Asked by: Lord Taylor of Goss Moor (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
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:
Year | Grade | Median Salary | Median Salary - real terms adjusted for inflation relative to 2007 | Median Salary - real terms adjusted for inflation relative to 2025 | Percentage increase in cash terms since 2007 | Percentage increase in real terms adjusted for inflation since 2007 |
2007 | SEO | £36,000 | £36,000 | £59,100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
2008 | SEO | £36,000 | £35,100 | £57,600 | 0.0% | -2.5% |
2009 | SEO | £36,400 | £34,600 | £56,800 | 1.3% | -3.9% |
2010 | SEO | £37,500 | £34,700 | £57,000 | 4.2% | -3.5% |
2011 | SEO | £38,700 | £34,600 | £56,900 | 7.7% | -3.7% |
2012 | SEO | £38,800 | £33,600 | £55,300 | 7.8% | -6.5% |
2013 | SEO | £38,800 | £32,800 | £54,000 | 7.8% | -8.7% |
2014 | SEO | £39,000 | £32,500 | £53,400 | 8.3% | -9.7% |
2015 | SEO | £38,800 | £32,200 | £53,000 | 7.8% | -10.4% |
2016 | SEO | £38,900 | £32,100 | £52,800 | 8.2% | -10.7% |
2017 | SEO | £38,700 | £31,200 | £51,300 | 7.5% | -13.3% |
2018 | SEO | £38,800 | £30,600 | £50,300 | 8.0% | -14.9% |
2019 | SEO | £39,200 | £30,400 | £49,900 | 9.1% | -15.6% |
2020 | SEO | £39,800 | £30,300 | £49,800 | 10.6% | -15.7% |
2021 | SEO | £40,600 | £30,600 | £50,300 | 12.8% | -14.8% |
2022 | SEO | £40,600 | £28,800 | £47,400 | 12.8% | -19.8% |
2023 | SEO | £42,100 | £27,500 | £45,200 | 17.2% | -23.5% |
2024 | SEO | £44,000 | £27,700 | £45,500 | 22.5% | -22.9% |
2025 | SEO | £46,100 | £28,000 | £46,100 | 28.2% | -22.0% |
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.
Asked by: Baroness Finn (Conservative - Life peer)
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.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
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)
A four-day work week on full pay is not a civil service policy or something that is being considered.
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.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
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.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
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.
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 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.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
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.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
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.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
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.
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 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.