Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the consultation entitled Making public services work for you with your digital identity, of 10 March 2026, CP1498, whether there are circumstances in which private companies would have access to individual citizen’s data for payment of a fee.

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

The new digital ID system will help to personalise and join up public services. The UK has a strong set of data protection laws that will apply to this system, and robust enforcement of those laws. We won't be watering them down for this system and there are no circumstances in which the Government will sell the public’s digital ID data to private companies.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 2 December 2025, to Question 94697, on House of Commons Director General: Public Appointments, whether the permanent Director General of the Propriety, Ethics and Constitution Group will be publicly advertised on the public version of the Civil Service Jobs website.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The recruitment campaign is still currently in planning stages and details will be released in due course.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answers of 18 March 2026 to Question 119321 and of 2 June 2025 to Question 54277 on Cabinet Office: Freedom of Information, if he will place in the Library the version of the handbook released under Freedom of Information Act request reference FOI2025/05759, dated 16 May 2025.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

As stated in the response to PQ 116510, the Honours Committee handbook released through this request is a version from January 2023 which is no longer accurate. The current handbook is currently being updated. An updated version with relevant redactions will be laid in the House Library as soon as is practicable.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many whistleblowing complaints were submitted by civil servants in each of the last five years.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The table below provides the total number of Whistleblowing cases raised to Civil Service organisations who responded to annual Whistleblowing (Raising a Concern) data commission.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance his Department has issued on whether party political events held in Ministerial diaries are held for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office has not issued guidance on whether party political events held in Ministerial diaries are held for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the written statement, HCWS1456, on UK Government Response to Covid-19 Inquiry Module 2 Report, of 25 March 2026, what his planned timetable is for the proposed commencement of the socio-economic duty; and whether he plans to respond to the Equality law call for evidence, published on 7 April 2025.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

This Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, no matter their background, can thrive. Therefore, as set out in our response to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry’s Module 2 report, we agree with the recommendation that commencement of the socio-economic duty could drive the routine consideration of the impact decisions might have on those most at risk in an emergency.

The Government is giving careful consideration to responses to the equality law call for evidence as we consider next steps. We will publish a summary of responses and a Government response in due course on: https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/equality-law-call-for-evidence.

The socio-economic duty will require specified public bodies to actively consider how their strategic decisions might help to reduce the inequalities of outcome associated with socio-economic disadvantage.

We are now taking forward work to make sure that commencement of the duty in England is as effective as possible.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what consideration is given to disqualifying companies fined for non compliance for paying the national minimum wage when awarding Government contracts.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Non compliance with paying the national minimum wage is unacceptable and has no place in government contracts or in wider society.

The Procurement Act 2023 provides contracting authorities with strong powers to exclude suppliers from public procurements where an exclusion ground applies, including where they have breached existing labour laws.

Where the circumstances that cause an exclusion ground to apply are continuing or likely to reoccur, contracting authorities must exclude suppliers subject to mandatory exclusion grounds.

Such grounds could include where a supplier is convicted of the offences of refusing or wilfully neglecting to pay the national minimum wage, or of failing to comply with a labour market enforcement order (which can relate to offences under the National Minimum Wage Act 1998). Where a discretionary exclusion ground applies, such as if a labour market enforcement order is made against the supplier, contracting authorities can choose whether to exclude them.

The Debarment Review Service can also carry out investigations in accordance with the Act to establish whether a supplier can be added to the debarment list.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in (1) promoting the accountability of government and public authorities, and (2) encouraging public confidence in democratic politics.

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

The Government is committed to Freedom of Information and continues to monitor the performance and implementation of the Act to ensure it is operating as intended by Parliament.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason Simon Case and Alex Chisholm were given differing exit payments.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

I refer to my answer to 108238, as set out in the Cabinet Office accounts (page 86), the payment for the former Cabinet Secretary, Simon Case, was a severance payment, with the value calculated using the Civil Service Compensation Scheme tariff.

In answer to the second part of your question, I refer to my answer to 112182. The Business Appointment Rules for Crown Servants set out that Permanent Secretaries are required to observe a three month waiting period, and the Rules set out that it may be appropriate to pay former civil servants who are required to observe a waiting period before taking up an external role.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he will respond to Question 109579 tabled on 29 January 2026.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

A response has been issued here.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he will respond to Question 109580 tabled on 29 January 2026.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

A response has been issued here.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Dame Antonia Romeo appointed as first female Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service to drive change and implement the government’s agenda, of 19 February 2026, if he will publish the guidance on the new enhanced due diligence process.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

There are no plans to publish the guidance on the due diligence process followed during the appointment of the Cabinet Secretary.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to reduce the cost limit for freedom of information requests; and what assessment they have made of the impacts of doing so on civil liberties and press freedom.

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

The cost thresholds above which public authorities are not obliged to comply with a Freedom of Information request are set out in secondary legislation. Any changes to FOI legislation would be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the (a) No10 security team and (b) Government Security Group contacted the Metropolitan Police over the theft of the phone of the Prime Minister's chief of staff on 20 October 2025.

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

There are long established and robust processes to manage information security following the theft of No10 work devices and those processes were followed.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department took to track Morgan McSweeney’s lost Government phone, including the use of cell site analysis data.

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

There are long established and robust processes to manage information security following the theft of No10 work devices and those processes were followed.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2026 to Question HL15096 on Labour Together, whether the Cabinet Office has a policy of non-engagement with Labour Together.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided for HL15096 which details the Government's policy on engagement with external stakeholders.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made on clearing the backlog of overdue pension payments for retired civil servants.

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

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,747 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.

To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.

The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the use of public sector procurement in supporting the growth of UK-based AI companies, and (2) the impact of that procurement on the development of domestic technology capabilities.

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

As outlined in the AI Opportunities Action Plan, this Government is committed to supporting growth of the UK AI sector. This commitment is underpinned by the establishment of 5 AI Growth Zones across the UK, which provide the sovereign processing power and the required energy security for homegrown firms to scale and secure our national digital resilience.

Furthermore, the Government will publish new guidance for central government organisations procuring from the AI, steel, shipbuilding and energy infrastructure sectors regarding the appropriate use of national security exemptions. This will help to ensure we maintain sovereign supply chain resilience when it is a critical factor in supporting national security.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure that organisations critical to national security and critical national infrastructure have secure and resilient digital processes and platforms.

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

The government is working tirelessly to improve the cyber resilience of our most critical services and systems, including the UK’s Critical National Infrastructure (CNI).

The Resilience Action Plan, published in July 2025, sets out a strategic ‘all hazards approach’ to building national resilience for the whole of society. The Action Plan includes specific pledges to improve cyber resilience levels of our CNI.

The Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill, currently going through Parliament, will also strengthen the UK’s cyber defences and ensure that the essential and digital services that the public relies upon are more secure.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason did National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on 23 March 2026.

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

The National Security Adviser meets with a range of individuals and organisations as part of his role providing advice to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet on national security matters. Such meetings are often sensitive in nature, and the Government does not routinely comment on them or their content.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, by when will his department answer question 113290, published on 12 February 2026.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

A response has been issued here.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to answer question 113304, published on 12 February 2026.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

A response has been issued here.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2026 to Question 117004, whether those provisions applied to the recent Cabinet Secretary recruitment process.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

I refer to my answer 115556, the Cabinet Manual sets out that the Cabinet Secretary is appointed directly by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister receives advice from the First Civil Service Commissioner, but is the final decision maker.

The announcement (here) explained that “this appointment was made following a full fair and open external competition, chaired by the First Civil Service Commissioner.”

The announcement of the current Cabinet Secretary (here) explained that “the Prime Minister and the First Civil Service Commissioner agreed a process to appoint a new Cabinet Secretary. Once this process was complete, the First Civil Service Commissioner confirmed that Dame Antonia Romeo is an exceptional candidate of the highest calibre, having run two of the largest operational departments in Government, and confirmed her track record makes her the right candidate for the role.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish his Department's guidance on Mutually Agreed Exits.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Guidance on the use of Mutually Agreed Exits is available on the Civil Service Pensions website. This is applicable to all employers who use the Civil Service Compensation Scheme.

This document, and others, are included in the CSCS Employers page on the Civil Service Pensions Scheme website here https://www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/employerhub/employer-responsibilities/member-support/civil-service-compensation-scheme-cscs/

The Annex 6F document is published on the CSPS website here https://www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/annex-6f

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to answer written question 115846, submitted on 24 February 2026.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

A response has been issued here.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2025, to Question 22450, on Cabinet Office: Senior Civil Servants, what is the maximum amount of time that a Senior Civil Servant can remain in post on a temporary promotion.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Normally covering a role at a higher grade should not exceed 6 months and be reviewed every 3 months, exceptions would be in line with “lifecycle events” for example maternity leave cover.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce backlogs in the Civil Service Pension Scheme administered by Capita.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,747 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.

To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.

The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what was the median salary for civil servants graded at Senior Executive Officer, or equivalent, in England in each year since 1996–97 in (1) cash terms, and (2) real terms adjusted for inflation; and what was the percentage salary increase in each of those terms between 1996–97 and 2025–26.

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

Decisions on pay below Senior Civil Service are delegated to Departments.

Information on median salary of civil servants at SEO grade in England is available only for each year from 31 March 2007 to 31 March 2025. Please see table below:

Notes:

-Source: Civil Service Statistics

-Figures are based on Civil Service salaries as at 31st March in each year.

-Median salaries have been rounded to the nearest £100.

-The ONS CPIH index for March in each year has been used to calculate real terms inflation adjusted median salaries.

-Historically not all departments have had distinct SEO and HEO grades, and so may have reported under a combined SEO/HEO grade in previous years, and this may change across years, therefore caution should be used in interpreting time series at SEO only level as they may not be consistent.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 16 December 2025 (HL12742), whether the Cabinet Office holds information on the current cash equivalent transfer value of the pension scheme established under the Pensions Increase (Pension Scheme for Keir Starmer QC) Regulations 2013.

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

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 His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister without Portfolio on 2 December 2025 (HC94697), whether the appointment of the current Director General of the Propriety, Ethics and Constitution Group was a level move or temporary promotion; and whether a Minister approved the appointment without open and fair competition.

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

The appointment of the current DG Propriety, Ethics and Constitution Group is a temporary promotion. Interim arrangements do not usually require ministerial approval. A recruitment campaign will be launched in due course.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans he has to make (a) primary legislative, (b) secondary legislative, (c) statutory guidance or (d) non-statutory guidance changes to activity under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

I refer the Hon Member to my previous answer (UIN122783).

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance he has given to Departments on whether (a) prior performance and (b) end-of-year appraisal are a material consideration in the Civil Service promotion process.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Departments and agencies have authority to determine promotion and lateral transfer arrangements for their own staff, in addition to the personal review arrangements for their own staff outside the Senior Civil Service.

A condition of this authority is that promotion within the Civil Service must follow a decision as to the fitness of individuals, on merit, to undertake the duties concerned.

The Civil Service uses the Success Profiles framework to attract and retain talent. This framework covers the expected levels for different grades, helping people understand suitability requirements for promotion or level transfer.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 24 March (HL15443), what steps the Cabinet Office has taken in the last year to meet its legal duty to keep under review the question of when uncommenced legislation that falls within its area of responsibility should be brought into force.

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

The Cabinet Office conducts regular reviews to prioritise the commencement of legislation as soon as is reasonably practicable to do so, and taking into account departmental objectives.

The Cabinet Office has made two Commencement Orders in the past year to bring legislation within its remit into force as appropriate.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to monitor contractual performance for the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Capita prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. The same position was reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March.

Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,979 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.

To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.

The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to help resolve issues with civil service pension scheme processing at Capita.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,747 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.

Capita prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. The same position was reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March.

To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.

The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to ensure retired civil servants receive pensions via Capita.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Capita prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. The same position was reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March.

Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,979 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.

To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.

The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions he has had with Capita on its performance in delivering civil servant pensions.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Capita prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. The same position was reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March.

Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,979 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.

To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.

The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to expedite the payment of the Civil Service pensions, in the context of the current case backlog.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Capita prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. The same position was reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March.

Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,979 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.

To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.

The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of Capita’s performance in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme since 1 December 2025; what the number of outstanding cases is; what the average waiting time is for (a) first pension payments, (b) retirement lump sums and (c) retirement quotations; whether financial penalties have been applied to Capita for missed service levels; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that members experiencing financial hardship due to delayed payments receive timely interim support and payments in full.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Capita prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. The same position was reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March.

Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,979 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.

To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.

The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the relationship between a Prime Minister's length of tenure and their right to nominate honours upon retirement or resignation.

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

By long-standing convention, all Prime Ministers, regardless of length of tenure, are entitled to nominate individuals for honours as part of both dissolution and resignation honours lists.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure members of the Civil Service Pension Scheme in North Shropshire constituency are able to access their pensions.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Capita prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. The same position was reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March.

Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,979 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.

To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.

The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to respond to Question 106942 tabled by the hon. Member for Widnes and Halewood on 20 January 2026.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

A response has been issued.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to respond to Question 106942 from the Hon. Member for Widnes and Halewood.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

A response has been issued.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the statement issued by CAPITA on 28th January 2026, if will he outline the measures included in the urgent recovery plan that is being conducted by HMRC.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

Angela MacDonald, Deputy Chief Executive at HMRC, is working with the Cabinet Office and Capita to lead and support delivery of a full recovery plan.This includes commitments, with milestones, to immediately deal with priority cases, restore service levels and improve communication with affected members.The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Capita prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. The same position was reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March.

Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,979 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.

To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.

The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 23 January 2026, to Question 106624, on Civil Servants: Workplace Pensions, what steps he is taking to help tackle the (a) delays in payment and (b) backlogs in the Civil Service Pension Scheme for pensioners; and what role is HMRC taking to support the Cabinet Office in taking these steps.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

Angela MacDonald, Deputy Chief Executive at HMRC, is working with the Cabinet Office and Capita to lead and support delivery of a full recovery plan. This includes commitments, with milestones, to immediately deal with priority cases, restore service levels and improve communication with affected members.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Capita prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. The same position was reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March.

Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,979 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.

To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.

The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what is the current waiting time for information on pension lump sums requested by members of the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,747 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.

Capita prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. The same position was reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March.

To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.

The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants in their Department were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office is committed to the highest standards of integrity. Allegations of breaches of the Civil Service Code are investigated thoroughly in line with our departmental disciplinary procedures.

The Department’s systems are not configured to aggregate this data in the specific format requested. Extracting this information would require an extensive manual auditing exercise of personnel records, which cannot be completed within the required timeframe.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2026 to Question 121770 on Government Departments: Facilities Agreements, whether Departments will be required to continue to collate internal figures on the cost of facility time.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Government Departments are recommended to continue to collate their facility time data. However, publication is no longer centrally mandated or collated, and there is no statutory requirement for Government Departments to collect or publish this data.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 44475 on Cabinet Office: Civil Servants, whether such groups are represented by any civil service diversity network.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

There is no specific Civil Service network for asexual or aromantic people. The Civil Service has an LGBT+ network. The network is inclusive of people who identify as other sexual orientations or gender identities.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the performance of Capita as administrator of the Civil Service Pension Scheme; what the current size of the casework and payments backlog is; what steps are being taken to address reported delays, errors and problems with the online pension portal; and how Capita is being held to account to ensure pension payments are made accurately and on time.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,979 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.

To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.

The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what is his policy on (a) full-time staff working a four-day week on full-pay and (b) full-time staff working compressed hours on a four-day week.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

1. A four-day work week on full pay is not a civil service policy or something that is being considered.

2. The Civil Service is committed to flexible working, recognising the benefits it brings to delivering its priorities. While departments are responsible for determining specific terms and conditions, full-time Civil Service employees typically work 42 gross hours (37 net hours) across a five-day week. Some departments offer flexible working policies such as compressed hours, which allow the same number of hours to be worked over a shorter period with no impact on pay. There are no flexible working options that would permit reduced or part-time hours while maintaining full-time pay.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Cabinet Secretary's objectives 2026-27, published on 7 April 2026, what is the timetable for the publication of the strategic workforce plan.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Civil Service is committed to publishing a Civil Service Strategic Workforce Plan this year, following departments having finalised their own workforce plans, as per the financial settlements that were agreed with HMT in the Spending Review, and the priorities set by Ministers, including those set out in the Autumn Budget.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance the Civil Service People Group has given to Departments on whether civil servants can claim expenses for travelling to work.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Civil Service Management Code (chapter 8) specifies the regulations for the reimbursement of expenses and details the conditions under which such expenses can be made. Departments must not reimburse the costs of home to office travel, unless explicitly permitted elsewhere within the Code.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether Capita were aware of the extent of the backlog of civil service pension payments when they bid for, and were awarded, the pensions management contract.

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

The procurement process for the Civil Service Pensions Scheme began in 2022, with the award of the contract for administration of the service in March 2023, under the previous government. As part of the procurement process, data was shared with all bidders that outlined the current performance and any work in progress. It should be noted that the transition process was for 2 years after the contract award.

While the initial procurement data suggested a work-in-progress level of approximately 37,300 cases, subsequent instructions from the Cabinet Office in mid-2025 advised the provider to prepare for volumes of up to 100,000. In evidence provided to the Public Accounts Committee, Capita outlined that the full complexity and age of the inherited backlog, which included 89,000 cases at the point of transfer, only became fully transparent to the administrator upon the transfer of services on 1 December 2025.

A joint recovery plan between the Cabinet Office and the administrator is currently in place, supported by surge capacity from HMRC. Further information can be found here:

https://committees.parliament.uk/event/26804/formal-meeting-oral-evidence-session/

And details of the recovery plan can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assurances they have received, if any, from Palantir that the US government's designation of Anthropic as a supply chain risk will not affect the delivery of their contracts with the UK Government.

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

The Government utilises a range of suppliers based on operational requirements, value for money, and compliance with our security and legal obligations, with all suppliers subject to rigorous due diligence.

It is the responsibility of each contracting authority to ensure that contracts that they award are suitable for their requirements and legally compliant, and to monitor and manage the supplier's performance against their contractual obligations. All contracting authorities are simultaneously encouraged to follow the Government Security Group’s guidance on Tackling Security Risk in Government Supply Chains, which details best practices for procurement, commercial, and security practitioners when selecting and onboarding suppliers.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the (1) longest, and (2) average amount of, time taken by the Investment Security Unit to accept notifications of transactions over the periods of (a) 31 December 2025-31 March 2026, and (b) 31 March 2025-31 March 2026.

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

The Government publishes information on the operation of the National Security and Investment Act in the NSIA Annual Report. The most recent report, covering the 2024/25 reporting period, can be found on GOV.UK. In this period, the median time from receipt of a notification to a decision to accept that notification was:

• 7 working days for mandatory notifications;

• 8 working days for voluntary notifications; and

• 6 working days for retrospective validation applications.

Data on the time taken to accept notifications received between 1st April 2025 and 31st March 2026 will be published in the next Annual Report later this year.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department holds data relating to (a) average hold time when calling Capita customer services regarding Civil Service Pensions and (b) number of callers who end their calls while waiting on hold.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Capita prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. The same position was reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March.

The Cabinet Office monitors the performance of the Civil Service Pension Scheme administrator, Capita, through regular service level reporting. This includes metrics relating to contact centre performance, such as average call wait times and call abandonment rates.

In the week commencing 20 March 2026, the average wait time was 2 minutes and 3 seconds, with 70% of calls answered in less than 30 seconds. Improvements are still to be made to ensure calls are answered as per the agreed contractual rate.

Senior representatives from Capita appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on 26 March 2026 to provide evidence on the administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme. During this session, Capita committed to providing the Committee with specific data on recent call-handling performance and member experience.

Regarding the volume of calls disconnected after a conversation has commenced, referred to during the PAC hearing as 'calls dropped partway through', Capita has committed to providing this specific data to the Committee in writing.

Progress on the recovery plan and the latest available performance updates are also published regularly on:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 24 February (HL14387), whether the central performance management framework for the Senior Civil Service has been, or will be, changed in order to deliver the plans set out by the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister in his speech on 20 January.

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

We are in the process of updating the Senior Civil Service (SCS) Performance Management Framework aimed at ensuring performance across the SCS is focused on the Prime Minister’s priorities and that underperformance is held to tougher standards and addressed as soon as it arises.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has issued guidance on whether accountable grant agreements should be (a) published and (b) subject to (i) tendering and (ii) open competition.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office has published guidance on GOV.UK covering the administration of general grants and the requirement to award funding via a competitive process.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which preparedness plans have been scrutinised by the UK Resilience Academy since April 2025.

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

The UK Government is committed to enhancing the provision of independent advice and external challenge to UK preparedness plans. The Government has therefore committed to convene a number of independent panels to scrutinise UK whole-system risks. This was announced in the Resilience Action Plan and forms the Government’s response to the COVID-19 Module 1, Recommendation 10.

The Cabinet Office has now developed an independent assurance programme, covering the most significant risks in the classified National Security Risk Assessment (NSRA). This draws on independent experts from across sectors outside government to ensure impartial, credible assurance, and offer recommendations on improvements that can be made.

In December 2025, the Cabinet Office, working with the UK Resilience Academy, delivered a pilot to help us further refine and strengthen our independent assurance processes ahead of launching the full programme. Lessons learnt from this will inform planning for future whole-system risks, as set out in the internal NSRA.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Cabinet Office news story published on 26 March 2026, Modernising public procurement: backing British businesses and building a fairer economy, if he will publish his new definition of social value.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

On 26 March, the government announced plans for a new definition of social value that will strengthen the importance of community impact, putting it at the heart of future buying decisions. The Cabinet Office is developing this definition with input from businesses, trade unions, community groups and civil society organisations. We plan to publish this new definition shortly.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 115553 on APCO Worldwide and Labour Together, what was the specific allegation and breach of the Ministerial Code that the Independent Adviser was asked by the Prime Minister to consider.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the response to the Urgent Question on 23 February, Labour Together and APCO Worldwide: Cabinet Office Review (Official Report, Column 27), and also to the Terms of Reference for the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards on gov.uk.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what consideration he has given to the potential merits of introducing a national framework with clear criteria for intervention in major cyber incidents to strengthen economic resilience.

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

Cyber attacks are increasing in scale and impact; they are slowing the UK’s economic growth and damaging our national security. The UK Government has an existing national process to manage the response to major cyber incidents: the national cyber incident categorisation system is published on NCSC.GOV.UK.

The Government, alongside the National Cyber Security Centre, engages with regulators and critical national infrastructure operators to ensure resilience and preparedness to cyber threats, working to better understand and manage cyber risk, and minimise the impact of cyber incidents when they occur.

The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will also support this, by boosting UK cyber defences and improving the cyber security of our essential public and digital services.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what cross-government contingency planning is in place for major cyber incidents affecting critical supply chains.

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

Cyber attacks are increasing in scale and impact; they are slowing the UK’s economic growth and damaging our national security. The UK Government has an existing national process to manage the response to major cyber incidents: the national cyber incident categorisation system is published on NCSC.GOV.UK.

The Government, alongside the National Cyber Security Centre, engages with regulators and critical national infrastructure operators to ensure resilience and preparedness to cyber threats, working to better understand and manage cyber risk, and minimise the impact of cyber incidents when they occur.

The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will also support this, by boosting UK cyber defences and improving the cyber security of our essential public and digital services.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's news story entitled Modernising public procurement: backing British businesses and building a fairer economy, published 26 March 2026, if he will publish the hyperlinks to the procurement guidance on the (a) new Public Interest Test and (b) publishing insourcing strategies.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

This government is committed to making the biggest wave of insourcing in a generation a reality. To do so, we will introduce a new Public Interest Test, requiring all departments to assess whether a service can be delivered more effectively in-house before any outsourcing decision is made. All departments will be required to also publish insourcing strategies to ensure delivery of this policy is effective.

The Cabinet Office plans to publish detailed guidance on the introduction of this public interest test in the Summer. Guidance on the public interest test and insourcing strategies will be available on gov.uk.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 2 July 2025, to Question 63328, on Intelligence and Security Committee: Press Releases, whether the Cabinet Office has now provided (a) additional and (b) independent resource, to the Intelligence and Security Committee and its secretariat; and what the status is of the updating of the Memorandum of Understanding.

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

Cabinet Office officials engage routinely and constructively with the Committee and will continue to do so. The Cabinet Office has agreed to the Committee’s requested uplift on budgeting and resourcing, which should help it to continue to undertake its critical role effectively. Cabinet Office officials are also working with the ISC to identify the best operating model for the future.

The Prime Minister values the independent and robust oversight which the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) provides. Following discussions with the Committee, the Cabinet Office is conducting a review of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Prime Minister and the Committee. Any changes made to the MOU would need to be agreed by both the Prime Minister and the ISC.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the cost to the public purse was of advertising the digital ID consultation on a) Spotify, b) Apple Podcasts and c) Audible.

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

Podcasts are not bought at partner level, so we’re not able to provide this information. I refer the Hon Member to PQ126891 for details on costs.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the current budget is for (a) media advertising, (b) marketing and (c) communications on the new Digital ID; which creative agencies have been selected to undertake the work; and what types of media have been commissioned.

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

There is currently no marketing activity around the digital ID itself. All marketing is focused on public participation in the consultation which closes 5 May.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 2 April 2025 to Question 41289 on Arms Length Bodies: Parliamentary Scrutiny, what guidance has been given to non-ministerial departments on how they should provide information to departments to facilitate the answering of written parliamentary questions through their sponsor Minister.

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

The Cabinet Office has not issued guidance to non-ministerial departments on how they should provide information to departments to facilitate the answering of written parliamentary questions by their sponsor Minister.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 25 March 2026, to Question 116506, on 9 Downing Street: Repairs and Maintenance, for what reason the OCS invoice paid by the Government Property Agency in 12 November 2025 does not appear in the published Cabinet Office Core spending data for November 2025.

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

The OCS invoice paid by the Government Property Agency dated 6th November 2025 and paid on 12th November 2025 does appear in the November 2025 Cabinet Office spend data as published on https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-spend-data.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 30 March to Question 123135 on Foreign Investment in UK: West Midlands, if he will set out inward investment into the West Midlands for each of the last 10 years.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

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

A response to the Rt. Hon. Gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 10th April is attached.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to Question 108150 answered on 29 January 2026, what progress the cross-departmental team has made on reducing Capita's backlog of Civil Service Pension Scheme Payments.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office is responsible for the management of the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Capita prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. The same position was reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March.

Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,747 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.

To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.

The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the letter included in the Answer of 23 March 2026 to Question 119327 on Census: Gender, what is the timetable for the development of the new harmonised standards by the Government Statistical Service; and whether the standards will relate to (a) sex, (b) sexual orientation, (c) gender reassignment and (d) gender identity.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

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

A response to the Hon. Gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 10th April is attached.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing compensation payments to those impacted by delays to the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Capita prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. The same position was reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March.

Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,747 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.

To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.

Interest will be paid on delayed benefits to avoid financial loss by members. In addition, the existing statutory complaints process evaluates claims for financial losses, as well as distress and inconvenience caused, on a case-by-case basis to determine whether compensation is due. This ensures that any retiree who provides evidence of extra costs, such as bank penalties or interest charges caused by the delay, is fairly assessed. This process is run in accordance with the standards set by the Pensions Ombudsman.

The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether they will require their department and agencies to offer payroll deductions to all employees to enable them to join a credit union.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office and its agencies do not offer payroll deductions to staff in order to join a credit union.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government will require No 10 to offer payroll deductions to all its employees to enable them to join a credit union.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office and its agencies do not offer payroll deductions to staff in order to join a credit union.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress he has made in updating the Government War Book.

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

The UK has well-developed contingency plans to respond to a wide range of eventualities. The plans and supporting arrangements have been developed, refined and tested over many years. They are risk-based, built on the principle of generic capabilities able to respond to a wide range of events, augmented by specific, niche capabilities, where needed and warranted by the risk.

Developing plans for civilian assistance to the military in a time of conflict is a key component of the Cabinet Office’s Home Defence Programme (HDP). It is an ongoing programme of work which provides defence, security and resilience planning, focused on aligning military and civil effort in the event of a period of crisis and international hostilities affecting the UK. This work is informed by and reflects the recommendations from government strategies, including the Strategic Defence Review, National Security Strategy and Resilience Action Plan.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that adequate levels of customer service are maintained by MyCSP during the transfer of the Civil Service Pension Scheme administration to Capita.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Capita prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. The same position was reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March.

Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,747 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.

To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.

The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to extend Universal Basic Services across government.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Universal Basic Services is not a government policy and is not being explored by the Cabinet Office.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the causes and scale of delays in the administration of Civil Service pensions following the transfer of the contract to Capita on 1 December 2025.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Capita prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. The same position was reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March.

Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,747 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.

To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.

The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what performance metrics are specified in the contract with Capita to administer the civil service pensions scheme; and whether any service credits or penalties have been applied because of service failures.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Capita prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. The same position was reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March.

Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,747 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.

To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.

The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what resources Capita has committed to reducing the Civil Service pension processing backlog, including staffing levels and system capacity.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Capita prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. The same position was reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March.

Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,747 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.

To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.

The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what has been the total public cost to date of the Covid-19 Inquiry.

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

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry publishes a quarterly financial report of its costs. The latest publication for Q3 2025/26 shows that the total cost from when the Inquiry was established on 28 June 2022 to 31 December 2025 was £204m.

Since the financial year 2023/24, the Government has published data on costs incurred by key government departments in responding to the Inquiry. These costs to 30 September 2025 total £111m and are in addition to the Inquiry’s own costs above. A further update to the data will be published in due course.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what information his Department holds on the number of claimants to the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme who have less than 12 months to live; and whether they are being prioritised.

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

IBCA are prioritising claims for those who are sadly nearing the end of their lives, followed by older age groups, as recommended by the Infected Blood Inquiry.

Based on community feedback, the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) is prioritising claims for people who have been told by a medical professional that they may have 12 months or less to live. This is regardless of whether they are infected, affected, a beneficiary of an estate of a deceased infected person, or registered with an Infected Blood Support Scheme. IBCA collects information regarding this via their registration service, allowing them to prioritise claims appropriately.

The delivery of compensation is a matter for the IBCA as an operationally independent body. IBCA publishes regular updates on its website of the progress made in delivering compensation, including how many individuals have received compensation payments across all groups. The latest update can be found here: https://ibca.org.uk/statistics/registration-and-compensation-progress-update-9-April-2026.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the (a) capacity of and (b) progress within the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme.

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

As of 9 April, the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) has paid over £2 billion in compensation. As of 1 October 2025, IBCA had asked every living infected person who is registered with a support scheme to come forward and start their claim. IBCA has now opened the service for the first claims from infected people who were never compensated, deceased infected people, and living affected people. This met the Government’s targets for compensation delivery in 2025.

With each new cohort, IBCA are starting small, allowing them to learn what additions to the claim service are needed. This will allow them to open their service to more people as the service is built around specific needs. Whilst the roll out of the scheme is an operational decision for IBCA as an independent body, the Government fully supports its commitment to moving forward as swiftly as possible.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 115555 on Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards, if he will make it his policy to review the terms of reference of the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards to allow a review the conduct of a former Minister, including to determine whether there was a serious breach of the Ministerial Code that would trigger the forfeiture of a Ministerial severance payment.

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

The terms of reference for the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards are set out in the Ministerial Code and are a matter for the Prime Minister.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to 18 March 2026, to Question 118534, on Morgan McSweeney, whether (a) Paul Ovenden, (b) Matthew Doyle and (c) Morgan McSweeney were subject to an offboarding procedure in relation official government information held on non-corporate devices; and whether significant information for the public record was transferred to an appropriate official system.

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

There is an established system for Special Advisers in place for the management of official government information held on non-corporate devices during the departure process. The policy covering non-corporate communication channels is published on gov.uk.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent discussions he has had with the Department of Health and Social Care on the governance and accountability of the NHS Business Services Authority.

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

Cabinet Office Ministers have not met with DHSC to discuss the governance and accountability of the NHS Business Services Authority.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether civil servants relocated to Canary Wharf count as having moved out of central London for statistical purposes.

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

Civil servants who have been moved to Canary Wharf do count as having been moved out of Central London. Utilising estate capacity in Outer London reduces pressure on Whitehall estate and ensures that we have accessible working spaces across the capital. However, only roles which move out of London entirely are counted as role relocations under the Places for Growth programme.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what timetable the Cabinet Office has set for considering departmental submissions on arm’s length body reform and accountability following Statement UIN HCWS1467 of 26 March 2026.

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

The ALB review is ongoing and results will be communicated in due course.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the evidence given by Paymaster General at the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee session on 28 January 2026, what the estimated cost is of his Department providing (a) loans and (b) compensation to individuals impacted by delays to the civil service pension scheme.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,747 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time. It should be noted that these are loans and expected to be recovered and are provided by the employer and not the Cabinet Office, therefore no estimate is available.

As of 24 March 2026, government employers have reported that 869 of these Transition Support Loans have been distributed, to a total value of £4.58 Million.

Interest will be paid on delayed benefits to avoid financial loss by members. In addition, the existing statutory complaints process evaluates claims for financial losses, as well as distress and inconvenience caused, on a case-by-case basis to determine whether compensation is due. This ensures that any retiree who provides evidence of extra costs, such as bank penalties or interest charges caused by the delay, is fairly assessed. This process is run in accordance with the standards set by the Pensions Ombudsman and no estimate is available.

The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department is taking steps towards a compensation scheme for delays to first pension payments and lump sums caused by the transition between MyCSP to Capita of the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Capita prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. The same position was reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March.

Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,747 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.

To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.

Interest will be paid on delayed benefits to avoid financial loss by members. In addition, the existing statutory complaints process evaluates claims for financial losses, as well as distress and inconvenience caused, on a case-by-case basis to determine whether compensation is due. This ensures that any retiree who provides evidence of extra costs, such as bank penalties or interest charges caused by the delay, is fairly assessed. This process is run in accordance with the standards set by the Pensions Ombudsman.

The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance his Department has issued on the use of merit order when using a reserve list for the appointment of a (a) Cabinet Secretary and (b) Permanent Secretary.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles set out rules on reserve list appointments (here, page 5). This applies to all appointments, and there is no separate guidance for appointment of a Cabinet Secretary or Permanent Secretaries.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2026 to Question 120317 on Cabinet Office: Freedom of Information and with reference to the Cabinet Office guidance on Non-corporate communication channels for government business of March 2023, paragraph 27, whether government information that has not been transferred back to the official record following off-boarding, remains subject to and in the scope of the Freedom of Information regime after staff members have left Crown Service.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Freedom of Information requests are considered on a case-by-case basis. Reasonable searches are made to identify information within the scope of each request and to ensure compliance with the legislation.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of UK GDPR data protection principles on his Department's disclosure of Lord Mandelson's personal information under the humble Address.

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

I refer you to the Oral Statement on the 23rd February, in the name of the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, and the Government's response to the Urgent Question tabled on 16th March, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The Government is working to ensure that Parliament’s instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.

All relevant material is being prepared for publication, including the appropriate checks relating to national security, international relations, legal privilege and the protection of personal data.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2026, to Question 111932, on Lord Mandelson, what assessment has been made of why the letter from Lord Glasman to the Prime Minister's Office on the probity of Lord Mandelson was not copied across to the official record.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 9 February 2026, Official Report, PQ 111932.

Found: history and status as a member of the House of Lords) – either by anyone in the FCDO or by No 10/Cabinet Office

Found: The Cabinet Office has not done enough to take forward its review of public bodies.

Found: The creation of the National Situation Centre within the Cabinet Office drew upon lessons from the Covid

Found: Expectations are not explicit nor 1 Cabinet Office (2025) UK Government Resilience Action Plan, p.17

Found: defined, individuals and organisations may be less confident to act beyond formal mandates (Cabinet Office

Found: Other communities are less able to respond, struggle with everyday life, and therefore 3 Cabinet Office

Found: Designating clear ministerial accountability for national resilience delivery, with a dedicated Cabinet Office

Found: The second role I have is that I am the Cabinet Office permanent secretary and the chief operating officer

Found: and Cooperation Agreement, including at its meeting of 4 October 2023.52 50 Q278 51 Q278 52 Cabinet Office

Found: involves pre- appointment scrutiny from a House of Commons Select Committee, as set out in the Cabinet Office

Found: of taxpayers’ money, and therefore they have to assure themselves through the Treasury, the Cabinet Office

Found: of taxpayers’ money, and therefore they have to assure themselves through the Treasury, the Cabinet Office

Found: Chancellor and relevant Secretary of State, advised by a panel including HM Treasury, NISTA and Cabinet Office

Found: all its regular mandatory workforce transparency requirements and data returns set out by the Cabinet Office

Found: The first operates through regulatory competition, with 1 Cabinet Office, UK-EU Summit: Common Understanding

Found: However, the decision- making authority would lie with “an independent arbitration panel” (Cabinet Office

Found: Are you aware of any work the Cabinet Office has been doing around this?

Found: CABINET OFFICE Catherine Little CB Civil Service Chief Operating Officer and Cabinet

Found: zig-zag careers, please note that national security vetting is an HMG-wide process owned by the Cabinet Office

Found: I understand that the Cabinet Office is also looking at this at the moment.

Found: In some ways, I think whether you follow a lead Department model, or whether it is a central Cabinet Office

Found: frameworks agreement to take account of that, but I am sure that all of that been observed by the Cabinet Office

Found: Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent, Baroness in Waiting (Government Whip) and Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office

Found: Who in the Cabinet Office? Do you know? Sir Oliver Robbins: I don’t know for sure.

Found: Who in the Cabinet Office? Do you know? Sir Oliver Robbins: I don’t know for sure.

Found: Secretary of the Foreign Office in The Hague and Permanent Secretary of the Prime Minister’s and Cabinet Office

Found: R7: HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office should develop cross-government guidance on establishing statutory

Found: Any government compensation schemes should be overseen by Cabinet Office led or independent commissions

Found: Letter from the Minister for the Cabinet Office to the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee relating

Found: appointments, not least because we are bound by the code on public appointments, which the Cabinet Office

Found: accountability, and comprise senior officials and ministers from all relevant departments—including the Cabinet Office

Found: We are working closely with the Cabinet Office and the Intelligence and Security Committee to ensure

Found: Within the Whitehall system, the move of EU management functions back to the Cabinet Office has been

Found: References + Annex A References [1] Cabinet Office (2025) UK-EU Summit - Common Understanding.

Found: Owner: Cabinet Office. Cadence: quarterly.

Found: Sovereign AI 35 Cabinet Office, ‘Find out how algorithmic tools are used in public organisations’, Gov.uk

Found: The Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms (COBR) architecture must be permanently staffed for complex emergencies

Found: NCSR) Available at: National Consortium for Societal Resilience [UK+] | AMBS | Alliance MBS Cabinet Office

Found: ministerial response was received in April 2025 from Abena Oppong- Asare MP, Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office

Found: Some witnesses suggested that the Cabinet Office may be a more appropriate location for the Overseas

Found: Amendment) Regulations 2026 Instruments not reported 6 Annex 6 Appendix 1: Memorandum from the Cabinet Office

Found: These include Cabinet Office, HM Treasury, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the

Found: This includes mandatory Modern Slavery Risk Assessments and ongoing risk review in line with Cabinet Office

Found: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 3.8.2 Whitehall and Cabinet Office

Found: The Rt Hon Nick Thomas-Symonds MP Minister for the Constitution and European Union Relations Cabinet Office

Found: Seema Malhotra MP Minister for Equalities Cabinet Office

Found: I asked him, speaking for the Cabinet Office, whether he thought it was acceptable.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the DHSC annual report and accounts 2024-25, HC1446, what the job titles were of the five civil servants who received exit payments over £200,000.

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

In the Department’s annual report and accounts for 2024/25, there were five civil servants who received exit payments over £200,000, all of whom were employees of the Department’s Executive Agency, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

During 2024/25 financial year, the UKHSA embarked on a restructure to streamline operations, optimise resources, enhance strategic decision-making capabilities, and respond to evolving priorities and demands within the health security landscape. The outcome being a more agile, lean, and effective organisation structured to fulfil its mission effectively.

The five roles were removed as part of the restructuring exercise, these included Directors General, Directors and Deputy Directors. More detailed role information, such as job titles, is information that could identify individuals and therefore is not routinely disclosed. All exit payments and approaches followed the Civil Service Compensation Scheme rules and were approved by the Department and Cabinet Office in line with standard approval processes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps they are taking to increase the amount of UK made steel used in procurement contracts overseen by their Department.

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

The Government Commercial Function (GCF), based in the Cabinet Office, published its strategy document for 2026 to 2029 on 7 April 2026, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/introducing-the-government-commercial-function-gcf-strategy-2026-29/introducing-the-government-commercial-function-gcf-strategy-2026-29-html#pillar-one---people-a-capable-inspired-workforce-whose-talent-is-nurtured

Driving economic growth is a key pillar of this strategy, in line with Government policy, capitalising on the industrial strategy targets to create jobs in the United Kingdom, and a key part of the strategy is market shaping and making use of the collective buying power of the Government to drive UK economic growth and resilience.

One of the first steps will be for the GCF to work with the commercial directors across the Government in four pilot sectors, namely shipbuilding, steel, artificial intelligence, and energy infrastructure, to identify key data requirements, and to pilot underpinning market shaping assessments for each. The Cabinet Office will be publishing a Procurement Policy Notice specifically on UK steel transparency later this year.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of replicating the Australian policy of permitting those non-nationals living in the United Kingdom the opportunity to apply for service in the military after one year of residency in the country.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The UK Armed Forces already accept applications from some nationalities if they are a dual national of a permitted nationality.

Eligible applicants must be either a British Citizen, British Overseas Citizen, British Overseas Territory Citizen, British National (Overseas) Citizen, British Protected Person, British Subject, Irish Citizen or a Citizen of a Commonwealth member country, which includes Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. This can be as a sole or dual national. The British Army also has the Brigade of Gurkhas who are from Nepal.

There is no UK residency requirement for those who are not British or Irish citizens to be eligible to apply to join the Royal Navy or the British Army, but the Royal Air Force normally require eligible candidates to have lived in the UK for between five and ten years prior to application. Members of the Armed Forces are subject to the National Security Vetting process owned by the Cabinet Office, and clearance levels depend on the rank, role and Service applied for. UK (Great Britain and Northern Ireland) residency and nationality are an integral part of that process, and each application is risk assessed. There are no current plans to change nationality or residency requirements.

Question

To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether House of Commons officials have used artificial intelligence to assist with drafting legislation in the past 12 months.

Answered by Nick Smith

Government bills are drafted by the Office of Parliamentary Counsel, which is part of the Cabinet Office, and secondary legislation is generally drafted by the relevant government department.

The House of Commons Public Bill Office (PBO) provides support to individual Members in the drafting of private Members’ bills and of amendments to bills. These are specialised tasks and a range of online resources, training and guidance is available to staff in the PBO. This includes access to Microsoft’s Copilot Chat tool, which is available to all parliamentary account holders. No record is kept of whether or when Copilot is used.

Where a draft Private Members Bill (PMB) or amendment is produced for a Member, the Member concerned ultimately takes responsibility for it by presenting or tabling it.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Defence Diplomacy Strategy, Keeping Britain Safe: secure at home and strong abroad, page 30, what are the complementary International Security Fund programmes.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

All of Defence's international security programmes are deliberately designed to be complementary, mutually supportive, and burden sharing, whether funded by the Ministry of Defence or cross-government funding, such as the Integrated Security Fund.

The Cabinet Office publishes the Integrated Security Fund's Annual Reports on the Government's website in which further details can be found.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that publicly funded electric bus procurement schemes support domestic manufacturing supply chains.

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

DBT works closely with DfT, the Cabinet Office and Crown Commercial Service to ensure publicly funded electric bus procurement supports UK manufacturing where possible, within procurement and trade rules. This includes through setting up the DfT UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel, the recent publication of a zero emission bus order pipeline and promoting stronger, more consistent use of social value to reflect UK jobs, skills and supply chain resilience.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential risk of interference by the US in UK elections.

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

The UK Government takes attempts by any country to intervene in democratic processes very seriously. It is, and always will be, an absolute priority to protect our democratic and electoral processes. The Government has renewed the mandate of the Defending Democracy Taskforce (DDTF), which brings together Government Ministers, representatives from law enforcement and the intelligence community, to coordinate work to protect our democratic institutions and processes from threats, including foreign interference.

In April 2023, DDTF created the Joint Election Security and Preparedness (JESP) Unit, which sits jointly between Cabinet Office and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, as a permanent function dedicated to protecting UK elections and referendums and coordinating work across government to respond to issues of protective security, cyber threats and mis and disinformation, including foreign interference.

In December 2025, the Secretary of State commissioned former permanent secretary Philip Rycroft to lead an independent review into foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics. The review was published on 25 March 2026 and can be found here.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the costs arising from his role as Deputy Prime Minister are being met from the department’s budget.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

As outlined on gov.uk, the Deputy Prime Minister acts on behalf of the department and also deputises for the Prime Minister. Engagements completed on the Prime Minister's behalf, including international visits, are generally paid for by the Cabinet Office.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to publish the advice they received from the Propriety, Ethics and Constitution team in the Cabinet Office before launching the Family Returns: Reforming Asylum Support and Enforcing Family Returns consultation on 5 March, in line with the Cabinet Office's 2018 Consultation Principles.

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

The Home Office did not receive any advice from the Propriety, Ethics and Constitution team in the Cabinet Office prior to launching the Family Returns: Reforming Asylum Support and Enforcing Family Returns consultation on 5 March. This team provides advice on the interpretation of the Consultation Principles, but not on how to run specific consultations.

The consultation was developed and launched in line with the Cabinet Office’s Consultation Principles, including ensuring clarity of scope, openness to a wide range of views and appropriate duration. The consultation document sets out clearly the proposals under consideration, the questions on which views are sought and how responses will be used.

As no such advice was received, there are no plans to publish it.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding was provided by her Department to the London Borough of Hillingdon for asylum support in 2024-25.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Cabinet Office publish annual grant funding data (Government Grants Data and Statistics) where you can find details of grant levels by local authority area broken down per year. The Home Office does not publish any additional information.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps the Government is taking to strengthen the United Kingdom’s defence capabilities and improve national readiness.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my noble Friend, the Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence (Lord Coaker), on 8 April 2026 to Question HL15983 in the House of Lords.

Defence plays an integral role in the Cabinet Office-led Home Defence Programme. This coordinates civil and military preparations across the whole of Government and society for some of the most serious risks we could face, including communicating, empowering and engaging with all tiers of resilience actors to ensure that all sectors are prepared for and able to respond to the most catastrophic of risks. Alongside this, defence is refreshing our own homeland defence plan as a priority for 2026

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what dates the An NHS Fit for the Future Mission Board met since it ceased to be a Cabinet committee in November 2025.

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

Mission Boards ceased to be Cabinet Office committees at the end of last year. Since then, my ministerial colleagues and I have continued to engage stakeholders through a variety of fora to take forward the 10-Year Health Plan, through which we are delivering our Health Mission. Oversight is maintained by the Departmental Board, chaired by My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, details of which can be found on the GOV.UK website.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, the average time taken for an SME to obtain security clearance to (a) bid for and (b) deliver a defence contract.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

In most instances, it is not necessary for a company or individual to hold security clearance prior to commencing the bidding process for a government contract.

Should access to sensitive information or assets be required either during the bidding phase or for the delivery of the contract, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) project team is responsible for initiating the vetting procedure. Security vetting is conducted by United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV), which operates under the Cabinet Office.

The duration of the security vetting process can differ on a case-by-case basis, due to the multiple checks conducted by various agencies. As a result, there is no standard timeframe applicable to all cases.

United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) continues to meet its agreed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) across each product type. UKSV KPIs are set and regularly reviewed in consultation with customer groups, governed by ministerial oversight, to ensure demand is balanced whilst maintaining assurance in national security safeguards. In line with the practice followed by successive administrations, the Government does not otherwise comment on security matters.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the accuracy of (a) benchmarking, (b) validation methods and (c) error rates of AI tools used in asylum casework.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

There are two AI tools in use in asylum casework currently; Asylum Case Summarisation (ACS) and Asylum Policy Search (APS).

Bench Marking & Validation - Both evaluations used a mixed-methods approach to collect primary data during and after the pilots. All participants in the test and comparison groups were asked to log information for each case undertaken. For the Asylum Case Summarisation pilot, the logging exercise captured data on 334 cases in the test group and 95 cases in the comparison group. For the Asylum Policy Search pilot, the logging exercise captured data on 270 cases in the test group and 214 cases in the comparison group.

The following published research note provides more detail on both pilots and the findings we documented - Evaluation of AI trials in the asylum decision making process - GOV.UK.

Error Rates - Technical specialists reviewed all summaries created by the Asylum Case Summarisation tool for accuracy prior to use in the pilot. A small proportion of summaries produced (9%) were deemed to be inaccurate or had missing information and were therefore removed from the pilot and these cases progressed in the business-as-usual way. Of the summaries that progressed in the pilot, 23% of users reported they were not fully confident in the summary information and would warrant further exploration in a full roll out. The Asylum Case Summarisation Tool has not yet been rolled out operationally.

The methodologies used in the evaluation of our Asylum AI tools were reviewed by and agreed with the Cabinet Office Evaluation Taskforce, and apply to both ACS and APS.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, further to the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) action plan: 2025 to 2028, published on 24 March 2026, whether his Department will be publishing an SME Action Plan.

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

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published its Small and Medium sized Enterprises Action Plan 2025 to 2028 on 24 March 2026, the same day as the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury published their cross government Small and Medium sized Enterprises Action Plan.

The Action Plan is publicly available on gov.uk here.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 13 March 2026, to Question 117886, on Election: Campaigns, whether sectarianism is being monitored by the Joint Election Security and Preparedness Unit.

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

The Joint Election Security and Preparedness Unit (JESP), led by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and the Cabinet Office is an enduring election security function, dedicated to coordinating a collective effort across Government to safeguard our elections against the range of threats we face.

Before an election takes place, an ‘Election Cell’ is set up by the Joint Election Security and Preparedness Unit (JESP). This brings together government departments, the police, the intelligence agencies, the Devolved Governments, and external partners to monitor and respond to any emerging issues across candidate, cyber and information security. MHCLG's Community Cohesion Unit is also a core part of JESP’s Election Cell; the Community Cohesion Unit works closely during election campaigns with local partners, including the police and local councils to monitor and address issues related to cohesion.

Harassment and intimidation of voters, electoral staff, candidates and campaigners, both online and in person, is totally unacceptable, whatever the driving cause, and has a profoundly detrimental impact on our democratic process.

Government is also working closely with the Electoral Commission to develop an updated Code of Conduct for campaigning to set clear expectations for behaviour during election campaigns. Ahead of the updated Code of Conduct, the Electoral Commission has recently published a set of principles for campaigning respectfully and safely, which are welcomed by this Government.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what proportion of Freedom of Information requests received by his Department were responded to (a) within the statutory 20 working day deadline, (b) between 21 and 40 working days, (c) between 41 and 60 working days, and (d) after 60 working days, in each of the last three calendar years.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Cabinet Office publishes official Freedom of Information (FOI) statistics for all monitored central government bodies, including the Department for Business and Trade, as part of its regular Government FOI Statistics series. These statistics are available on GOV.UK at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-foi-statistics.

FOI statistics for 2023 and 2024 are currently available online through this collection. The 2025 FOI statistics are scheduled to be published in April 2026.

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