Cabinet Office

The Government is currently undertaking a review of UK national resilience which is expected to conclude in Spring 2025. It is being informed by the voices of local leaders, the devolved governments, businesses, voluntary and community sector representatives and academics. It is also considering the recommendations from public inquiries into Covid-19 and the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

We are also working closely with MHCLG who are developing Stronger Local Resilience Forum Trailblazers and taking forward the Devolution Bill which will help to strengthen local leadership, increase democratic accountability, and integrate resilience into place based policy decisions.

Working with international partners is a core strand of the UK’s efforts to strengthen our national resilience. My officials regularly discuss national resilience with their international counterparts - multilaterally within the auspices of NATO and our longstanding FiveEyes partnerships, and bilaterally with other key partners. In November, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster addressed the NATO Cyber Defence Conference - hosted in London - where he underlined the importance of continuing to work together as NATO Allies against the growing cyber threat to our collective resilience.

The Government set out clear priorities for the reset with the EU in the manifesto. There are no plans for a Youth Mobility Scheme.

The data from the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Expenditure Review will be published in due course.

I refer the noble Lady to the answer provided to Question HC25685 on 30 January 2025:

PQ25685: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2025, to Question 20957 on Government departments: communication and public consultation, if she will list the (a) Department, (b) theme and (c) estimated saving of each of the campaigns (i) that were cancelled, (ii) continuing with reduced budgets and (iii) aiming to reduce their expenditure by 25%.

Minister Gould’s answer: There are currently no plans to publish this list in detail. The comprehensive communications Spending Review identified 39 campaigns that were cancelled, 46 campaigns continuing with reduced budgets and 46 campaigns aiming to reduce their expenditure by 25%. The combined savings from these measures total £85 million in 2024-25 and up to £96 million in 2025-26.

The Government takes the function of the Cabinet Manual seriously and we will keep it under review.

A Cabinet Office Gateway review in February 2024 of the Falcon Programme recommended a new Programme Business Case should be submitted examining alternative options for the provision of the new OFFICIAL IT platform. Due to the need to explore new options and secure an agreed strategic direction, the programme was moved from a Delivery Confidence Assessment (DCA) of AMBER to RED.

A Programme Business Case (PBC) was submitted to the December 2024 Investment Committee (COIC) and approved. The Programme is forecast to complete by December 2026.

In January 2025 the Programme DCA was reviewed and moved from RED to AMBER. This was supported by the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA)

Regulated public appointments to bodies listed in Schedule 1 of the Public Appointments Order in Council follow the recruitment processes set out in the Governance Code on Public Appointments. In the majority of cases, Chairs to such bodies are recruited through open and fair competition.

There is a small group of eight museum and gallery bodies listed within Schedule 1 which do not undertake a recruitment for the role of the body’s Chair. Instead, the role of Chair is an elected position by, and from within, the existing trustees of the body (which are themselves recruited through open and fair competition). These bodies are: the British Museum; the Imperial War Museum; the National Gallery; the National Portrait Gallery; the Natural History Museum; the Royal Museums Greenwich; the Tate; and the Wallace Collection.

The Governance Code, issued by the Cabinet Office, sets out guidance on the composition of Advisory Assessment Panels, including representation from the public body concerned and considerations of potential conflicts of interest. Additionally, for the bodies just mentioned, the published list of significant appointments requires that a Senior Independent Panel Member sit on the Advisory Assessment Panels for all trustee recruitments, on the presumption that any appointed trustee might be elected to the role of Chair. Ministers must agree on the composition of all Panels.

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

A response to the noble Lord Taylor of Warwick’s Parliamentary Question of 10/02/25 is below and attached.

Professor Sir Ian Diamond | National Statistician

The Lord Taylor of Warwick

House of Lords

London

SW1A 0PW

19 February 2025

Dear Lord Taylor of Warwick,

As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what steps the Office for National Statistics (ONS) are taking to ensure that UK’s Labour Force Survey (LFS) is providing correct and current data. (HL4910).

In my previous letter to you in February 2024 (HL2453) I included details on the comprehensive recovery plan[1] rolled out by the ONS in the last quarter of 2023 to improve the GB sample of the LFS. Since that letter, we have seen the implementation of further measures[2] introduced in the second half of 2024 to ensure the continued sustainability of the LFS.

These measures cover a combination of improvements to both data collection and methods which help make the survey estimates more representative of the UK population. We have continued measures introduced under the 2023 recovery plan, such as the reintroduction of in-home interviewing, the increased incentive, and the sample boost. We have also recruited and trained additional interviewers to increase the resource assigned to LFS. Interviewers were previously focused primarily on the wave 1 sample of the survey, with waves 2-5 being picked up by field interviewers as a lower priority. Since our letter to the Treasury Select Committee in December 2024[3], which included detail on our planned interviewer up-lift, we have increased the number of interviewers working on waves 2-5 by 50 so far.

As part of our continued efforts to make the survey estimates more representative, the ONS have reweighted[4] the LFS data periods back to 2019 using more recent population information published in January 2024. This reweighting exercise resulted in increased levels’ estimates across most of the labour market series, with rates and averages seeing little change, and reduced the gap between the LFS employment data and payroll estimates of the number of employees. This partial reweighting exercise has also been extended to the two-quarter longitudinal outputs, which we released on 18 February 2025. Further work is under way looking at the implementation of a more comprehensive full reweighting of our data when new population projections are released later this year.

There are ongoing work streams aiming to understand the statistical quality, such as attrition, mode effects and bias in the longitudinal and cross-sectional samples. In addition, we are conducting a number of research projects exploring our approaches to communication with respondents and the incentives to participate in our surveys. These projects will also help us to understand how we can optimise the response to our surveys. As part of our agreed user and methods assurance, we continue to engage with our Stakeholder Advisory Panel and external methods advisors, Ray Chambers and James Brown, to discuss and invite feedback on all work stream developments.

To date, the aforementioned sustainability improvements have had a positive impact. In July to September 2023, the quarterly LFS data included 44,238 individual responses across the UK[5]. By the October to December 2024 quarter this had increased to 63,069 individual responses for the UK[6]. With the additional interviewer resource enhancing our data collection efforts over coming months, we expect the achieved sample and dataset size and its representativeness to improve further.

As we expect to continue seeing higher volatility in LFS data in the short term than might have historically been expected, we continue to advise users to apply caution when observing changes in the survey-based estimates. Users should also consider the commentary we publish alongside our statistical bulletins, as well as consulting the wider range of labour market data we publish when forming a view on the labour market.

In summary, progress has been made in recovering the LFS with the achieved sample now significantly higher and the incorporation of the latest population information into the estimates. The major changes we have made to the LFS will be fully included through all five survey waves by the first quarter of next year, which will inform the LFS estimates for publication in May 2025.

While we are working hard to improve our LFS-based data, our long-term solution for collecting labour market data is delivery of the Transformed Labour Force Survey (TLFS). We conducted a range of tests towards end of 2024, investigating the effects of a shortened questionnaire and specific changes to the content. We are planning to up-date users on the next steps in Spring 2025.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Sir Ian Diamond

[1] Labour Force Survey: planned improvements and its reintroduction, ONS article, 2 November 2023,
https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/methodologies/labourforcesurveyplannedimprovementsanditsreintroduction

[2] Labour market transformation – update on progress and plans: December 2024, ONS article, 3 December 024, https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/articles/labourmarkettransformationupdateonprogressandplans/december2024

[3] UKSA Response to the Treasury Select Committee, UKSA letter, 3 December 2024,

https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/45859/documents/227537/default/

[4] Impact of reweighting on Labour Force Survey key indicators: December 2024, ONS article, 3 December 2024,
https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/articles/impactofreweightingonlabourforcesurveykeyindicators/latest

[5] Labour Force Survey performance and quality monitoring report: July to September 2023, ONS article, 14 November 2023, https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/methodologies/labourforcesurveyperformanceandqualitymonitoringreportjulytoseptember2023

[6] Labour Force Survey performance and quality monitoring report: October to December 2024, ONS article, 18 February 2025, https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/methodologies/labourforcesurveyperformanceandqualitymonitoringreportoctobertodecember2024

Secondments are part of a range of ways of bringing talent and experience into the civil service for short periods of time and have been used by successive governments. Secondments are arranged at a business unit level and must follow the processes as set out in the Civil Service Recruitment Principles. Under the Plan for Change, the Cabinet Office is drawing together multi-disciplinary teams across the country including front line public service workers, policy officials and those with digital and data skills to pioneer public service reform.This includes one secondee from the London Borough of Camden.

The approach remains the same as that of previous Prime Ministers.

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

A response to the Hon gentleman Parliamentary Question of 13th of February is attached.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

The Procurement Act 2023, which is due to come into force on 24 February 2025, establishes a new public procurement regime, creating a simpler and more transparent system that will deliver better value for money.

Alongside this, a new National Procurement Policy Statement is being introduced aligned to the Government’s strategic priorities including growing the economy, creating high-quality local jobs, driving innovation and opening up opportunities to small businesses and social enterprises.

Contracting authorities are encouraged to consider how their procurement strategies can support domestic supply chains, including the vehicle manufacturing sector, while ensuring value for money for taxpayers.

As was the case under previous administrations, there are currently no such plans to publish this guidance.

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

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

Central data on Civil Service Headquarters (HQ) occupancy is collected and published quarterly on GOV.UK for all HQ buildings of Whitehall Departments, Office for Scotland, Office for Wales and Northern Ireland Office. The latest data for the period October to December 2024 can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-hq-occupancy-data.

All Freedom of Information requests are considered on their own merits in all circumstances.

Elizabeth Emblem nominations can only be made by the next-of-kin of the deceased individual. It is, however, open to them to seek the help of an appropriate organisation when completing the form. Organisations may also approach them to suggest that an application be made.

To date, 38 of the 187 nominations across the United Kingdom have been related to Northern Ireland.

In November, the government announced that thirty eight individuals would be honoured with the Elizabeth Emblem. None were related to Northern Ireland in this first announcement but I understand that several cases from Northern Ireland are currently being processed for a future announcement.

The Commissioner for Public Appointments has not issued guidance on the publication of declarations of political activity. As set out in previous answers, rules on political activity by prospective or existing public appointees are already clearly set out within both the Governance Code on Public Appointments and the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies, and the process for declaring interests, including how they should be published by departments, is also set out in detail on Gov.uk.

All publicly available data related to completions of the training can be found in the Evaluation of One Big Thing 2023, published on 30 January 2025.

A breakdown of the proportion of senior civil servants (SCS) who registered for One Big Thing 2023 by department is not publicly available.

The Cabinet Office does not routinely conduct email audits of its staff. Staff email inboxes cannot typically be accessed by colleagues without permission, but email data can be retrieved for security or HR purposes in exceptional circumstances.

This was an official government event, with attendees and an audience that included members of the public, business people, and public sector workers. Some members of the Labour party attended.

1 January marked the start of the new arrangements for medicines under the Windsor Framework, ensuring that all medicines can be supplied UK-wide in the same packaging under a single UK licence. The new arrangements have resolved the supply risks created by the Northern Ireland Protocol. The UK Government has worked intensively with industry to ensure a smooth transition.

The UK supplied a Written Guarantee to the EU in accordance with Regulation 2023/1182, following receipt of which, the measures came into force on 1 January 2025.

The Infrastructure and Projects Authority estimates that approximately 61% of Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) have been re-baselined between 31 March 2023 and 31 March 2024. This rate of change is explained by 3 reasons:

1. Major projects report a cost baseline that factors in inflation expectations. Each year these expectations have to be revised as inflation forecasts are revised, which in turn leads to a cost baseline revision.

2. Major projects are the most challenging, ambitious and innovative projects the UK has ever seen, with the scale and scope matching some of the biggest in the world. This challenge is therefore associated with a significant level of uncertainty, which leads to frequent cost baseline revision.

3. A large number of projects are at the pre-delivery stage, where they are expected, and encouraged, to change their baseline when they are in order to ensure that their plans are correctly set out at the delivery stage.

I refer the Honorable Member to the answer given to the Honorable Member for Brentwood and Ongar on 13 January 2025 (PQ UIN 21348).

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

As has been the case under successive administrations, it is a long-standing principle that Civil Service advice is given and treated in confidence. This includes detailing whether or not advice has been given and by whom.

Tulip Siddiq MP referred herself to the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards on 6 January 2025. As is set out in the Independent Adviser’s terms of reference, “Information provided to the Independent Adviser for the purposes of their functions is provided in confidence” (paragraph 4.2).

The Cabinet Office does not hold this data. It is not Civil Service practice to provide immunity from disciplinary action in such circumstances. The Cabinet Secretary or departmental Permanent Secretaries may, where appropriate, provide letters of assurance to those giving evidence to inquiries to encourage them to provide open and honest answers to questions posed.

The Cabinet Office does not hold this data. It is not Civil Service practice to provide immunity from disciplinary action in such circumstances. The Cabinet Secretary or departmental Permanent Secretaries may, where appropriate, provide letters of assurance to those giving evidence to inquiries to encourage them to provide open and honest answers to questions posed.

I refer the noble lady to the answer from the Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office of 24 January 2025, Official Report, PQ 24441.

HMRC, the Home Office, the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defence have allocated officials to manage the relationship with Fujitsu. In addition, as one of the Government's 39 cross-government strategic suppliers, Fujitsu is managed by the Cabinet Office, with the support of a Crown Representative.

The Government is committed to working with the Northern Ireland Executive and the other devolved administrations to ensure that every part of the UK benefits from an improved trading relationship with the EU, as part of our wider reset

The Paymaster General and Minister for EU Relations most recently chaired a meeting of the Interministeral Group on UK-EU Relations in December 2024, which was attended by the First Minister and the deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland. The Government will seek to continue this cooperation as the UK-EU reset progresses.

Between 4 July 2024 and 11 February 2025, approximately 8,000 vacancies were advertised through the Civil Service Jobs website. To note, an advertised vacancy may contain a number of posts, hence the variance between the number of vacancies and the number of roles in the table below. Listing all of these roles individually could only be done at disproportionate cost.

However, aggregate data is provided. Any recruitment conducted outside the Civil Service Jobs portal will not be included in these figures.

The Cabinet Office collects data on the duration and cost of inquiries from departments, inquiries’ own reports, and other publicly available information.

We have provided details on all statutory inquiries established since 2005 in the table below.

We do not hold information on projected costs; under section 17 of the Act, the procedure and conduct of an independent public inquiry are a matter for the Chair, including acting with regard to the need to avoid any unnecessary cost.

The pension scheme was made by the then Minister for the Cabinet Office and laid before Parliament on 15 March 2012. A copy of the scheme is held by the Journal Office.

The terms of reference for a public inquiry determine an inquiry’s scope. Since 2015, none of the terms of reference for public inquiries (whether or not led by a judicial chair) have specifically required an inquiry to make recommendations related to compensation. We do not hold data centrally on departmental reviews.

The Infected Blood Inquiry - a judge-led inquiry - specifically recommended the provision of compensation payments. The Inquiry did so in response to Sir Robert Francis’ framework into compensation payments for victims of infected blood which was commissioned by the Cabinet Office. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) - an inquiry with a non-judicial chair - made a recommendation for a redress scheme for victims and survivors of sexual abuse.

We are not aware of any other inquiry since 2015 which made recommendations for compensation.

The terms of reference for a public inquiry determine an inquiry’s scope. Since 2015, none of the terms of reference for public inquiries (whether or not led by a judicial chair) have specifically required an inquiry to make recommendations related to compensation. We do not hold data centrally on departmental reviews.

The Infected Blood Inquiry - a judge-led inquiry - specifically recommended the provision of compensation payments. The Inquiry did so in response to Sir Robert Francis’ framework into compensation payments for victims of infected blood which was commissioned by the Cabinet Office. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) - an inquiry with a non-judicial chair - made a recommendation for a redress scheme for victims and survivors of sexual abuse.

We are not aware of any other inquiry since 2015 which made recommendations for compensation.

The terms of reference for a public inquiry determine an inquiry’s scope. Since 2015, none of the terms of reference for public inquiries (whether or not led by a judicial chair) have specifically required an inquiry to make recommendations related to compensation. We do not hold data centrally on departmental reviews.

The Infected Blood Inquiry - a judge-led inquiry - specifically recommended the provision of compensation payments. The Inquiry did so in response to Sir Robert Francis’ framework into compensation payments for victims of infected blood which was commissioned by the Cabinet Office. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) - an inquiry with a non-judicial chair - made a recommendation for a redress scheme for victims and survivors of sexual abuse.

We are not aware of any other inquiry since 2015 which made recommendations for compensation.

The Deed of Variation to contract 2887470\5, enables the transition of the Emergency Planning College (EPC) to the UK Resilience Academy from 15 April 2025 to deliver strategic national resilience training and exercising outcomes.

Given the complexities of the contract covering the management of the physical site, coupled with the provision of training services, the Authority determined that a medium-term permitted extension would allow for better development and planning for a new competitive procurement opportunity, whilst maintaining continuity of key services.

The contract provides for an extension of not less than 2-years and not more than 5-years, and does not include any financial values or thresholds. The extension does not change the economic balance of the Agreement in favour of the Contractor. International sales were covered within the Bidders' Brief as part of the original tender and subsequently the contract.

The Government is determined to ensure the £400 billion of public money spent on public procurement annually delivers economic growth, supports small businesses, champions innovation, and creates good jobs and opportunities across the country.

On 13 February the Government published a National Procurement Policy Statement (NPPS), which sets out our priorities for public procurement and maximises the impact of every pound spent. New measures to support the transformation of public procurement and to deliver on the Government’s Plan for Small Businesses includes requiring all government departments, executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies to set three-year targets for direct spend with SMEs (from 1 April 2025) and VCSEs (from 1 April 2026) and publish progress annually.

PQ 14712 relates to three Honours Committee campaigns which were launched and closed in the summer of 2024: (i) Community and Voluntary Service (ii), Parliamentary and Political Service, and (iii) Diversity and Outreach (formerly called Representation and Outreach).

For all three campaigns no applicants were shortlisted nor did any interviews take place before the campaigns were relaunched