Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing specific (a) Sikh and (b) Jewish options for a person’s ethnic group in data collection conducted by his Department.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Public bodies usually collect ethnicity data in line with the ethnicity harmonised standard, which is developed by the independent Office for National Statistics. The Cabinet Office also uses these standards to collect diversity data.

The current harmonised standard is based on the 2011 Census questions used across the UK; those questions were updated for the 2021 and 2022 Censuses. The current standard does not include specific “Sikh” and “Jewish” categories for a person’s ethnic group. The ONS is reviewing the harmonised standard to ensure this remains appropriate and meets the needs of both data users and respondents. This will include a public consultation later this year.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether, in view of the judgment in Lindsey Smith, R (on the application of) v The Chief Constable of Northumbria Police, they intend to review the rules that allow civil servants to display political symbols.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government notes the judgment in Lindsey Smith, R (on the application of) v The Chief Constable of Northumbria Police, and is considering any wider implications for the Civil Service.

Civil servants are expected to carry out their roles serving the government of the day in accordance with the core values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality and the standards of behaviour set out in the Civil Service Code.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 54826 on Senior Civil Servants: Training, whether external venues have been booked for away days since 6 April 2025.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

On 4 April, guidance was issued on restrictions to booking external venues. Departments were asked to put appropriate approval mechanisms in place. The guidance was clear that external venues for awaydays and events should only be used when space in government buildings is unavailable. When it is absolutely necessary to use an external venue, they should be procured through established procurement routes where available.

The Cabinet Office issued instructions on its intranet on 30 April 2025 that prior to booking any external venues approval must be obtained from the relevant Budget Holder and Finance Business Partner. Prior to this period, bookings may have been made which would have proved more costly to cancel, therefore some pre-booked events may still take place. However, this guidance is now live across the Department and is being implemented accordingly.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to paragraph 1.24 of the Review Body on Senior Salaries publication Forty-seventh annual report on senior salaries published in May 2025, what steps the Government is taking to reduce excessive (a) bureaucracy and (b) process in the Civil Service.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

This Government is committed to creating a productive and agile state. This includes reducing bureaucracy and simplifying processes through adoption of digital technology and AI tools, improving Ministerial oversight and accountability in arms-length bodies, streamlining approval processes, creating a cost-conscious culture that relentlessly roots out waste, drives efficiency, and protects taxpayers’ money, and establishing a more productive, higher-skilled civil service with stronger accountability for performance.

Stop funding the UK Government and Parliament e-petitions system and shut it down. We believe it's a waste of taxpayer money, that it consistently ignores public feedback, and that it enacts not enough real change. Shut it down.

I would like the government to, at the soonest possible time, apply for the UK to join the Schengen area to help enable greater freedom of movement for workers and young people across Europe again.

We call for a referendum with the question: “Should the UK replace First Past the Post with a system of Proportional Representation?” We think it should be held before the next scheduled General Election. If passed, we think the new system should be designed by a non-partisan expert panel.

We urge the Government to pass a law on holding a referendum on Net Zero, to give the people the opportunity to say whether they agree with this agenda or not, as we believe it could hurt the UK economy and people’s livelihoods.

Move the Covid-19 Vaccine Damages Payment Scheme from the arms-length NHS Business Authority to expert teams in the Cabinet Office.

We urge the Government to officially recognise and fund commemorations for 4 September 2025 to celebrate the 1,100th anniversary of the coronation of King Athelstan in 925AD — the first King of a unified England. We believe this is a pivotal moment in British history and deserves commemoration.

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Found: Cabinet Office (2025).

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Found: Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006, equivalent statutory transfer schemes, or the Cabinet Office

Found: Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006, equivalent statutory transfer schemes, or the Cabinet Office

Found: Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006, equivalent statutory transfer schemes, or the Cabinet Office

Found: ENVIRONMENT AGENCY The Environment Agency continues to work with Government, including Defra and the Cabinet Office

Found: response rate of 70%, as advised by the European Human Rights Commission (and endorsed by the Cabinet Office

Found: response rate of 70%, as advised by the European Human Rights Commission (and endorsed by the Cabinet Office

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Found: of the Executive Team are shown below, following the format and methodology defined by the Cabinet Office

Found: staff and/or any appointed representatives of the National Audit Office; HM Treasury or the Cabinet Office

Found: In particular, they report to the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury for all expenditure.

Found: ENVIRONMENT AGENCY The Environment Agency continues to work with Government, including Defra and the Cabinet Office

Found: To ensure that the Cabinet Office was able to maximise the success of the complex transition of Services

Found: You can find details in the resource accounts of the Cabinet Office: Civil Superannuation

Found: affairs1.1 Executive and legislative organs, financial and fiscal affairs, external affairsS010CF01 - Cabinet Office

Found: 2.1: Establish a Rolling Economic Development Public Bodies Review Programme Cabinet Office