Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Public-sector trade union facility time data, updated on 27 November 2025, if he will define trade union (a) duties and (b) activities.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office guidance on reporting trade union facility time data includes examples of what counts as trade union duties and activities. See, the Cabinet Office guidance: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/report-trade-union-facility-time-data
For detailed definitions of trade union duties and activities, please refer to the Acas Code of Practice on time off for trade union duties and activities:
Acas Code of Practice: https://www.acas.org.uk/acas-code-of-practice-on-time-off-for-trade-union-duties-and-activities
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the high value council tax surcharge will be payable by Ministers in official Ministerial residences which are (a) occupied as a primary residence and (b) occupied as a secondary residence.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
I refer the Hon Member to PQ 95176.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 25 November 2025 to Question 91375 on Cabinet Office: Facilities Agreements, whether paid trade union activity facility time in a (a) department and (b) Arm’s Length Body must be approved by a Minister.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office issued Facility Time Framework is intended to apply to all departments and executive agencies employing civil servants. It encourages Arms Length Bodies to adopt the Framework where possible.
The Framework specifies that paid time off to undertake trade union activities should be agreed by the department’s Secretary of State or Permanent Secretary.
A copy of the Facility Time Framework and its supporting guidance was deposited in the House Library earlier this year.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 2 December 2025 to Question 94201 on Trade Union Officials: Facilities Agreements, if he will publish that guidance.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
A copy of the Facility Time Framework and its supporting guidance was deposited in the House Library in May of this year.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 25 November 2025 to Question 91375 on Cabinet Office: Facilities Agreements, if he will publish the full facility time guidance.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
A copy of the Facility Time Framework and its supporting guidance was deposited in the House Library in May of this year.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many official visits a) to Scotland and b) abroad the Prime Minister has made since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Prime Ministerial travel is published on gov.uk and includes both domestic and international visits. The Prime Minister’s first ever official visit as Prime Minister was to Scotland.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if the High Value council tax surcharge in England will be paid from the public purse for the official residences at a) 10 Downing Street, b) 11 Downing Street, c) 1 Carlton Gardens, d) Dorneywood, e) Chequers, f) Chevening and e) the Admiralty House flat.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
HVCTS will be paid by property owners not residents. Where official residences are owned by the state, any tax will be paid to the Exchequer at no overall cost to the taxpayer.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to page 33 of the Cabinet Office Annual report and accounts 2024-2025, published on 23 October 2025, whether his Department is currently in full compliance with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures Phase 2 requirements.
Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office is compliant with Phase 2 TCFD requirements for the 2024-25 financial year, covering Governance, Risk Management, and Metrics and Targets (p45 of the annual report). These disclosures were reviewed by the NAO audit to ensure mandated requirements were published. We reported Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions and are proceeding with Phase 3 implementation in the 2025-26 Annual Report.
Asked by: Steve Witherden (Labour - Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure that mandatory digital ID would not put the population’s personal data at risk of data breaches by hackers and foreign adversaries.
Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Security is a core principle of the new national digital credential that government is building, and will follow National Cyber Security Centre advice and international best practice.
Data will be federated, not centralised, minimising risks by keeping information securely stored where it already is. Advanced encryption and regular penetration testing will be part of a wider infrastructure to help protect against cyber threats, fraud, and hacking.
The system will comply with GDPR, operate strict legal firewalls, and empower individuals to have more control over what data is shared. All of these elements will help ensure there are robust safeguards to protect personal data from hostile actors.
Dec. 16 2025
Source Page: Cabinet Office: ministerial overseas travel and meetings, July to September 2025