Asked by: Baroness Neville-Rolfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office on 4 September (HC2317), whether a Minister is required to declare a political donation as an interest to their Department if they make a Government decision that directly and personally financially benefits the donor; and what guidance (1) the Cabinet Office, and (2) the Independent Adviser on Ministers' Interests, have issued on such requirements, and on recusal processes in the event of conflicts of interest.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
There is an established process in place for the declaration and management of ministers’ private interests, which ensures that steps are taken to avoid or mitigate any potential or perceived conflicts of interest.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many special advisers in each department are on (a) four month probationary contracts, (b) six month fixed term contracts and (c) full contracts with no probationary period.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
All special advisers are subject to the Model Contract for Special Advisers, which is published online at gov.uk. It stipulates that the first four months of their appointment will be a probationary period.
There are no special advisers on six month fixed term appointments, or contracts without a probationary period.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Answer of 30 July 2024 to House of Lords Question HL517 on Civil Service: Expenditure, what plans he has to update guidance on diversity networks in the Civil Service.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Existing guidance remains in place for EDI networks to regulate network governance and delivery and provide necessary guardrails to ensure due regard to the Civil Service Code.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 31 July 2024 to Question 1240 on Morgan McSweeney, what the responsibilities are of Mr McSweeney in his role as a special adviser.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
It’s a longstanding policy to not comment on individuals.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 13 August 2024 to Question HL548 on Government Departments: Remote Working, whether his Department holds comparative headquarters occupancy data for (a) June and (b) July 2024.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The publication of this data was suspended in line with pre-election guidance for the duration of the Pre-Election Period. We will provide an update on future publication plans in due course.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 13 August 2024 to Question HL548 on Government Departments: Remote Working, if he will publish comparative data for August 2024.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The publication of this data was suspended in line with pre-election guidance for the duration of the Pre-Election Period. We will provide an update on future publication plans in due course.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the occupancy rate for 70 Whitehall in the most recent week for which data is available since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The publication of this data was suspended in line with pre-election guidance for the duration of the Pre-Election Period. We will provide an update on future publication plans in due course.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how long a civil service vacancy must be advertised for to qualify as open and fair competition.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
There is no prescribed duration for the advertising of publicly advertised vacancies for them to be considered compliant with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 30 July 2024 to Question 930 on Prime Minister: Correspondence, if he will discontinue the fax machine facility in 10 Downing Street.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Prime Minister’s Office does not use a fax machine. This Government has no plans to stop members of the public contacting us in the ways that they find most helpful. As the previous response explained, where members of the public wish to do so via fax, those messages are converted into emails on receipt.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Answer of 30 July 2024 to House of Lords Question HL517 on Civil Service: Expenditure, what plans his Department has to review the (a) Ministerial controls and exceptions on and (b) departments that can authorise equality, diversity and inclusion expenditure; and if he will publish granted exceptions to spending controls.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Civil Service Equality Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Guidance which was published on 14 May, remains in place.