Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2025 to Question 82673 on Government Departments: Social Media, on which topics, campaigns and programmes social media influencers have been used by the two agencies since July 2024.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Please see below for the campaigns:

• Breakfast Clubs

• National Minimum and Living Wage

• Warm Home Discount

• GREAT Audacious Kingdom

• GREAT USA

Some work is not included given commercial and wider sensitivities.

These campaigns are used to raise awareness about government schemes and initiatives and promote the UK internationally.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the 2017 Memorandum of Understanding between HMRC and the Cabinet Office has been updated since the introduction of the Data Protection Act 2018; and on what basis data transfers for honours probity checks continues.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

As noted in our answer to PQ 92590, the Memorandum of Understanding between the Cabinet Office and HMRC was last updated in 2023. The Memorandum of Understanding, which is published in full on gov.uk, sets out the legal and lawful basis by which data is transferred.

The 2023 Memorandum of Understanding is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sharing-hmrc-information-to-assist-honours-committees-recommendations/memorandum-of-understanding-accessing-hmrc-information-to-assist-honours-committees-in-making-recommendations-about-awarding-honours-to-individ

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 11 November 2025 to Question 83803 on New Media Unit: Finance, what the estimated expenditure is by (a) his Department and (b) the New Media Unit on social media influencers through third party suppliers since 4 July 2024.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer on 2 December 2025 (PQ 93743).

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many applications for the restoration of (a) honours and (b) medals have been received since February 2021; and how many have been granted.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Since 2021, there have been 24 applications received from, or on behalf of, LGBT Veterans who had forfeited medals. 9 of these cases were found to be eligible for restoration. There have been no applications for the restoration of honours.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what is the annual budget and target headcount for the Office for the Impact Economy.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Prime Minister launched the Office for the Impact Economy in November in a decisive step towards partnering more effectively with the impact economy.

The Office is continuing to scale up, including working collaboratively with impact economy stakeholders and local areas to design its strategy, offer and priorities. This includes reviewing all the recommendations of the Social Impact Investment Advisory Group, as well as bringing in experts on secondment.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 18 November 2025 to Question 90252 on Cabinet Office: Lord-lieutenants, whether his Department handled complaints concerning Lord Lieutenants, Vice Lord Lieutenants and Deputy Lieutenants before 7 October 2025.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Complaints concerning Lord-Lieutenants have been handled by the Cabinet Office since the formal complaints procedure relating to the Lieutenancies was published in 2021. Complaints about Vice Lord Lieutenants and Deputy Lieutenants are handled by the relevant Lord-Lieutenant.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether (a) Palantir Technologies (b) other analytics contractors and (c) external data warehouses are being considered to support cross-departmental data matching under the digital ID initiative.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

We expect the new digital ID to be designed, built and run by in-house Government teams, not outsourced to external suppliers. In the event any specialist external services or expertise are procured to support the delivery of new digital ID, this will be subject to all the usual competitive processes to ensure transparency, and value for the taxpayer.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the Government Communications Service Inclusive communications template.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

There are currently no plans to publish this template.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 23 September 2025 to Question 75633,on Disinformation, whether the Storyzy service is used in the Resist 3 framework.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Storyzy is a tool that assists in the application of the RESIST 3 theoretical framework by identifying instances of mis- and disinformation.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the model contract for senior civil servants.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

I refer to my answer to 84232, answered on 31 October 2025.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will outline the role of the Cabinet Secretary in relation to the civil service code.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

As set out in the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, the Minister for the Civil Service (the Prime Minister) is responsible for the Civil Service Code. As Head of the Civil Service, the Cabinet Secretary is the Prime Minister’s most senior policy adviser, including in relation to the Civil Service Code.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to use the National Security and Investment Act 2021 to restrict Chinese ownership of companies in (a) water, (b) electricity, (c) gas, (d) telecoms, (e) data centres and (f) nuclear.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Government has powers under the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act 2021 to review and, where required, intervene in investments that may pose a risk to national security.

The NSI Act both facilitates investment into sensitive sectors with appropriate safeguards where needed, and provides powers to act in the interests of national security where necessary and proportionate.

Acquisitions considered under the NSI Act are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and the Government will not hesitate to use its powers where necessary.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2025 to Question 90730 on Ministers: Official Cars, whether vehicles from the Government Car Service are routinely provided to any official in the Cabinet Office other than the Cabinet Secretary.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Government Car Service (GCS) offers vehicles to government departments as a shared resource. Each department independently determines the allocation of these vehicles in line with the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code, as appropriate. For security reasons the details of specific allocations are not released.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department provides guidance to civil servants on personal tax implications for the use of official cars provided by the Government Car Service.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Government Car Service (GCS) does not provide tax guidance. Tax matters are the responsibility of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and individuals are expected to refer to HMRC guidance or seek independent advice as appropriate.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, further to the Freedom of Information response by the Cabinet Office, Ref: FOI2025/18068, published on 5 December 2025, what was the cost to the public purse of influencers for the (a) parent creators on Breakfast Clubs referenced in the guidance and (b) finance content creators on National Living and National Minimum Wage.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The cost of creators for these campaigns was £52,398.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to page 66 of the Cabinet Office Annual report and accounts 2024-2025, HC1372, 23 October 2025, whether the Executive Committee affirmed and documented its understanding of the Department’s purpose and its own role and responsibilities in a board operating framework.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

There is no requirement in the Corporate Governance Code for Executive Committees to have a Board Operating Framework and so the Executive Committee does not have a board operating framework.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2025, to Question 90730, on Ministers: Official Cars, if he will provide equivalent figures for how much has been invoiced to each department in each month since July 2024 for non-Ministerial cars provided by the Government Car Service; and how much has been paid through an internal transfer for the Cabinet Office in each month since July 2024 for the same.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

I refer the Honourable Gentleman to the answer provided on Question 90730. Additionally, an invoice has been sent to the NCA for £9,694.47 for services rendered in October 2025.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many times the Resilience and Security Committee met between April 2024 and March 2025; and what the attendance record of each member was.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

It is a long-established precedent that information about Cabinet and its Committees, including the discussions that have taken place, how often they have met and attendance, is not normally shared publicly. The list of standing members of the National Security Council (Resilience) Committee can be accessed on GOV.UK.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government when the review of arm’s length bodies will conclude; whether they have begun to implement its recommendations; and when the expect the implementation of recommendations to be completed.

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

The Arm's Length Body Review, formally launched on 7th April 2025 is ongoing, its outcomes will be communicated in due course. Some changes have already been announced such as the closure of NHS England to reduce bureaucracy, make savings and empower NHS staff to deliver better care for patients. Additionally, closures of some ALBs such as the UK Space Agency and its repatriation into DSIT are already underway..

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what analysis they have made of the impact on social mobility of the UK's participants of the proposed Erasmus+ scheme, agreed with the European Union and commencing in 2027.

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

We have now concluded negotiations with the European Commission on association to Erasmus+ in 2027. The government remains committed to providing opportunities to study and work abroad, especially for those participants from disadvantaged backgrounds.

We will now work closely with institutions and our young people to maximise take-up, particularly among disadvantaged groups. We expect that over 100,000 people could benefit from mobility and partnership opportunities from Erasmus+ participation in 2027-28.

This iteration of Erasmus+ has a bigger focus on participants from disadvantaged backgrounds, and one of its objectives is inclusion and supporting people with fewer opportunities to participate.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department plans to take to support people with (a) limited or no smartphone access and (b) no prior valid form of ID through the implementation of the digital ID scheme.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The digital ID scheme will be underpinned with the principle that no one should be left behind. Making this system work for everyone will be a top priority, including those who don't have smartphones, are elderly, or are less digitally confident, so everyone will benefit from simpler, safer access to services.

We recognise that not everyone has the same level of digital access or confidence, and that’s why the scheme will be accompanied by a major government digital inclusion drive.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many meetings data companies have had with the Government to discuss ID cards; what the dates of those meetings were; and which companies attended those meetings.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Information about Ministerial meetings, with data companies and others, is routinely published on GOV.UK in a quarterly transparency return. The latest Cabinet Office return can be found here.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he plans to take to help support people with poor digital connections to use a digital ID card.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The digital ID scheme will be underpinned with the principle that no one should be left behind.

We recognise that not everyone has the same level of digital access or confidence, and that’s why the scheme will be accompanied by a major government digital inclusion drive.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate his Department has made of the potential impact of the digital ID scheme on number of hours saved through streamlining public interaction with state services.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The scope of the digital ID scheme is still in development. The new scheme will be inclusive, secure and useful. It will give people more control over their data than they have now, and it will help to make public services easier to access.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of his Department's (a) leased and (b) owned estate meets a BREEAM rating of A or above.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

BREEAM ratings range from "Pass" to "Outstanding," reflecting performance across key areas such as energy, water, health, transport, and waste. Ratings are achieved by earning credits, with higher ratings indicating superior environmental performance.

In compliance with the Government Buying Standards, the Government Property Agency (GPA) aims to deliver retrofitting to a BREEAM Very Good standard and new capital projects to BREEAM Excellent.

Additionally, where the GPA manages commercial spaces, they aim to meet the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) regulations and produce Display Energy Certificates (DECs) and/or Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) where commercially relevant.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the guidance entitled Fast Stream and Emerging Talent (FSET) data privacy notice, updated on 13 November 2025, what questions are asked to ascertain an applicant's socio-economic background.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The Fast Stream asks the questions recommended by the Social Mobility Commission which are published on gov.uk. This approach is the same as under the previous administration.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the guidance entitled Fast Stream and Emerging Talent (FSET) data privacy notice, published on 13 November 2025, for what reason the Fast Stream data is collected by gender.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The Fast Stream collected data on applicant’s gender until November 2024. As of September 2025 we now collect data on an applicant’s sex. The references to gender remain in our privacy policy as we retain historical records of data in line with this agreement.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants are registered as coaches on the Internal Coaching Service platform.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The current number of coaches recorded on the coaching platform (as of 18/12/2025) is 281.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he has taken to help ensure that those who are waiting to have their pensions paid under the McCloud judgement are paid in a timely manner.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS), including the implementation of the 2015 Remedy (McCloud), is the responsibility of the Minister for the Cabinet Office.

The Government is committed to implementing the remedy as quickly as possible. Capita took over responsibility of the Civil Service Pension Scheme from 1 December 2025, and Capita is currently preparing a delivery plan for undertaking all the outstanding Remedy work required.

Since October 2023 all members starting to receive their pension for the first time have been given their 2015 election options prior to their pension being put into payment.

From the Remedy group, there are c.70k members remaining (from the original 430k) requiring the issuing of a Remediable Service Statement and these are expected to be completed by March 2027. This will enable the member to either continue with their current benefits or opt for the alternative. It is important to note that all impacted members in receipt of a pension are already receiving benefits and that the remedy is an adjustment and the alternative scheme benefits will not automatically provide a member with a higher pension and lump sum. Where it does and the member makes an alternative scheme election, the difference between what has been paid and what is due, will be backdated to the original payment date and paid to the member inclusive of interest.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when those waiting for their pension repayments under the McCloud judgement will receive their payments.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS), including the implementation of the 2015 Remedy (McCloud), is the responsibility of the Minister for the Cabinet Office.

Of the c.430,000 members subject to the McCloud judgment, all those retiring after 1 October 2023 have, or will, make a choice between their preferred pension options and no amendments need to be made to their pension in payment, as the work has been completed for this group.

Approximately 130,000 members who retired prior to October 2023, require an 'Immediate Choice' Remediable Service Statement, of which 44% (58,000) were issued before 31 March 2025 and members in this group (42,000) have confirmed their choice and their elections have been fully implemented. For the remaining 56% (c.70,000) of complex cases, the Cabinet Office has extended the delivery date to March 2027 both to prioritise accuracy for members and to protect wider services to all 1.7 million pension members. Capita, the new administrator from 1 December 2025 is drawing up plans and timelines for completion of this work.

It should be noted that many members who retired prior to October 2023, are not better off as a result of McCloud judgment and many choose to remain on the pension already in payment.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate the Department has made of the total cost in staff time arising from the Internal Coaching Service, including the time spent by civil servants who act as coaches and the time spent by civil servants who receive coaching; and what assumptions underlie that estimate.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

In July 2025 a centralised, internal coaching database became available to the whole of the Civil Service. Its primary purpose is to match coaches across the Civil Service to appropriate coaches but it also (for the first time) facilitates the capture of hours spent on coaching by civil servants across government. As of 18/12/2025, 866.7 coaching hours have been recorded on the database.

Participation in the coaching service often forms an additional work objective, and coaches are responsible for discussing their participation with their line managers.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many disciplinary cases were concluded against civil servants in (a) the Department and (b) its agencies broken down by (i) outcome and (ii) whether the primary allegation related to (A) performance and (B) conduct in the past twelve months.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office does not centrally hold detailed data on all discipline cases required to answer this question.

• Minor misconduct cases are managed within the line management chain and details are held at that level.

• Serious and gross misconduct cases are reported via a third party, Civil Service Casework, supplied by the MOJ Casework Team. This data relies on MOJ HR Case Manager manual entries which may be inaccurate and or incomplete.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the average number of working days lost to sickness absence per full-time equivalent member of staff was in (a) the Department and (b) its executive agencies in the last year; and how many formal performance warnings were issued to staff whose absence exceeded departmental triggers.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

Sickness absence data for the Civil Service, including departmental breakdowns is published annually, and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sickness-absence The next update will be for the year ending 31st March 2025.

Data on performance warnings related to sickness absence is not held centrally.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of trends in the level of discrimination against civil servants not a member of a trade union in (a) employment and (b) promotion decisions.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

No assessment has been made as information about trade union membership is not collected during the recruitment process. Decisions on permanent employment into and promotion within the Civil Service are made in accordance with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles, which requires appointments to be made ‘on merit on the basis of fair and open competition’.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how his Department checks the office attendance of individual civil servants.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The monitoring of office attendance remains the responsibility of individuals, line managers and business units. Line Managers are expected to be aware of, and ensure compliance with, the minimum 60% expectation for their direct reports.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2025, to Question 87336, on Alex Chisholm and Simon Case, whether Ministers in his Department (a) were consulted on and (b) approved the severance payment.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

I refer to my answer for 87336. All payments were made in line with managing Public Money guidance and the approvals process outlined, with both being approved by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the objectives were of the UK–France Nuclear Steering Group held in Paris on 10 December 2025.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The UK-France Nuclear Steering Group was established to strengthen and provide political direction to UK-France nuclear cooperation and coordinate work across nuclear policy, capabilities and operations.

The UK-France Nuclear Steering Group met in Paris on 10 December to confirm progress made since the UK-France Summit in July and to set further direction for the programme of work to strengthen bilateral nuclear cooperation and enhance coordination of UK and French independent nuclear deterrents.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answers of 9 December 2025 to Question 96208 on Public Appointments: Pay and Question 94701 on Baroness Shafik, how many direct ministerial appointments are currently in post in the Cabinet Office and Downing Street; and if he will set out their title, responsibilities and remuneration.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

I refer the Honoural Member to the answer given to PQ UIN 98100.

The responsibilities of these organisations and postholders can be found in their published terms of reference on GOV.UK

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the outcome of his Department's internal investigation on Matthew Doyle before he was nominated for a peerage.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

As a matter of policy we do not publish information relating to individuals' peerage nominations.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which department has lead responsibility for policy on online pornography regulation; and with reference to Baroness Bertin's independent report entitled Creating a Safer World – the Challenge of Regulating Online Pornography, published in February 2025, what assessment she has made of that report's finding that fragmented Government responsibilities impede effective regulation of online pornography.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Baroness Bertin’s independent report made 32 recommendations, including on governance and oversight of pornography policy. The ‘Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls’, published on 18 December 2025 commits to creating a joint team to address the issues detailed in the report. As this team is not yet set up, I am answering this question from the Cabinet Office, as there is currently no lead department for this work.

The team will be formed by the Home Office, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Ministry of Justice and Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It will examine the evidence to inform the government’s approach to pornography policy, including the question of departmental responsibility.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the (a) name, (b) job title, (c) annual remuneration, (d) time commitment and (e) expected end date is for each direct ministerial appointment in the Cabinet Office, including those appointed by the Prime Minister, the Leader of the House of Commons and the Leader of the House of Lords.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Information related to Direct Ministerial Appointments can be found on gov.uk.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what representations the Government made to the European Commission at the Citizens’ Rights Specialised Committee meeting on 18 December 2025 regarding the protection of UK nationals’ rights in the EU.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Information on matters discussed at the Specialised Committee on Citizens’ Rights is available here: Citizens’ Rights Specialised Committee meeting, 18 December 2025: joint statement - GOV.UK. The UK and the EU are committed to working cooperatively to ensure full and faithful implementation of the citizens’ rights part of the Withdrawal Agreement.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the net zero targets are for (a) their Department and (b) its arm’s-length bodies; and whether guidance has been issued on adopting net zero targets earlier than 2050.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Net Zero target in the Climate Change Act 2008, is a target for the whole of the UK, not individual departments or arms-length bodies.

Greening Government Commitments are the central framework setting out the actions UK government departments and their agencies will take to reduce their impacts on the environment, including setting targets to reduce emissions, during the framework period.

Defra are reviewing the Greening Government Commitments to ensure that they remain aligned with government priorities.

The Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts (24/25) includes a Sustainability Report which details all relevant metrics

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance his Department has issued on the use of targeted advertising on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Reddit for Government communications campaigns.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Government uses a range of channels to reach and engage the public. Any use of these platforms is assessed against the high standards for digital safety set out in the Government Communication Service (GCS) SAFE framework.

To ensure all government communications are clear, accurate and authoritative, GCS has established general guidance at https://www.communications.gov.uk/guidance/. This includes the Generative AI Policy (https://www.communications.gov.uk/publications/gcs-generative-ai-policy/) and the Framework for Ethical Innovation in Government Communications (https://www.communications.gov.uk/publications/gcs-framework-for-ethical-innovation/) .

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Freedom of Information requests his Department has received relating to the Government Car Service since 1 April 2025; and how many have been (a) refused and (b) disclosed.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Government Car Service (GCS) transferred to the Cabinet Office from the Department for Transport, as a result of a machinery of government change, on 1st April 2025. Freedom of Information (FOI) requests relating to GCS prior to that date were answered by the Department for Transport.

Since 1 April 2025, the Cabinet Office has received 15 FOI requests relating to the GCS. Of the 11 requests that have been closed, five requests were granted in full and one request was refused in full. Other outcomes were that the information was already planned for publication, that the information was not held, or that responding to the request would have exceeded the cost limit.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many full-time equivalent staff in 10 Downing Street have been employed for the purpose of making social media content in each of the last three years.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Communications staff work across social media content as well as broader digital communications. It is therefore not possible to provide exact figures.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he takes steps to ascertain whether Ministers occupy official Ministerial residences as primary residences.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

I refer the Hon Member to PQ 95895, PQ 81873, and HL 9337.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to pages 131–132 of the Cabinet Office Annual report and accounts 2024-2025, HC1372, 23 October 2025, what the annual cost is of operating the Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists; whether registration fee income was netted off against those costs; and what net (a) surplus and (b) deficit was recorded in each of the last three financial years.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

In each of the last three years - two of which were under the last government - the Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists has recorded a consistent net deficit as shown below:

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Cabinet Office Annual report and accounts 2024-2025, HC1372, 23 October 2025, whether any of the £90 million of Crown Commercial Service dividend income retained by his Department was (a) passed back to CCS, (b) used to subsidise its operations and (c) used to reduce management fees paid by departments and public bodies using CCS frameworks.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

None of the £90 million in Crown Commercial Service (CCS) dividend income retained by the Cabinet Office was returned to CCS. Consequently, none of the dividend was used to subsidise its operations and none was used to reduce management fees paid by departments and public bodies using CCS frameworks.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the use of digital and AI‑driven communications provides clear, accurate and authoritative information to the public.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Government uses a range of channels to reach and engage the public. Any use of these platforms is assessed against the high standards for digital safety set out in the Government Communication Service (GCS) SAFE framework.

To ensure all government communications are clear, accurate and authoritative, GCS has established general guidance at https://www.communications.gov.uk/guidance/. This includes the Generative AI Policy (https://www.communications.gov.uk/publications/gcs-generative-ai-policy/) and the Framework for Ethical Innovation in Government Communications (https://www.communications.gov.uk/publications/gcs-framework-for-ethical-innovation/) .

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Prime Minister has recused himself on matters relating to the regulation and taxation of landlords.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

This Government has strengthened the Ministerial Code. Decisions relating to recusals are made with advice from the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards. Any relevant ministerial interests are published in the quarterly ‘List of Ministers’ Interests’. All tax decisions are taken by the Chancellor.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what funding has been allocated to programmes relating to the UKs relationship with Europe in the (a) 2026-7, (b) 2028-9 and (c) 2029-30 financial years.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The European Union is the UK’s largest trading partner, and cooperation with our European partners is – among other issues – central to the Government’s work on trade, security, illegal migration, development and climate change, not to mention our support for Ukraine. In order to obtain an answer, the Hon Member may therefore wish to be more specific about the aspects of the UK’s relationship with Europe that he has in mind.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 2 January to Question 100339 on 9 Downing Street: Repairs and Maintenance, on what date was the invoice paid; and what is the transaction number for its entry in gov.uk transparency data.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The indicative cost of these works was up to £80,000, as was reported at the time of undertaking the work. The final cost of these works will be published in due course in Cabinet Office transparency returns.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Tim Allan has been recused on matters relating to (a) Sanctuary Counsel and (b) Thorndon Partners and (c) their clients.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Before joining the government, Mr Allan sought and received advice on his interests. He has followed every element of the advice received.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of UK students who will access the Erasmus scheme in 2027-28, 2028-29 and 2029-30.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

We have now concluded negotiations with the European Commission on association to Erasmus+ in 2027. Our commitment covers the 2027/28 academic year.

We will now work closely with institutions and our young people to maximise take-up, particularly among disadvantaged groups. We expect that over 100,000 people could benefit from mobility and partnership opportunities from Erasmus+ participation in 2027-28.

Any participation in Erasmus+ into the next Multiannual Financial Framework will need to be agreed in the future, and be based on a fair and balanced contribution.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make it his policy not to introduce ID cards.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

On 26 September 2025, the Prime Minister announced plans for free digital ID to be available to all UK citizens and legal residents. This is not an ID card.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the implementation of Digital ID in Northern Ireland.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government intends to work closely with each of the Devolved Governments.

My colleague, the Minister for Digital Government and Data, Rt Hon Ian Murray MP, was in Northern Ireland on 7 October 2025. He had meetings with representatives across parties in the Northern Ireland Executive, where the issue of the Government's proposed digital ID scheme was discussed.

The Government has made a commitment that the new government-issued digital ID will respect the Good Friday Agreement and the Common Travel Area.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he plans to take to help prevent data breaches associated with the proposed digital ID cards.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The National Cyber Security Centre is advising the Government on how the new credential is built to the highest standard of security. This would operate a three lines of defence process - this helps ensure data is protected, fraud is deterred and detected, and threats are monitored and responded to.

Ensuring that security arrangements for the proposed digital ID scheme keeps pace with the changing threat landscape will be central to its development.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether children and young people will be required to hold an ID card if they work.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

On 26 September 2025, the Prime Minister announced plans for free digital ID to be available to all UK citizens and legal residents. This is not an ID card.

The scope of the digital ID scheme is still in development and we are inviting the public to have their say in the upcoming consultation as we develop an inclusive, secure, and useful system.

Employers already conduct right to work checks using proof of ID. The new credential will enable these to be fully digitised by the end of this Parliament.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he plans to take to help support people who are digitally excluded to work, in the context of the implementation of the proposed digital ID card.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The digital ID scheme will be underpinned by the principle that no one should be left behind. Making this system work for everyone will be a top priority, including those who do not have smartphones, are elderly, or are less digitally confident, so everyone will benefit from simpler, safer access to services.

To support those who are digitally excluded, including those from work, the Government will deliver an ambitious digital inclusion programme across the country to ensure they are able to access the new digital ID scheme, and use public services with ease.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what data his Department holds on the unemployment rate of spouses of uniformed personnel in the armed forces.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 2nd of January is attached.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what data his Department holds on the number of pubs that have closed in each of the last 5 years.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 2nd of January is attached.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many a) Government Departments and b) arms length bodies are registered to sponsor visas.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office does not hold any data on public sector entities that are licensed to sponsor visas. A precise list of organisations licensed to sponsor workers on the Worker and Temporary Worker immigration routes can be found by searching the government’s register of licensed sponsors on gov.uk.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 21 October 2025 to written question 81547, what proportion of those are aged 22 or over.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

In line with Civil Service reporting, age specific data was collected in age brackets so it’s not possible to confirm the proportion that were aged 22 or over. However, we can confirm 85% of 1,635 Level 7 apprentices across the Civil Service noted in the answer of 21 October 2025 to written question 81547 were aged 25 or above.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 25 November 2025, to Question 91376, and of 23 December 2025, to Question 99834, on Government Hospitality: Wines, and to the answer of 30 January 2025, to Question 26019, on Written Questions, if he will provide a relevant hyperlink to the transparency data for spending on Berry Bros since 4 July 2024 for (a) non-GPC transactions under £25,000 and (b) GPC transactions under £500, or otherwise place unpublished spending data in the Library.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Transparency publications are available and searchable here: https://www.gov.uk/government/government-efficiency-transparency-and-accountability

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether any (a) gifts and (b) hospitality he has received in a Ministerial capacity by Lord Alli have been (i) returned and (ii) refunded since July 2024.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 26 November 2025, Official Report, PQ 92005.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 23 December to Question 100721 on Boris Johnson and Peter Thiel, whether there is any (a) physical and (b) other form of record of the meeting between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Mr Peter Thiel on 28 August 2019.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The meeting is listed in Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s diary, a hard copy of which is held by the Cabinet Office. This is the only physical record of the meeting that has been located.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has conducted internal analysis of the potential causes of recent trends in levels of public approval of the Government.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Listing the endless ways the government engages with the public and assesses its relationship with the public would be fruitless, since that is a basic principle behind everything the government does.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has made an assessment of trends in the level of public confidence in the Government since the General Election.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Listing the endless ways the government engages with the public and assesses its relationship with the public would be fruitless, since that is a basic principle behind everything the government does.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what metrics his Department uses to assess the level of public support for the Government’s policy programme.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Listing the endless ways the government engages with the public and assesses its relationship with the public would be fruitless, since that is a basic principle behind everything the government does.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans the Government has to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on April 21 2026.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

It is right that as a country we reflect on Queen Elizabeth II’s legacy to mark her centenary on 21 April 2026. For more than 70 years, she was our greatest public servant, an anchor of stability in an ever-changing and often uncertain world.

The Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee was appointed by the Government and Royal Household to develop recommendations for the national commemoration of Queen Elizabeth, including a national memorial in St James’s Park, London and a UK-wide legacy programme.

The Committee will announce the final design for the national memorial alongside plans for the legacy programme on 21 April 2026, to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s birth. More information about this announcement and associated events will be shared in due course.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Dale Vince was invited to receptions at Downing Street in (a) November and (b) December 2025.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

As under previous administrations, details of official receptions are published in quarterly transparency returns on gov.uk.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate his Department has made of the number of cyber attacks there have been on infrastructure in the last three years.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

Cyber attacks against the UK are increasing in scale and impact. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) categorises cyber incidents that have a substantial impact on the national security, the economy, or critical infrastructure as ‘nationally significant incidents’. In the 12 months to August 2023, 62 nationally significant incidents were recorded. This increased to 89 in 2024, and further rose to 204 in 2025. NCSC’s Annual Review provides further information on cyber incidents and trends.

On improving the cyber security of national infrastructure, I refer to my answer for UIN 906730, debated on 4 December 2025. The Government is committed to strengthening cyber security across the UK. The recently introduced Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will strengthen the UK’s cyber defences and ensure that critical infrastructure and the digital services on which companies rely are secure.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans his Department has to improve cyber security infrastructure.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

Cyber attacks against the UK are increasing in scale and impact. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) categorises cyber incidents that have a substantial impact on the national security, the economy, or critical infrastructure as ‘nationally significant incidents’. In the 12 months to August 2023, 62 nationally significant incidents were recorded. This increased to 89 in 2024, and further rose to 204 in 2025. NCSC’s Annual Review provides further information on cyber incidents and trends.

On improving the cyber security of national infrastructure, I refer to my answer for UIN 906730, debated on 4 December 2025. The Government is committed to strengthening cyber security across the UK. The recently introduced Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will strengthen the UK’s cyber defences and ensure that critical infrastructure and the digital services on which companies rely are secure.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of foreign state influence on UK political activity in the period surrounding the 2016 EU Referendum.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The UK Government takes issues of foreign interference or attempts to intervene in democratic processes very seriously.

Successive governments have not seen any evidence of successful foreign interference in the European Union referendum. The Electoral Commission’s report published in September 2016 on the referendum stated that the poll was delivered without any major issues and there was a clear and timely final result.

However, we recognise the enduring and significant threat that Russia poses to UK democracy and remain committed to defending the UK from all forms of foreign interference.

The Government’s Defending Democracy Taskforce regularly engages and works with devolved governments and parliaments on threats facing our democracy including foreign interference. The taskforce will be used to coordinate the delivery of the Government’s Counter Political Interference and Espionage Action Plan. This action plan will deliver a protective security campaign to support those at risk to recognise, resist and report attempts of foreign interference, strengthen existing legislation to mitigate the threat, and coordinate action to disrupt the use of proxy actors.

The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and I commissioned an independent review on 16 January into foreign financial interference in UK politics. This review will assess finance and bribery rules and how to reduce risk of foreign interference, building on new rules set out in the Elections Strategy announced in July 2025.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which projects in Nigeria (a) receive funding from the Integrated Security Fund and (b) have ceased to receive funding from the Integrated Security Fund in the previous five financial years.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

Since 1 April 2024 the cross-government Integrated Security Fund (ISF), and the previous Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) have funded projects in Nigeria led by several government departments.

The CSSF and ISF has funded projects supporting Nigeria’s security and resilience in line with our priorities identified through the UK–Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership Dialogue. This has included projects dedicated to security sector reform to better meet the security needs of communities in vulnerable areas, strengthen accountability, improve the inclusion of women and girls to advance peacebuilding efforts and improve regional and inter-agency coordination. The ISF also funds projects which improve Nigeria’s capability to counter terrorism, serious and organised crime and illicit finance which directly threaten the UK and our interests. Historically the CSSF and ISF have funded projects to enhance Nigeria’s cyber resilience and reduce the upstream drivers of illicit migration to the UK.

The ISF is an agile fund, which directs its funding towards projects focused on tackling the top national security threats to the UK, and therefore ceases funding projects which have achieved their objectives, or when funding can be better directed to address more pressing threats.

The Hon Member can find further details on Overseas Development Aid (ODA) programmes supported in Nigeria on the GOV.UK Development Tracker (https://devtracker.fcdo.gov.uk/).

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to improve coordination between Government departments in the delivery of policy.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Prime Minister announced a number of changes to Cabinet committees in November to ensure decision-making structures are best able to deliver the Government’s priorities. The list of Cabinet committees can be found online here.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Cabinet-level decision-making structures in delivering the Government’s priorities.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Prime Minister announced a number of changes to Cabinet committees in November to ensure decision-making structures are best able to deliver the Government’s priorities. The list of Cabinet committees can be found online here.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to seek reciprocal visa-waiver arrangements with the EU and its member states.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

HMG officials and Ministers, including myself, regularly engage the EU and EU Member State counterparts on a range of issues affecting UK nationals. The UK and the EU allow for visa-free, short-term travel in line with their respective arrangements for third country nationals.

The UK allows EU citizens visa-free travel for up to six months; the EU allows for visa-free travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period which is standard for third nationals travelling visa-free to the EU. UK nationals planning to stay longer will need permission from the relevant Member State. The UK Government will continue to listen to and advocate for UK nationals.

Require parties to publish time-bound manifesto commitments (6-month, 1-year, full term), grouped by policy area and independently monitored. Parliament should legislate a mechanism triggering an early election if a government fails a defined threshold of key commitments.

We call upon the UK Government to launch an independent, public inquiry into reported allegations that British citizens participated as snipers targeting civilians, including children, during the Siege of Sarajevo (1992-1995).

We are concerned about reported efforts from China to influence democracy in the US, UK, Europe and elsewhere. We believe we must establish the depth and breadth of possible Chinese influence campaigns in the UK.

We ask the government to ban the use of the claim that longevity is constantly on the increase in policy decisions, official statements and documents. The ONS's most recent data for 2022-2024, shows it was at the same level for females as 2017-2019, pre-pandemic, and below that level for males.

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Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the meeting between the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention and the hon. Member for Christchurch on 5 November 2025, what progress has been made on consulting with the Cabinet Office on increasing the limitation period for court claims relating to harm from Covid-19 vaccinations.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I am grateful for the Hon. Member's continued focus on this important issue, and for meeting with me on 5 November 2025.

I continue to actively review options for the reform of the scheme, and the Department is engaging with other Government departments as part of this process. Discussions have taken place on limitation period for court claims, following the meeting on 5 November 2025.

Any reforms would need to be prioritised as part of future business planning processes.

I am meeting with vaccine bereaved families in the coming weeks to provide them with a further update on this work.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 6 November 2025 to written question 79826, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on the national security implications of the creation of a large database of genomic data.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Data is the driving force of modern economies and technology and is strategically important nationally and globally. However, we know this data can be exploited by those seeking to counter United Kingdom interests and we are taking action to secure our data and its supporting infrastructure to support the UK's long-term growth.

The UK has strong safeguards and world-leading investigation and enforcement to ensure that data is collected and handled responsibly and securely. I am engaging with my Cabinet Office colleagues to ensure our protocols adapt as technology develops to protect the UK’s national security.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the drivers of and reasons for the almost trebling of the wage and salary costs of Arts Council England since April 2017.

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

Arts Council England (ACE) is an arms-length body of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). As such, ACE is responsible for its own operational matters, including wage and salary costs. Nevertheless, they are in scope of the Cabinet Office annual pay remit guidance and, as the sponsoring department, DCMS oversees ACE's activities to ensure adherence to that central guidance and the principles of Managing Public Money.

It is important to note that an accounting adjustment impacts any comparison between reported staff costs between April 2017 and March 2025 as presented in the accounts. The accounts in 16/17 are not directly comparable to other years, as the figure is reduced by £3m due to an unutilised pension provision.

Nevertheless, staff costs have increased over the period. This reflects some headcount growth (in part to support new funding initiatives as well as improved approaches to counter-fraud, cyber security, governance, and data reporting), and pay awards limited to those allowable by the Cabinet Office pay remit.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the security of One Login in the context of the digital ID scheme.

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

The Digital ID scheme is not yet in operation, therefore detailed design, implementation, and operational information is not available. The Cabinet Office will soon launch a public consultation to give everyone the opportunity to learn more and share their views.

GOV.UK One Login follows the highest security standards for government and private sector services - including dedicated 24/7 eyes-on monitoring, incident response and appropriate security controls. Protecting the security of government services and the data and privacy of users to keep pace with the changing cyber threat landscape as the service scales up is our biggest priority.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he plans to take with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle wildfires in 2026.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government recognises that the impact of climate change is likely to increase and intensify fire incidents in England and Wales – with potential to impact fire and rescue service’s (FRS) resources, capacity, and strategical response.

As the lead government department for wildfire, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) maintains regular and ongoing engagement with other government departments including the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and Cabinet Office on this national risk. This is alongside the department’s work with national bodies including the National Fire Chiefs Council and England and Wales Wildfire Forum to monitor and review sector led improvements and mitigations.

Since 2024 we have also funded a National Resilience Wildfire Advisor to assess what additional wildfire national capabilities might be needed to increase resilience to the wildfire risk and to ensure coordination of approaches across the sector.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff in his Department are permitted to undertake diversity-related network time during core working hours; and what proportion of overall working time are they permitted to spend on such network activity.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

DWP is transitioning its EDI Networks in line with the new Cabinet Office Guidance.

Currently in DWP we have 8 Departmental EDI Networks. Each Network has 2 co-chairs who receive 25% time allowance and up to 10 committee members who receive 10%. When all roles are occupied (which is not the case currently) this equates to 12FTE. As of November 2025 DWP has an FTE of 84,699, so this equates to around 0.01% of working time.

From April 2026, DWP will still have 8 Departmental EDI Networks. Each Network will have 2 co-chairs who receive 10% time allowance and up to 5 committee members who also receive 10%. EDI Community Network Chairs (of which we have 14) will also receive a 10% time allowance. If all roles are filled this will equate to 7FTE, a reduction of 5FTE.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the proposed transfer of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) to the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, whether current staff will retain (a) access to the Civil Service Pension Scheme and (b) access to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

For those connected to the transition of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to a new body, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) understands this represents a significant change. The Department is committed to ensuring a smooth transition for all as valued colleagues.

The Transfer of Undertaking Protections of Employment (TUPE) and Cabinet Office Statement of Practice (COSOP) provides protections to employee rights when they transfer. MHCLG is committed to protecting existing terms and conditions wherever we can and will continue to engage staff and Trade Unions ahead of the consultation process. We have heard what is important to colleagues and will prioritise, namely the Civil Service Pension Scheme and access to internal Civil Service jobs.

The consultation process with trade unions will cover the full range of measures affected by the transfer. We expect this consolation to start in early January as agreed with HSE Trade Unions but are awaiting confirmation. Both HSE and the Department have extensive experience in managing transitions of this nature and will work closely together to ensure that all affected colleagues are fully supported throughout the process.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of staff in each grade in her Department were rated in the top performance category in the last year.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office introduced a no-rating performance management system for delegated grades in 2021 in line with external good practice. Therefore, the department cannot compare progression with performance markings / categories.

The performance management framework for Senior Civil Servants is a Cabinet Office policy, applied across the Civil Service departments including the Home Office.

In the last performance year, the proportion of staff rated in the top performance category (“Exceeding”) for Senior Civil Servants is 25.

• Senior Civil Service 1: 17 individuals (representing 6% of all SCS1 Home Office staff)

• Senior Civil Service 2: 6 individuals (representing 10% of all SCS2 Home Office staff)

• Senior Civil Service 3: <5 individuals (representing >20% of all SCS3 Home Office staff)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the level of the impact of digital ID on the number of undocumented workers in the grey economy.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Due to the hidden nature of illegal working, there is no reliable estimate on the scale of the issue.

The Digital ID programme is part of a broader strategy to tackle illegal immigration. By making it harder for people without the right to work to gain employment, the government plans to reduce incentives for unlawful entry.

The digital ID will build on the existing digital right to work checks for foreign nationals where eVisa share codes are currently used, further streamlining the process. Digital IDs will:

o Make it easier for employers to comply by standardising and simplifying right to work checks

o Make it easier for British citizens to demonstrate a right to work.

o Remove the reliance on physical documents in the UK, making it harder for forged documents to be used as proof of right to work.

The Cabinet Office will launch a public consultation in the coming weeks and has already started engaging key groups.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average number of working days lost to sickness absence per full-time equivalent member of staff was in (a) the Department and (b) its executive agencies in the last year; and how many formal performance warnings were issued to staff whose absence exceeded departmental triggers.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

DWP’s absence data is publicly available in the https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sickness-absence., which includes the average working days lost. The Cabinet Office collates sickness absence data from DWP on a quarterly basis, and this management information is published annually.

Data for the year ending 31st March 2025 was published on 16th December 2025.

In the past year, 1,649 formal performance warnings were issued to staff whose absences exceeded departmental triggers. However, because of the way data are recorded, the Department cannot confirm whether in each case the warning was specifically due to absences exceeding those triggers. As of November 2025, the total DWP headcount stands at 95,164.

DWP has one executive agency, Skills England however their HR functions is provided by Department for Education, therefore sick absence data for Skills England will not be included DWP figures.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has issued guidance to police forces on issuing contracts for live facial recognition technology.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office has not issued guidance to police forces on issuing contracts for live facial recognition technology. However, the Live Facial Recognition Commercial Framework produced by BlueLight Commercial is available to support police forces making procurement decisions before they issue contracts.

Decisions on the contracting of live facial recognition technology are for individual police forces and other relevant authorities. Procurement decisions by police forces must comply with UK procurement law, including the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, Procurement Act 2023, and relevant Cabinet Office guidance on supply chain risk. They are also expected to follow the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice issued under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012.

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Found: of NDA unless specifically agreed with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) Cabinet Office

Found: services Corporate Baringa Partners LLP 157466.4 5100002541 14/11/2025 Secondment Costs Corporate CABINET OFFICE

Found:

Found: all goods and services in compliance with the relevant requirements in Managing Public Money, Cabinet Office

Found: Alliance; part of a wider group of studies into the public service leadership academies by the Cabinet Office

Found: It has been administratively classified by the Cabinet Office as a non- departmental public body (NDPB

Found: forms of assessment such as psychological testing are required under standards set by the UK Cabinet Office

Found: considers done None Maintain and regularly review governance to ensure agility Green 2 Cabinet Office

Found: Welsh Government and: • Home Office • Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities • Cabinet Office