Asked by: Graham Leadbitter (Scottish National Party - Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if his Department will review the suitability of UK Government contracts with Palantir.
Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
All contracts for any firm go through rigorous departmental processes and their decision makers. Contracts procured by Government departments are done so in line with procurement law. This was the case with all contracts to Palantir.
We utilise a range of suppliers based on operational requirements, value for money, and compliance with our security and legal obligations, with all suppliers subject to rigorous due diligence. There are robust processes in place to ensure government contracts are awarded fairly and transparently.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, further to the Part of a Return to an Address of the Honourable the House of Commons dated 4 February 2026 relating to the appointment of Lord Mandelson as HM Ambassador to Washington, Volume 1, HC1774-I, 11 March 2026, if he will publish internal guidance given to Ministers, special advisers and civil servants requesting their information for the Humble Address.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
I refer the Hon Member to the Government's statement and release of information on 11th March, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The Government is working to ensure that Parliament’s instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2026 to Question 110810 on Cabinet Office: Email, when John Pond's archived emails will be publicly disclosed by National Archives.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Cabinet Office holds within its records 118 emails which include the ‘John Pond’ email address. Cabinet Office records are transferred to The National Archives in the usual way, in accordance with Section 3 (4) of The Public Records Act, 1958.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2026 to Question 110810 on Cabinet Office: Email, how many John Pond emails have been archived.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Cabinet Office holds within its records 118 emails which include the ‘John Pond’ email address. Cabinet Office records are transferred to The National Archives in the usual way, in accordance with Section 3 (4) of The Public Records Act, 1958.
Asked by: Baroness Finn (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Consultation principles: guidance, last updated March 2018, what supplementary advice or guidance has been given by the Cabinet Office to departments on whether consultations should give any material weight to responses from organisations or individuals which are deemed extremist or otherwise, or which are subject to a policy of non-engagement under the Government’s engagement principles; and what is the Cabinet Office’s departmental policy on this.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Responsibility for decisions and due diligence around who departments engage with sits with those departments and the appropriate policy areas. It is for individual government departments to decide to use these principles, or their own due diligence processes around engagement.
I refer the Noble Lady to PQ HC105789:
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he will take steps to prevent organisations with which the Government has a policy of non-engagement from submitting written evidence to (a) ministers, (b) officials and (c) public consultations.
Answer: The government does not and will not engage with organisations with whom they have a policy of non-engagement.
Asked by: Baroness Finn (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government for what reason the Prime Minister has an active TikTok account in the light of the TikTok ban on government electronic devices.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
All Government departments must follow the Mobile Device Management policy. This directs that no third-party mobile application can be downloaded onto Government devices, unless security requirements can be met and there is a business case for doing so.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the creators’ template contract used by the Cabinet Office and its creative agency.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
There are no plans to publish the contract template due to commercial sensitivities.
Mar. 18 2026
Source Page: UK Public Preparedness Survey 2025: Sociodemographic Analyses