Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what is the average length of time for the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments to process a business appointment rules application from (a) ministers and (b) crown servants.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) aims to provide its advice within 15 working days of receipt of an application from ministers, and 20 working days for all other crown servants at SCS3 or equivalent and above. ACOBA noted in their latest Annual Report that in 2023-24, 79% of applications received from former ministers were advised on within 15 working days of receiving information rising to 89% within 20 working days. Similarly, ACOBA noted that in 2023-24, 58% of applications received from former crown servants were advised on within 20 working days of receiving information rising to 71% within 25 working days.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what criteria will his Department use to measure social value when undertaking procurement rounds.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Public procurement is a key lever for enabling delivery of the Government’s missions by using procurement policy to drive economic growth, raise employment standards, and achieve additional social value through the life of a contract. The Government’s ‘Plan to Make Work Pay’ sets out an ambitious programme to value organisations that create local jobs, skills and wealth and treat their workers well and equally. Ministers are considering how to take these plans forward.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his policy is on allowing civil servants to speak at (a) commercial and (b) voluntary sector conferences in a (i) personal and (ii) trade union capacity.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of all civil servants. Civil servants are required to fulfil their work duties and obligations responsibly. Decisions on civil servants’ speaking attendance at any conferences are made on a case-by-case basis and in accordance with the Civil Service Code. Civil servants should not engage in activities likely to call into question their political impartiality.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans he has to update the National Cyber Security Strategy.

Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The current National Cyber Strategy sets out a vision to 2030 and specific outcomes to achieve by 2025. The Government is currently reviewing a wide range of national security and resilience priorities. Any decisions on UK cyber strategy will be informed by this wider work and we will confirm plans in due course.

Our digital economy is increasingly being attacked by cyber criminals and state actors, and we need to take swift action to address vulnerabilities and protect our digital economy to deliver growth. This is why in the first session we are introducing the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill which will strengthen the UK’s cyber defences and ensure that critical infrastructure and the digital services that companies rely on are secure.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of revising section nine of the Ministerial Code on Ministers and Parliament.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

When meeting with the new Cabinet for the first time, the Prime Minister was clear about the standards he expects of them and their ministerial teams.

The Prime Minister will issue a Ministerial Code in due course.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to page 10 of the report published by HM Treasury entitled Fixing the Foundations: Public spending audit 2024-25, CP 1133, what the (a) headcount and (b) FTE size is of the Civil Service.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Accredited Official Statistics on the number of civil servants, both overall and by government department and agency, on an FTE and headcount basis are published each quarter by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) as part of their Public Sector Employment statistical release. The latest available statistics were published 11 June 2024 and showed the number of civil servants as at 31 March 2024.

The latest statistics and all previous and upcoming releases can be found on the ONS website at https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/bulletins/publicsectoremployment/previousReleases.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to The Pensions Increase (Pension Scheme for Keir Starmer QC) Regulations 2013, what the Cash Equivalent Transfer Value of the scheme is; and if he will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of funding the scheme.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Information about this Pension Scheme, including a calculation of the cash equivalent transfer value, was included in the Crown Prosecution Service's annual report and accounts for 2013-14. There has been no change to the policy under the last Administration not to publish information about civil servants' individual pensions apart from in the remuneration reports contained in departmental annual reports and accounts.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if the Prime Minister will list the job title of each special adviser appointed to 10 Downing Street.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

I refer the Rt Hon Member to paragraph 2 of the Model Contract for Special Advisers (Job title and duties) and which can be found at: Model_Contract_for_Special_Advisers_December_2023.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Prime Minister has appointed a director of trade union relations.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer of 31 July, Official Report, PQ 1243.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Prime Minister's chief of staff has a probationary period.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

I refer the Rt Hon Member to paragraph 6 of the Model Contract for Special Advisers (Probation) and which can be found at: Model_Contract_for_Special_Advisers_December_2023.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Prime Minister plans to use sustainable aviation fuel for official (a) domestic and (b) overseas flights.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Transport set out to the House on 22 July 2024 our plans to support the development, production, and use of sustainable aviation fuel which the Government already uses where possible.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which (a) official and (b) special adviser is responsible for locating staff in the Number 10 political office within the Downing Street estate.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

As was the case under the previous Administration, the individual responsibilities of Cabinet Office staff are not published.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Prime Minister plans to carbon offset his official (a) domestic and (b) overseas flights.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

It has been the practice that official Prime Ministerial flights are carbon offset where that is possible.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to p.10 of the document entitled Fixing the Foundations: Public Spending Audit 2024-25, published on 29 July 2024, whether the Prime Minister’s Office will be expected to implement 2% administrative savings to its own annual budget sub-heading.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

For management and staffing purposes the Prime Minister’s Office is a business unit of the Cabinet Office. Following the Chancellor's announcement, the Cabinet Office, like other Government Departments, will be going through a comprehensive spending review process which will factor in any administrative savings in the round.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to page 10 of the document entitled Fixing the foundations: Public spending audit 2024-25, CP 1133, published in July 2024, whether he plans to take steps to reduce communications and marketing expenditure for Downing Street.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Prime Minister’s Office is a business unit of the Cabinet Office. Campaigns run by the Cabinet Office are subject to the review of communications and marketing expenditure announced on 29 July 2024. The review is currently in progress and no decisions have yet been made.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Prime Minister has declared The Pensions Increase (Pension Scheme for Keir Starmer QC) Regulations 2013 as an interest to the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Interests.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

There has been no change in the established process in place for the declaration and management of private interests held by ministers, which ensures that steps are taken to avoid or mitigate any potential or perceived conflicts of interest. This process is well underway. The next List of Ministers’ Interests will be published in due course.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance is issued to Ministers on declaring political donations in the list of Ministers’ Interests.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

There has been no change in the established process in place for the declaration and management of private interests held by ministers, which ensures that steps are taken to avoid or mitigate any potential or perceived conflicts of interest. This process is well underway. The next List of Ministers’ Interests will be published in due course.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the register of Ministers’ Interests will be published.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

There has been no change in the established process in place for the declaration and management of private interests held by ministers, which ensures that steps are taken to avoid or mitigate any potential or perceived conflicts of interest. This process is well underway. The next List of Ministers’ Interests will be published in due course.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the Government's policy is on consumption of alcohol on the Downing Street estate.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

There has been no change of policy from when the Rt Hon Member was Minister for the Cabinet Office, of which the Downing Street estate forms part.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions he has had with the devolved Administrations on the format of payments from the infected blood compensation scheme; whether he has had discussions with each devolved Administration on their presumed approach in terms of lump-sum versus monthly payments; and what assessment his Department has made of each devolved Administration's presumed approach.

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

I met the Health Ministers for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland ahead of the announcement on 16 August, and officials meet on a regular basis to discuss the progress of the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme. The Scheme will operate across the UK and the Infected Blood Compensation Authority has been set up to deliver compensation payments to people infected and affected, and will work across the whole country as a single point administering compensation. We are committed to working closely with devolved governments and their support scheme administrators as we move forward with this work.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the final report of the Infected Blood inquiry (HC 569-I), published on 20 May 2024, what progress his Department has made on identifying potential locations for the permanent memorial to the infected blood victims since May 2024; and what his planned timetable is for consulting those (a) infected and (b) affected by the scandal.

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

It is very important that we recognise what happened to people as a result of the Infected Blood Scandal and that we continue to remember these events for future generations. The Government is carefully considering Sir Brian Langstaff’s recommendations and we will provide an update to Parliament on the progress we are making to respond to the Inquiry’s recommendations, including this recommendation on memorialisation, by the end of the year.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the final report of the Infected Blood Inquiry, published on 20 May 2024, what steps he is taking to change the culture of the civil service.

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

The findings of the Inquiry’s report are deeply concerning. We are working closely with DHSC and other interested departments to give each recommendation full consideration. This Government will bring forward legislation to place a duty of candour on public servants and authorities. This will be an important step towards addressing a culture of defensiveness. I will update Parliament on the progress on all recommendations by the end of the year.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 22 July 2024 to Question 455 on Retirement: Public Sector, whether the Prime Minister plans to introduce a mandatory retirement age in the House of Lords.

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

The Government set out clear plans for House of Lords reform in the manifesto, including introducing a retirement age of 80. We will engage with peers to consider how best to implement this and our other manifesto commitments on Lords reform.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will provide an annual update to the UK Biological Security Strategy.

Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Yes. This Government has adopted the UK Biological Security Strategy and as lead Minister, The Rt Hon. Pat McFadden MP, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster will be updating Parliament in the Autumn on its implementation.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to meet the cyber resilience targets for UK critical national infrastructure by 2025; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of mandatory cyber security requirements in the UK public sector.

Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

HMG is committed to continue driving up levels of cyber resilience within the UK and we have seen the significant impact that cyber attacks can have.

We will continue to work closely with Lead Government Departments and the National Cyber Security Centre to ensure resilience and preparedness to cyber threat, and to work towards resilience targets for Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) sectors. This will be achieved through working with CNI (in both the private and public sector) to better: i) understand; ii) manage cyber risk; and, iii) minimise the impact of cyber incidents when they occur.

The King's Speech set out that the Government would bring forward a Cyber Security and Resilience Bill in this parliamentary session which will strengthen the UK’s cyber defences, ensure that critical infrastructure and the digital services that companies rely on are secure. This complements the Cabinet Office’s work to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of all regulation that applies to CNI.

The UK Government is also using GovAssure, the cyber security assurance regime for the whole of government, including Government sector CNI, to define clear cyber resilience outcomes and develop an objective view of cyber resilience across the government technology estate. The common approach to Secure by Design across Government is being rolled out to all Departments responsible for CNI.

The Cyber Security Standard sets out the GovAssure cyber assurance regime as mandatory for some government organisations. The Cabinet Office and partner organisations are using the results from GovAssure to continue to assess the effectiveness of existing cyber security requirements, including consideration of further mandation of requirements.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to page 17 of HM Treasury's document entitled Fixing the foundations: Public spending audit 2024-25, published on 29 July 2024, in what other ways he intends to reduce the cost of politics.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

As the Chancellor announced on 29 July, the government will review the cost of the political system, which includes eligibility for ministerial severance payments. The Cabinet Office will conduct this review which will take place ahead of the Spending Review.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what flags other than the Union flag he plans to fly on 70 Whitehall in the next 12 months.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

70 Whitehall is a UK government building. The Cabinet Office will therefore follow the flag-flying guidance for all UK government buildings. This guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/designated-days-for-union-flag-flying.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to page 10 of HM Treasury's document entitled Fixing the foundations: Public spending audit 2024-25, published on 29 July 2024, whether he plans to sell the (a) leaseholds and (b) freeholds of (i) the Civil Service Club, (ii) Inn the Park and (iii) Marlborough House.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

These are not government-owned buildings, so therefore the Cabinet Office does not centrally hold information or data on the freeholds and leaseholds of these buildings.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Cabinet Office press release entitled More public institutions can apply for a portrait of The King, published on 12 May 2024, what the take-up rate of the free official portrait of the King is amongst (a) Church of England churches, (b) job centres, (c) NHS hospitals and (d) universities.

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

As is usual practice following accession, an Official Portrait has been taken of His Majesty The King to mark the start of the new Reign, for use in public buildings and for other official purposes. His Majesty’s Government is using this portrait for the Official Portrait Scheme, announced by the Deputy Prime Minister at the time in April last year.

His Majesty The King’s Portrait Scheme is an ongoing government scheme. We intend to disclose the information requested into the public domain when the scheme is complete and we have the full picture on the volumes requested and delivered and the associated costs, rather than providing provisional data at this stage.

The scheme was open to new applications until 15th August and validation, portrait production and portrait delivery will complete in mid October.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the Government's policy is on the use of citizens assemblies.

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

The government recognises the potential value of citizens' assemblies and other participatory methods as part of a broader toolkit for policy development and public engagement. However, while citizens' assemblies can be a useful complement to our representative democracy, they are not intended to replace it. The Cabinet Office's Open Policy Making Toolkit, published under the previous Administration, includes guidance on participatory methods, and we continue to assess their effectiveness and impact in various contexts.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what meetings he has had with people who have donated to the Labour Party in the last 12 months since the general election.

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

Details of ministers’ meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK. The most recent publication of transparency data took place on 29th August 2024.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the (a) headcount and (b) budget is of the 10 Downing Street data science team.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

There were 21 FTE staff in post as of 31 July 2024, with a standing headcount of 25.

The budget for the 2024/25 year is £2.347m. This budget covers headcount, with funding for incidental expenditures coming from a flexible central pot.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to commission a study on the benefits and disbenefits of the UK’s departure from the EU, and in particular its impact on the UK economy.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government is currently focused on looking forwards and resetting the relationship with our European friends. As such the Prime Minister hosted 45 leaders from across Europe to the European Political Community on Thursday 18 July, to enhance cooperation on European security and other shared challenges the continent faces. Publicly available research on the interactions between the UK-EU relationship and the UK economy is widely accessible.

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Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of setting up GB Energy.

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

The cost to the taxpayer of Great British Energy set-up and investments will be carefully managed and monitored through parliament. As set out by Cabinet Office guidance on setting up new public bodies, a full business case will be developed for GBE, which will be published on Gov.uk in due course. Great British Energy investments will be subject to safeguards and risk assessments similar to established public finance institutions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) statutory and (b) non-statutory direct ministerial appointments excluding special advisers he has made; and (i) who the appointee was and (ii) what the (A) remuneration, (B) title and (C) terms of reference was for each appointment.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is responsible for making a range of public appointments, some of which are established in statute, and some of which are not. As of 29 August 2024, my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care had not made any public appointments directly, without competition.

Separate to public appointments, and in line with Cabinet Office guidance, ministers can also make direct ministerial appointments. As of 29 August 2024, my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care had made two such appointments. The first of which is the Rt hon. Professor Lord Darzi, who has been appointed to lead the independent audit of the National Health Service. This is an unpaid position, and details of this appointment and the terms of reference are available, respectively, at the following two links:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-investigation-of-nhs-performance-terms-of-reference/independent-investigation-of-nhs-performance-terms-of-reference

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/independent-investigation-ordered-into-state-of-nhs

The second appointment is Paul Corrigan, who has been appointed as a Senior Strategy Advisor for the 10-Year Health Plan. This is a paid position, at a rate of £350 per day. Further details on the terms of reference for the role will be released shortly on the GOV.UK website.

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