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 4 March 2026, to Question 111932, on Lord Mandelson, what assessment has been made of why the letter from Lord Glasman to the Prime Minister's Office on the probity of Lord Mandelson was not copied across to the official record.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 9 February 2026, Official Report, PQ 111932.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Cabinet Secretary has permission to speak to the press directly.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Civil Service Code sets out the rules for Civil Servants speaking to the media. The Civil Service Management Code provides further guidance for civil servants on their obligations.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Downing Street press release of 9 April 2025, on policing, what definition the Prime Minister’s office uses of the term 'across the country' in official communications.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
An official definition does not exist, but it is a term that will be widely recognised by the public.
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 the Written Statement of 16 March 2026, on Government Response to the Nuclear Regulatory Review 2025, HCWS1398, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the UK-EU Electricity Agreement on the (a) proposed deregulatory recommendations proposed in the Review and (b) maintenance of EU levels of environmental protection in the electricity sector.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The UK-EU Electricity Agreement will cut electricity costs, strengthen our energy security, drive investment and jobs, and help to achieve our Clean Power 2030 Mission. The Government’s reforms to nuclear regulation, which will make it easier to deliver nuclear projects, also support these objectives. The regulatory changes we are making will provide the best outcomes for both nuclear development and the environment, by offering a more streamlined and co-ordinated pathway to deliver environmental protections. There will be no change to the high environmental standards to which the Government is committed.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his Department’s press release entitled Ministers rip up consultation culture, published on 26 March 2026, how many of the 131 consultation requirements referenced in the article were identified as being unnecessary.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
We have developed an AI tool to help identify uncover consultation requirements hidden within legislation. It is up to ministerial and Parliamentary discretion to decide their value to specific legislation and the policies underlying that legislation. This initiative will ensure that government policies can be implemented as efficiently as possible, streamlining the process while retaining necessary checks and balances where appropriate. We are introducing a higher bar inclusion of consultation requirements in legislation, and prioritising finding more effective and efficient ways to engage stakeholders. The end goal is ending the introduction of further unnecessary reporting and consultation requirements.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his Department’s press release entitled Ministers rip up consultation culture, published on 26 March 2026, what the higher bar will be for reporting and consultation requirements in legislation.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Consultation should only be used when it is the most effective tool for good policymaking and not used for other reasons. Reporting requirements should not disproportionately slow down delivery.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his Department’s press release entitled Ministers rip up consultation culture, published on 26 March 2026, what criteria will be used by AI systems to determine whether consultation requirements should be removed.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
AI tools are being used to identify statutory requirements to consult. Decisions remain the purview of Ministers.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his Department’s press release entitled Ministers rip up consultation culture, published on 26 March 2026, what mechanisms will be in place to allow Parliament to scrutinise decisions to reduce consultation requirements.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The government is committed to protecting the necessary checks and balances to ministerial and Parliamentary decision making. In line with standard processes, Parliament will have the opportunity to scrutinise and challenge any changes to consultation requirements where they are legislative.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his Department’s press release entitled Ministers rip up consultation culture, published on 26 March 2026, what human oversight will be applied to decisions informed by artificial intelligence in reviewing consultation requirements.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
AI tools are being used to identify statutory requirements to consult. Decisions remain the purview of ministers.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his Department’s press release entitled Ministers rip up consultation culture, published on 26 March 2026, what systems of artificial intelligence will be used to identify disproportionate consultation and reporting requirements.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
We are using state-of-the-art large language models to identify all duties to consult within the statute book, as well as contextual information such as responsible department and the circumstances under which consultation is required.