Cabinet Office

We support the Prime Minister and ensure the effective running of government. We are also the corporate headquarters for government, in partnership with HM Treasury, and we take the lead in certain critical policy areas.



Secretary of State

 Portrait

Keir Starmer
Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury

 Portrait

Angela Rayner
Deputy Prime Minister

Shadow Ministers / Spokeperson
Liberal Democrat
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD - Life peer)
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Cabinet Office)
Sarah Olney (LD - Richmond Park)
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Cabinet Office)
Junior Shadow Ministers / Deputy Spokesperson
Conservative
Alex Burghart (Con - Brentwood and Ongar)
Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Mike Wood (Con - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Shadow Minister (Cabinet Office)
Baroness Finn (Con - Life peer)
Shadow Minister (Cabinet Office)
Ministers of State
Pat McFadden (Lab - Wolverhampton South East)
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Nick Thomas-Symonds (Lab - Torfaen)
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Ellie Reeves (Lab - Lewisham West and East Dulwich)
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
Douglas Alexander (LAB - Lothian East)
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State
Abena Oppong-Asare (Lab - Erith and Thamesmead)
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Georgia Gould (Lab - Queen's Park and Maida Vale)
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
There are no upcoming events identified
Debates
Thursday 22nd May 2025
Covid-19 Inquiry Response Costs
Written Statements
Select Committee Docs
None available
Select Committee Inquiry
None available
Written Answers
Friday 23rd May 2025
Humanitarian Aid: Medals
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of retroactively …
Secondary Legislation
Wednesday 21st May 2025
Bills
Thursday 13th February 2025
Church of Scotland (Lord High Commissioner) Act 2024-26
A bill to Make provision for persons of the Roman Catholic faith to be eligible to hold the office of …
Dept. Publications
Thursday 22nd May 2025
14:46

Cabinet Office Commons Appearances

Oral Answers to Questions is a regularly scheduled appearance where the Secretary of State and junior minister will answer at the Dispatch Box questions from backbench MPs

Other Commons Chamber appearances can be:
  • Urgent Questions where the Speaker has selected a question to which a Minister must reply that day
  • Adjornment Debates a 30 minute debate attended by a Minister that concludes the day in Parliament.
  • Oral Statements informing the Commons of a significant development, where backbench MP's can then question the Minister making the statement.

Westminster Hall debates are performed in response to backbench MPs or e-petitions asking for a Minister to address a detailed issue

Written Statements are made when a current event is not sufficiently significant to require an Oral Statement, but the House is required to be informed.

Most Recent Commons Appearances by Category
May. 07
Oral Questions
Feb. 11
Urgent Questions
May. 22
Written Statements
May. 22
Westminster Hall
View All Cabinet Office Commons Contibutions

Bills currently before Parliament

Cabinet Office does not have Bills currently before Parliament


Acts of Parliament created in the 2024 Parliament

Introduced: 13th February 2025

A bill to Make provision for persons of the Roman Catholic faith to be eligible to hold the office of His Majesty’s High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 3rd April 2025 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 30th July 2024

A Bill to extend the period within which vacancies among the Lords Spiritual are to be filled by bishops who are women.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 16th January 2025 and was enacted into law.

Cabinet Office - Secondary Legislation

View All Cabinet Office Secondary Legislation

Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Trending Petitions
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Petitions with most signatures
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37,307 Signatures
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6,491 Signatures
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Petition Debates Contributed
3,084,714
Petition Closed
20 May 2025
closed 3 days, 14 hours ago

I would like there to be another General Election.

I believe the current Labour Government have gone back on the promises they laid out in the lead up to the last election.

I believe joining the EU would boost the economy, increase global influence, improve collaboration and provide stability & freedom. I believe that Brexit hasn't brought any tangible benefit and there is no future prospect of any, that the UK has changed its mind and that this should be recognised.

127,964
c. 650 added daily
128,430
(Estimated)
12 Jun 2025
closes in 2 weeks, 5 days

We believe the government should change legislation to make it easier for trans people of all ages to change their legal gender without an official diagnosis of gender dysphoria.

View All Cabinet Office Petitions

50 most recent Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department

14th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the staff capacity is at the civil service hub building in Peterborough; and what the average staff occupancy is.

Quay House, in Peterborough, was opened in March 2023, bringing together approximately 1,200 civil servants from several government bodies to work in one shared building. Not all civil servants will be in the office at the same time. The building has a maximum safe occupancy of 1,082.

The Government publishes average occupancy data for all departmental HQs at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-hq-occupancy-data. The government does not publish data for any building that is not a departmental HQ.

Georgia Gould
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
15th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people (a) infected and (b) impacted by the infected blood scandal have (i) been invited to make a claim, (ii) been offered compensation and (iii) received compensation.

As of 6 May 2025, 677 infected people have been contacted to begin the claims process, with 432 of those starting their claim. 160 offers of compensation have been made, totalling over £150m, and 106 payments have been made, totalling £96,608,906.

Nick Thomas-Symonds
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
15th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of eligible people have received compensation from the Infected Blood Compensation Authority.

Due to the nature of the Infected Blood scandal there is uncertainty over the number of people, especially those affected, who might be eligible for compensation. The final number of eligible people will ultimately depend on the number of victims who come forward.

As of 6 May 2025, 677 people have been contacted to begin the claims process, with 432 of those starting their claim. 160 offers of compensation have been made, totalling over £150m, and 106 payments have been made, totalling £96,608,906.

Nick Thomas-Symonds
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
16th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department plans to review the eligibility criteria for the Humanitarian Medal to include service rendered before 19 June 2023.

The Humanitarian Medal was introduced in July 2023 to recognise those in public service and members of organisations that contribute on behalf of HM Government, which respond in support of human welfare during or in the aftermath of a crisis.

The Medal is not retrospective, and only incidents that occur from July 2023 are eligible as this is the date that His Majesty signed the Royal Warrant and the medal came into being under the previous government. However, operations which were live at that time but which commenced before the introduction of the Humanitarian Medal, may be eligible for the Humanitarian Medal with the clasp for that operation.

There are no plans to review the criteria to allow for retrospection.

Nick Thomas-Symonds
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
16th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of retroactively awarding the Humanitarian Medal to qualifying people who served before 19 June 2023.

The Humanitarian Medal was introduced in July 2023 to recognise those in public service and members of organisations that contribute on behalf of HM Government, which respond in support of human welfare during or in the aftermath of a crisis.

The Medal is not retrospective, and only incidents that occur from July 2023 are eligible as this is the date that His Majesty signed the Royal Warrant and the medal came into being under the previous government. However, operations which were live at that time but which commenced before the introduction of the Humanitarian Medal, may be eligible for the Humanitarian Medal with the clasp for that operation.

There are no plans to review the criteria to allow for retrospection.

Nick Thomas-Symonds
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
16th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many full-time equivalent UK Government civil servants main place of employment is (a) Queen Elizabeth House Edinburgh and (b) elsewhere in Scotland.

  1. The number of civil servants on a full-time equivalent basis reported as in post as at 31 March 2024 and based in Queen Elizabeth House is 2,760.

  1. The number of civil servants based in Scotland on a full-time equivalent basis as at 31 March 2024 is 51,830. This information is published annually as part of Civil Service Statistics 2025 and available through the Civil Service data browser at the following web address:

https://civil-service-statistics.jdac.service.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/

Georgia Gould
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
19th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department has taken to improve transparency in the decision making process for foreign acquisitions of UK firms under the National Security and Investment Act 2021.

Transparency is a crucial part of the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act 2021, whilst also balancing commercial and national security considerations.

Information related to publication of final orders is available on GOV.UK. The government also publishes annual reports to provide information about the transactions that it has been notified about and those it subsequently called in for a national security assessment.

Extensive guidance is available on GOV.UK to help those interested understand how they may be affected by the Act, including the NSI Section 3 Statement, which sets out how the government expects to exercise its call-in power under the NSI regime.

Decisions made under the Act may be subject to judicial review.

By providing businesses and investors with legally defined timelines and processes for decisions on acquisitions, the Act seeks to protect the UK’s national security whilst giving businesses the certainty they need to invest and help to grow the economy.

We keep the NSI Act under regular review to ensure it is working effectively.

Abena Oppong-Asare
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
19th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department plans to expand the methods by which UK companies can appeal decisions made by the Government under the powers of the National Security and Investment Act 2021.

Transparency is a crucial part of the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act 2021, whilst also balancing commercial and national security considerations.

Information related to publication of final orders is available on GOV.UK. The government also publishes annual reports to provide information about the transactions that it has been notified about and those it subsequently called in for a national security assessment.

Extensive guidance is available on GOV.UK to help those interested understand how they may be affected by the Act, including the NSI Section 3 Statement, which sets out how the government expects to exercise its call-in power under the NSI regime.

Decisions made under the Act may be subject to judicial review.

By providing businesses and investors with legally defined timelines and processes for decisions on acquisitions, the Act seeks to protect the UK’s national security whilst giving businesses the certainty they need to invest and help to grow the economy.

We keep the NSI Act under regular review to ensure it is working effectively.

Abena Oppong-Asare
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
19th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government has amended its risk assessment criteria for foreign-state linked acquisition companies under the National Security and Investment Act since 5 July 2024.

Transparency is a crucial part of the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act 2021, whilst also balancing commercial and national security considerations.

Information related to publication of final orders is available on GOV.UK. The government also publishes annual reports to provide information about the transactions that it has been notified about and those it subsequently called in for a national security assessment.

Extensive guidance is available on GOV.UK to help those interested understand how they may be affected by the Act, including the NSI Section 3 Statement, which sets out how the government expects to exercise its call-in power under the NSI regime.

Decisions made under the Act may be subject to judicial review.

By providing businesses and investors with legally defined timelines and processes for decisions on acquisitions, the Act seeks to protect the UK’s national security whilst giving businesses the certainty they need to invest and help to grow the economy.

We keep the NSI Act under regular review to ensure it is working effectively.

Abena Oppong-Asare
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
19th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has issued guidance to Ministers on whether they can undertake a personal holiday following an official visit to a foreign country.

The standards of conduct expected of ministers are set out in the Ministerial Code.

Abena Oppong-Asare
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
19th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many notifications under the National Security and Investment Act 2021 involving foreign acquirers have been (a) received and (b) cleared unconditionally in each month since the Act came into force.

The Government publishes an annual report with details of activities under the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act each financial year. This includes the number of notifications received by month, number of final notifications (acquisitions which are called in for detailed review and then cleared), and notifications received by origin of investment. Annual reports can be viewed on GOV.UK.

Abena Oppong-Asare
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
14th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has undertaken preparatory work on a potential youth mobility scheme with the EU.

We have agreed that we will work towards the establishment of a balanced youth experience scheme with the EU. We have agreed that any scheme will be time-limited and capped, and we have also been clear that it should be in line with the UK’s existing schemes with countries like Australia and New Zealand. The exact parameters will be subject to negotiation.

Nick Thomas-Symonds
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
19th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to paragraph 13 of the policy paper entitled UK-EU Summit: Common Understanding, published on 19 May 2025, what estimate he has made of the annual number of EU visitors there would be under a youth experience scheme; whether he plans to negotiate a cap; and whether the scheme would provide a full right to work in the UK.

We have agreed that we will work towards the establishment of a balanced youth experience scheme with the EU. We have agreed that any scheme will be time-limited and capped, and we have also been clear that it should be in line with the UK’s existing schemes with countries like Australia and New Zealand. The exact parameters will be subject to negotiation.

Nick Thomas-Symonds
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
19th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 10 October 2024 to Question 5278 on Cabinet Office: Departmental responsibilities, whether he plans any further changes.

Any such changes would be announced in the normal way.

Abena Oppong-Asare
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
19th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Prime Minister's oral contribution of 25 February 2025, Official Report, col. 631, (a) on what date the inquiry commenced, (b) on what date it concluded and (c) when its findings will be made public.

The investigation remains ongoing. I am unable to comment further on the progress or specifics of an ongoing investigation.

Abena Oppong-Asare
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
19th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Prime Minister has scheduled a meeting with the Intelligence and Security Committee.

The Prime Minister has written to the Intelligence and Security Committee inviting members to a meeting at 10 Downing Street. Cabinet Office officials are working with the Office of the Intelligence and Security Committee to arrange a suitable date.

Abena Oppong-Asare
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
16th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to increase the level of (a) staffing and (b) other support to the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament.

We are engaging constructively with the Intelligence and Security Committee and will continue to do so over the coming months.

Abena Oppong-Asare
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
6th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the Prime Minister plans to respond to the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament on its Iran Report, sent to him on 27 March 2025.

The government will respond to the ISC regarding publication of its report on Iran in due course.

Abena Oppong-Asare
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
12th May 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office) on 7 April (HC43082), whether they have changed the policy that Equality, Diversity and Inclusion guidance for the Civil Service should be publicly published.

The controls outlined in the Civil Service Equality Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Guidance, which was published on 14 May 2024, remain in place.

Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
12th May 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the full cost of employing a civil servant at (1) grade 6, (2) senior civil service pay band 1, and (3) senior civil service pay band 2, including salary, employer pension contributions, National Insurance, estates, and other overhead costs, in each year since 2016.

Mean and median salaries for civil servants are published for delegated grades as part of the Civil Service Statistics publication, and for SCS paybands as part of the Government Evidence to the Senior Salaries Review Body. Figures on estimated total costs are not routinely published.

Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
12th May 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what arm's-length bodies they have (1) shutdown or intend to shutdown, and (2) created or intend to create, since 4 July 2024.

Cabinet Office maintains records and oversight of formally established arm’s-length bodies (ALBs). No ALBs have been formally established since 4 July 2024. Individual departments are responsible for any proposals to open or close ALBs. The government has already closed or announced the closure of: Education and Skills Funding Agency, Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE), NHS England, Valuation Office Agency and the Office of Place.

On 6 April, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster announced a full review of all ALBs, with a view to close, merge or bring functions back into departments if its continued existence cannot be justified. This review aims to reduce duplication, drive efficiency, and ensure democratic accountability for policy decisions that affect the British public. It includes proposed new ALBs and the outcomes will be announced in due course.

Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
14th May 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to strengthen cybersecurity capabilities; and what plans they have to address emerging threats such as cyber espionage.

The Government is committed to using all of its levers to disrupt cyber threats and to keep the public safe. We do this by investing in our cyber capabilities, working with industry to improve resilience to cyber crime, and by engaging internationally to pursue and expose malicious cyber activity through sanctions and attributions.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), part of GCHQ, is our world leading capability and has helped create the Knowledge Base, an innovative tool to understand the relationships between and impact of any disruption to critical systems, regardless of the hazard involved. The National Cyber Force (NCF) conducts cyber operations to disrupt hostile state activities, terrorists and criminals threatening the UK’s national security, from countering terror plots to supporting military operations.

Through the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, this Government will bolster our national defences and critical infrastructure.

Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
13th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether any gender-neutral toilets have been removed from the Government estate since 4 July 2024.

A number of gender-neutral toilets have been repurposed into alternative toilet types within the Government Property Agency’s managed estate since 4 July 2024, in response to feedback from users of those buildings about the provision of single-sex and gender neutral toilets, and to ensure compliance with changes to Building Regulations.

Georgia Gould
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
16th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 10 April 2025 to Question HL6032 on Arms Length Bodies, for what reason the Answer refers to 26 proposed public bodies.

The Cabinet Office works closely with departments that are developing proposals for new arm's-length bodies (ALBs) and the list referenced in the answer on 10 April 2025 is the list of proposals which may end up going through the ALB approval process. Not all proposals will go forward or meet the requirements to successfully be established as an ALB.



Georgia Gould
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
14th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to reduce waste in government departments.

As part of the second phase of the spending review Departments have been set a stretching 5% productivity, efficiency and savings target. The Chief Secretary to the Treasury has also asked each department to carry out a line-by-line review of existing day-to-day budgets to identify where spending is no longer aligned with this government’s priorities or is poor value for money.

The Government has undertaken several specific measures to drive efficiency and reduce waste and bureaucracy across Whitehall, as part of the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change. The Cabinet Office has instructed departments to:

  • freeze Government Procurement Cards, with a tough new application process to cut the numbers in circulation;

  • justify every Arm’s Length Body, otherwise they are to be closed, merged, or delivered by departments to reduce duplication, drive efficiency, and ensure democratic accountability for policy decisions that affect the British public; and

  • Officials are required to hold training and team-building exercises and ‘away days’ in government buildings that are available for free, instead of hiring external venues. All departments have been asked to review their policies on procuring corporate-branded and non-essential merchandise, with a view to restricting future purchases.

Georgia Gould
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
14th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the records of the (a) Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals, (b) Royal Visits Committee and (c) Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures are reviewed for permanent preservation under section 3 of the Public Records Act 1958; and whether their transfer to the National Archives is governed by an Operational Selection Policy agreed with the Keeper of Public Records in each case.

The Cabinet Office's Records Selection policy, which has been agreed with The National Archives, has been published on the Cabinet Office website. (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/679108aeb1e4f5cbd3a34dfd/Cabinet_Office_Records_Selection_Policy.pdf)

This sets out the criteria for selecting Cabinet Office records for permanent preservation.

Nick Thomas-Symonds
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
7th May 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to remove the export procedures to which five categories of goods moving from Northern Ireland to Great Britain are subject under the Windsor Framework (UK Internal Market and Unfettered Access) Regulations 2024.

The Windsor Framework (UK Internal Market and Unfettered Access) Regulations 2024 further entrench the legislative protections for unfettered access, which remove the requirement for export procedures, except in extremely limited exceptions. Where these procedures apply, they are a result of specific processes, such as the movement of endangered species or international obligations binding on the UK.

Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
7th May 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government how many staff work in the No10 Implementation Unit; what is its current remit; and whether it has a role in “Plan for Change” and Mission Board monitoring.

There is no No10 Implementation unit.

Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
7th May 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government how many arm’s-length bodies are currently headquartered in (1) inner London, and (2) outer London; and what they are, disaggregated by sponsoring department and location.

Information at this level of detail is not held by the Cabinet Office. The ALB landscape analysis captures data on ALB locations by region, and can be found on gov.uk here. Sponsoring departments will be able to provide more precise location information for individual ALBs.

Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
22nd Apr 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the first 100 days of their administration has resulted in good governance; and whether they intend to undertake an evaluation of those 100 days.

Good governance has been and continues to be integral to our administration as we deliver our Plan for Change.

Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
6th May 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on the 9 April (HL6179), how many non-civil servants are employed by the Cabinet Office on zero-hours contracts as at 1 April.

Non-Civil Servants are not employed by the Cabinet Office. Where non-Civil Servants are required, they are engaged via routes other than employment contracts such as contracts for Contingent Labour via a third-party agency. While the Cabinet Office also makes a number of public appointments and direct ministerial appointments, the individuals appointed to such roles are public office holders and not employees.

Cabinet Office has 423 Contingent Labour workers on zero hour contracts as at 28 April 2025 via the contract Cabinet Office has with Alexander Mann Solutions Ltd.

The Cabinet Office uses zero hours contracts to selectively manage temporary demand. To end exploitative zero hours contracts, under the government’s plans to Make Work Pay legislation will be brought in to give workers on zero hours contracts and workers with a ‘low’ number of guaranteed hours, who regularly work more than these hours, the ability to move to guaranteed hours contracts which reflect the hours they regularly work over a 12-week reference period.

Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
29th Apr 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 17 March (HL5387), what the estimated cost was of answering that Question in full; whether an assessment of that cost was conducted in accordance with the guidance in the Guide to Parliamentary Work; and whether they will now place a copy of that assessment in the Library of the House.

Assessing what constitutes a project's original baseline would require making a case by case assessment for each of the 227 major projects in order to determine which baseline should be used as a reference point. Making this case by case assessment would have exceeded the current disproportionate cost threshold as set out in the Guide to Parliamentary Work. We have no plans to place a copy of this assessment in the Library of the House.

Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
7th May 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to the payments to the Boston Consulting Group of £548,339 (Ref: 1037198127) categorised under “CDDO Strategy, Analysis and System Reform” in Cabinet Office transparency data for February 2024, whether the then Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service had a role in approving the spending or underlying contractual arrangement.

The Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service is not involved with the process for the approval of payments to suppliers. The purchase to pay process is managed between the Cabinet Office Finance team and the respective Contract Manager.

At the time of this work, the Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service was a member of the Cabinet Office Investment Committee which was responsible for the approval of whole life investment spend for projects and programmes over £1m. In addition to this, all professional services spend over £100k required the approval from the Investment Committee and the Minister for Cabinet Office.

Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
16th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 8 May 2025 to Question 48553 on Prime Minister: Public Service, what the annual remuneration is for this appointment; and if he will publish the declaration of interests made by the appointee.

It would not be appropriate to comment on individuals. The level of remuneration and the management of relevant outside interests for this role have been agreed in line with relevant guidance and processes.

Abena Oppong-Asare
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
23rd Apr 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 26 March 2025 to Question 39118 on Prime Minister: Press Conferences, what his Department’s policy is on the use of political party (a) fittings and (b) furniture at official government events.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the Ministerial Code and Propriety and Ethics Guidance for Government Communicators, available on gov.uk.

Abena Oppong-Asare
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
23rd Apr 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the return on investment of GREAT campaign funding in each year since it was introduced.

Since 2011, the GREAT campaign has developed a robust approach to evaluation, which has been validated by multiple external organisations, and consistently reported strong returns to the UK economy. The methodologies used continue to be reviewed and refined to support regular reporting, ensuring the campaign consistently drives good impact and value for money for the taxpayer.

Ellie Reeves
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
13th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to increase the number of apprenticeship starts in his Department.

We remain committed to supporting the use of apprenticeships across all government departments to break down barriers to opportunity. This includes supporting the Government's commitment to 2,000 digital apprenticeships through its TechTrack scheme by 2030 to improve digital skills and drive improvements and efficiency in public services.

Within the Cabinet Office, we are looking at every opportunity to increase apprenticeships. For example, last week we announced that this summer we will launch a new cross-Government Level 3 apprenticeship programme in Business Administration. The ‘Civil Service Career Launch Apprenticeship’ (CLA) will see new apprentices kickstart their careers, across various departments, starting from January 2026. In its first year, the CLA will offer roles in three city locations: Birmingham, London, and Manchester. By expanding into Birmingham and Manchester, the Civil Service is strengthening its presence in these growth areas, while still providing opportunities in London to meet workforce needs and priorities.

Georgia Gould
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
13th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps to ensure that public contracts are not awarded to companies which blacklist workers.

The Government is committed to tackling misconduct in public procurement. All contracting authorities and suppliers are expected to act, and be seen to act, with integrity.

The Employment Relations Act 1999 (Blacklists) Regulations 2010 prohibit the compilation, usage, sale or supply of blacklists. Contracting authorities may exclude suppliers for blacklisting offences under the exclusion regime in the Procurement Act, which came into force in February 2025, for example, on the grounds of professional misconduct. Those suppliers may also be added to a central debarment list by the Cabinet Office. We will not hesitate to make use of those powers where there is evidence of wrongdoing.

Georgia Gould
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
16th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 6 May 2025 to Question 48180 on 10 Downing Street: Flags, for what reason a NATO flag was not flown on NATO Day 2025.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to my previous answer of 2 May 2025, Official Report, PQ 48180.

Abena Oppong-Asare
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
13th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will estimate the number of high street job vacancies filled over the last 12 months.

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

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 13th May is attached.

Georgia Gould
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
13th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the total turnover was of the UK's low carbon and renewable energy economy for each year since 2015.

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

A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Questions of 13th May is attached.

Georgia Gould
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
13th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many full-time equivalent jobs there were in the low carbon and renewable energy economy in each year since 2015.

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

A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Questions of 13th May is attached.

Georgia Gould
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
15th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether (a) Crown Representatives and (b) Health Crown Representatives are required to make declarations of political activity when they are appointed.

All Crown Representatives complete conflict of interest declarations on appointment and then every six months.

Georgia Gould
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
15th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of regulated public appointments are published on the Apply for a public appointment gov.uk page.

All regulated public appointments that are made through open competition are advertised on the public appointments Apply for a Public Appointment webpage on Gov.uk.

Georgia Gould
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
16th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many days each Minister in his Department has worked in (a) Departmental offices and (b) Government hubs outside London since 5 July 2024.

The Cabinet Office does not hold specific information regarding how many days Cabinet Office Ministers have worked in departmental offices and government hubs outside of London since 5 July 2024.

Abena Oppong-Asare
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
12th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 17 April 2025 to Question 43230 on Prime Minister: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution, whether his Department is (a) stopping future transactions being made on the Downing Street cards and (b) stopping the procurement of additional cards for Downing Street.

All areas of the Cabinet Office have significantly reduced the number of cards held and strict processes are in place for new applications.

Abena Oppong-Asare
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
12th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has conducted an impact assessment for the introduction of a youth mobility scheme with the European Union.

We have agreed that we will work towards the establishment of a balanced youth experience scheme with the EU. We have agreed that any scheme will be time-limited and capped, and we have also been clear that it should be in line with the UK’s existing schemes with countries like Australia and New Zealand. The exact parameters will be subject to negotiation

Nick Thomas-Symonds
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
12th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the 90-day visa-waiver stay limitation for EU countries will be subject to negotiation with the EU.

The UK and the EU allow for visa-free short-term travel in line with their respective arrangements for third country nationals. The UK allows EU citizens short-term visa-free travel for up to six months. Meanwhile, the EU allows for travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period; this is standard for third countries travelling visa-free to the EU. UK nationals planning to stay longer will need permission from the relevant Member State. This may require a visa and/or permit.The UK Government will continue to listen to and advocate for UK nationals.

Nick Thomas-Symonds
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
15th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on what dates the (a) Cabinet and (b) Cabinet committees have discussed the UK's negotiating position on fishing rights as part of preparations for the EU-UK summit on 19 May 2025; and whether any objections were raised to proposals for a multi-year fishing agreement with the EU.

As under previous governments, it is a long-established precedent that information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet and its committees are not shared publicly.

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