicines to Northern Ireland, including its assessment that the vast majority of authorised medicines will continue to be supplied, and set out two new schemes to address any supply gaps.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she had made of the potential impact of the Amazon Web Services outage in October 2025 on the economy.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

HM Treasury has a comprehensive framework for the assessment and management of current and potential risks to the economy, including those posed by digital infrastructure disruptions. The framework involves systematic monitoring through internal risk monitors, risk governance forums, and collaboration with other government departments such as the Department for Science Innovation and Technology, and the Cabinet Office.

While the cost of the outage is not yet known, the temporary disruptions to online services and business operations are unlikely to have a material macroeconomic impact. The Government will continue to assess digital risks closely to ensure the UK economy remains resilient to future disruptions in digital infrastructure.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that critical services continue to run in the event of a major internet outage.

Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)

Government has a robust set of policies in place to ensure there are well-defined and tested incident management processes in place, and to ensure continuity of essential functions in the event of system or service failure.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology will publish the Government Cyber Action Plan this Winter, which will set out a clear approach for the Government and the Wider Public Sector to manage cyber security and resilience incidents.

The Scotland Office uses the information technology system provided and operated by the Cabinet Office, which has responsibility for all hardware and software procurement, administration, support maintenance, security, and integrity of the system.

We work closely with the Cabinet Office to understand the range of possible impacts from short to long term outage or disruption and to minimise the likelihood, impact, or time and cost of recovery. Measures to respond to major internet outages are built into our Business Continuity Planning...

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the Climate Change Committee is subject to (a) the Civil Service Code and (b) guidance from the (i) Cabinet Office and (ii) Government Communication Service on political impartiality.

Answered by Katie White - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

As an independent, statutory body, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) is not subject to the Civil Service Code. Board Members are expected to adhere to the Cabinet Office's code of conduct for Board Members of public bodies, as well as other central guidance around conduct. Staff are subject to the CCC's own code of conduct. There is a long-standing principle that public bodies must be politically impartial, and all public bodies must comply with the rules on lobbying, attendance at party conference, advertising, marketing and PR.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 26 September (HL10489), what estimate they have made of the cost of collecting, collating and verifying the data mentioned in the question.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

I thank the Noble Lord for his question. I am sure he will know that the Advisory Guide to Parliamentary Work published by the Cabinet Office sets out that there is an advisory cost limit known as the disproportionate cost threshold which is the level above which departments can decide not to answer a written question. The current disproportionate cost threshold is £850.

The Procedure Committee recommended that the threshold “be calculated only with regard to policy team time—it should not account for any central processing in parliamentary branches or WPQ teams, or the time taken by Ministers or their advisers”.

We estimate that the cost of locating and collating any relevant information and extracting the information to meet your request would exceed the appropriate limit.

This is because in order to respond to your request for information we would need to match, collate and verify information from multiple immigration data systems owned by Home Office to multiple systems containing the relevant information on Organised Crime Gangs.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 24 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, what steps he has taken to ensure that cryptography capability is UK-based.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises that Crypt-Key is fundamental to the defence and security of the UK. The ability to develop Crypt-Key technologies and capabilities is a strategic imperative for the United Kingdom’s (UK) national security.

The National Crypt-Key Strategy and the Crypt-Key Industrial Strategy were approved by the National Security Council (NSC) in May 2022. The MOD has implemented the core strategy outcomes such as the Cabinet Office Spent Control measures for Crypt-Key and continues to support their full implementation.

The Defence Industrial Strategy (2025) continues to recognise Crypt-Key as a critical sub-sector where strategic imperative requires full, or majority, industrial capability to be UK-based.

The MOD has taken the appropriate steps to ensure alignment to the Crypt-Key strategies.

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Found: Workforce 2 Average quarterly turnover calculated in line with the Financial Reporting Manual and Cabinet Office

Found: Prompt payment of suppliers The Department has a Prompt Payment target, set out by the Cabinet Office

Found: MoJ reports annually to the Cabinet Office on the number of closed whistleblowing cases.

Found: MoJ reports annually to the Cabinet Office on the number of closed whistleblowing cases.

Found: ONR can set its own pay remit, taking into account the requirements of Managing Public Money, Cabinet Office

Found: ONR can set its own pay remit, taking into account the requirements of Managing Public Money, Cabinet Office

Found: ONR can set its own pay remit, taking into account the requirements of Managing Public Money, Cabinet Office

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Found: Technology Other departments or agencies: Department for Business and Trade, Home Office, Digital Cabinet Office

Found: The committee operates within the parameters set by the Cabinet Office and taking into account the government

Found: The UKHSA is a civil service organisation whose workforce data is reported by the Cabinet Office.

Found: Building upon the ongoing Cabinet Office Resilience Review, the government should set out how it will

Found: The Environment Agency continues to work with Government, including Defra and the Cabinet Office, on

Found: Information on LUXE LIFESTYLE LTD was included in the Cabinet Office corporate witness statement to the

Found: Yours sincerely Dan Jarvis MBE MP Cabinet Office and Home Office Security Minister

Found: Following a review announced as part of the Regulation Action Plan and delivered as part of the Cabinet Office

Found: It also complies with the Cabinet Office ‘Corporate Governance in Central Government Departments: Code

Found: Report 2024/25 ISF Governance Ministerial accountability to Parliament for the ISF lies with the Cabinet Office

Found: Cabinet Office efficiency controls As part of the Government’s control of expenditure, NHS England are

Found: ONR can set its own pay remit, taking into account the requirements of Managing Public Money, Cabinet Office

Found: ONR can set its own pay remit, taking into account the requirements of Managing Public Money, Cabinet Office

Found: ONR can set its own pay remit, taking into account the requirements of Managing Public Money, Cabinet Office

Found: is subject to a collection of spending controls, some dictated by HM Treasury, some by the Cabinet Office

Found: Shared Services In 2024-25 the Cabinet Office managed the finance, commercial and HR shared services

Found: The Environment Agency continues to work with Government, including Defra and the Cabinet Office, on

Found: HM Treasury administered this funding in collaboration with the Evaluation Task Force (Cabinet Office

Found: Yours sincerely Dan Jarvis MBE MP Cabinet Office and Home Office Security Minister

Found: Following a review announced as part of the Regulation Action Plan and delivered as part of the Cabinet Office

Found: : Regulation & Management Eve Macready-Jones, Civil Service Health & Safety Profession Lead, Cabinet Office

Found: Logo Trademarked logo Crown PSB None8 Logos containing Royal Arms may require approval from Cabinet Office

Found: Cabinet OfficeThird Floor 1 Horse Guards Road SW1A 2HQ All responses must be received by the Cabinet Office

Found: Following these engagement sessions, the Mini ster for the Cabinet Office has continued to meet representatives

Found: enquiries regarding this publication should be sent to us at: www.gov.uk/guidance/contact-the-cabinet-office

Found: Josh Simons MP Parliamentary Secretary Cabinet Office, 70 Whitehall, London SW1A

Found: economic and social value can be part of scoring procurement tenders and to what extent (UK Cabinet Office

Found: Economic Development Public Bodies Review Programme [redacted - S30(b)(i)]] DOC 1 14 Cabinet Office

Found: That includes representatives from Cabinet Office, FCDO, Home Office, MOD and Scotland Office.

Found: the Scottish Government consolidated accounts because it is a UK scheme administered by the Cabinet Office

Found: within the Scottish Government consolidated accounts because it is a UK scheme administered by the Cabinet Office

Found: The Bill is sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions and the UK Cabinet Office. 9.