Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 18 December 2025 (HL12641) and 21 July 2025 (HL9153), whether the belated second homes premium council tax bill for the then Deputy Prime Minister's Admiralty House residence had been fully paid by the time of the answer of 21 July 2025 stating that the council tax liability was properly discharged.

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

The former Deputy Prime Minister confirmed to her department (MHCLG) that she would occupy the official residence in Admiralty House on a second home basis, and this information was passed onto the Cabinet Office before the council tax second homes premium came into force on 1 April 2025. As such, the former Deputy Prime Minister had properly discharged her duties at this point, which was to confirm the status of her occupation of the flat.

The Government Property Agency (GPA), an executive agency of the Cabinet Office, is responsible for the administration and payment of any tax liabilities for Admiralty House.The Government Property Agency wrote to Westminster City Council in June to confirm that the former Deputy Prime Minister was residing in Admiralty House on a second home basis. Westminster City Council issued a bill applying the second home premium in July, which was paid in full the same day. The bill was paid for the full year of 1 April 2025 - 31 March 2026.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Cabinet Office contractfinder publication, Provision of Equalities Case Studies, 14 November 2025, Ref: CCZZ25A11, what the terms of reference are of the social research being commissioned; and what the timetable is for the publication of that social research.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

This Government is committed to breaking the link between background and success and ending the ceiling on the ambitions of people in Britain. The Office for Equality and Opportunity (OEO) is working on delivering the Government’s Plan for Change, helping to ensure that equality issues are actively considered in all five missions.

This project will feed into resources to help equip policy makers across government departments working on the Opportunity Mission with an understanding of how people’s lives are impacted by their personal characteristics, to support robust policy development and in line with the Public Sector Equality Duty.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 19 January 2026, to Question 104623, on Cabinet Office: Proof of Identity, whether his department will be required to make savings to help fund the digital ID scheme.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The public consultation is now open and I encourage you and your constituents to respond.

The design and delivery of digital ID are subject to the consultation outcomes. The feedback from the consultation will inform our final approach and enable a more accurate assessment of costs.

As the Government has stated previously, any costs in this Spending Review period will be met within existing settlements.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether digital ID will be provided to 16 and 17 year olds.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government has now launched a public consultation on the digital ID where we want to hear as wide a range of views as possible.

The scope of the digital ID system is still in development and we are inviting the public to have their say in the consultation as we develop a useful, inclusive and trusted system.

Through this consultation we are asking the public what age they think is appropriate to have digital ID.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Freedom of Information requests were received by central Government departments in each of the last three years.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Freedom of Information statistics for all central government departments and other monitored bodies are published on a quarterly and annual basis on Gov.UK at www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-foi-statistics

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the (a) FOI reference numbers and (b) dates of the Freedom of Information Act responses on the Government Car Service where his Department has released information in full.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Hon Member will be aware that as under successive administrations, the Cabinet Office does not routinely publish responses to FOI requests.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of UK hospitality businesses that have ceased trading since November 2024.

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

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

Please see the letter attached from the Permanent Secretary for the Office of National Statistics.

The Rt Hon. the Lord Mott OBE

House of Lords

London

SW1A 0PW

02 March 2026

Dear Lord Mott,

As Permanent Secretary of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what assessment has been made of the number of UK hospitality businesses that have ceased trading since November 2024 (HL14742).

Information on the number of businesses which have ceased trading is best obtained from the ONS’s annual business demography release, which has the Inter-Departmental Business Register as its data source. However, the latest year for which figures are available from this data source is 2024.

The ONS publishes more up-to-date estimates of business closures via our quarterly business demography release. The figures in this release are regarded as ‘official statistics in development’. It is not possible to separately identify the hospitality industry in the quarterly data, but figures are available for accommodation and food as a whole. Table 1 shows the number of business closures in the United Kingdom (UK), from the fourth quarter of 2024 to the fourth quarter of 2025.

Table 1: Number of business closures for accommodation and food businesses

Source: Official for National Statistics

Yours sincerely,

Darren Tierney

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Transformed Labour Force Survey records secondary occupations or ongoing professional identities when someone has more than one type of work; and what assessment they have made of how recording only a person’s main job may affect sectors where many people have portfolio careers, such as crafts and the visual arts.

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

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

Please see the letter attached from the Permanent Secretary for the Office of National Statistics.

The Rt Hon. the Lord Freybeg

House of Lords

London

SW1A 0PW

02 March 2026

Dear Lord Freyberg

As Permanent Secretary of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking whether the Transformed Labour Force Survey (TLFS) records secondary occupations or ongoing professional identities when someone has more than one type of work; and what assessment they have made of how recording only a person’s main job may affect sectors where many people have portfolio careers, such as crafts and the visual arts (HL14678).

The TLFS does collect information on a respondent’s secondary occupation. Where the respondent has a portfolio career such as those mentioned, they can self-determine this as their main or second job. The data collected includes for example, whether this is in an employed or self-employed capacity, the hours usually and actually worked, the pay received and the industry and occupation code of the position. This data is used for a variety of statistical, legislative and policy purposes by a broad range of stakeholders.

Information is collected for up to two jobs. There has previously been a question as to whether information on more than two jobs should be collected. However, there must be a careful balance achieved between data users need, and the respondent burden caused by survey length. While we are not currently in a position to capture more than two jobs, this issue will be thoroughly explored within future developments of the TLFS.

The TLFS also collects data on casual working roles so that those in more informal situations are also captured.

Yours sincerely,

Darren Tierney

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Livermore on 17 February (HL14181), whether Office for National Statistics has assessed the feasibility and statistical acceptability of aggregating multiple Standard Occupational Classification codes that individually fall below publication thresholds into higher-level sector groupings for publication purposes; and if so, what conclusions were reached.

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

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

Please see the letter attached from the Permanent Secretary for the Office of National Statistics.

The Rt Hon. the Lord Freybeg

House of Lords

London

SW1A 0PW

02 March 2026

Dear Lord Freyberg,

As Permanent Secretary of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking a) further to the Written Answer by Lord Livermore on 17 February (HL14181), whether the Office for National Statistics has assessed the feasibility and statistical acceptability of aggregating multiple Standard Occupational Classification codes that individually fall below publication thresholds into higher-level sector groupings for publication purposes; and if so, what conclusions were reached (HL14677); and b) what statistical disclosure control techniques, including aggregation, rounding, banding or noise adjustment, are available to the Office for National Statistics to enable publication of sectorlevel occupational data derived from low-count Standard Occupational Classification categories (HL14679).

The Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes are routinely used for statistical outputs. SOC codes are designed with a hierarchical structure, ranging from 1-digit codes for the broadest categories, 2 = ‘Professional occupations’ for example, to 4-digit codes for the most detailed categories, 2451 = ‘Architects’ for example. The SOC ‘nested’ structure means multiple Standard Occupation Classification codes are aggregated into higher-level groupings by design. The use of these standard groupings allows for better comparisons over time and with other data sources. Statistical outputs that the ONS produces will use an appropriate level of detail of SOC codes, aiming to balance the need for detailed occupation information, with the possibility of smaller categories falling below the publication threshold. Further information about the SOC classification can be found on the ONS website. There is currently a consultation to update SOC2020 because of the continual evolution of occupations, and to ensure that SOC reflects significant changes in the labour market. Submissions to the consultation are live until 11 May 2026.

All the disclosure control techniques you reference in your question are available to use. Aggregation and banding are the most used methods to increase the number of contributors. The choice of disclosure method depends on the source of data, user needs, disclosure risk and other related factors. The disclosure control methods applied are always designed to maximise the usefulness of the data whilst protecting the confidentiality of the contributors.

Yours sincerely,

Darren Tierney

https://www.ons.gov.uk/methodology/classificationsandstandards/standardoccupationalclassificationsoc/soc2020/soc2020volume1structureanddescriptionsofunitgroups

https://consultations.ons.gov.uk/external-affairs/soc2020-revision-consultation/

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the cost of resolving the McCloud remedy cases is included in the £239 million contract with Capita to manage the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The £239 million contract with Capita covers the day-to-day management of the Civil Service Pension Scheme, but it does not include the specific cost of resolving the remaining McCloud remedy cases. The Cabinet Office is funding this complex rectification work through a separate, dedicated project, Remedy Project 7, at an additional cost of £45 million.

As scheme manager, the Cabinet Office is meeting this cost directly to fulfil its legal obligation to resolve the age discrimination identified by the courts. By treating this as a distinct project, the department ensures greater accountability for the remedy's delivery while preventing these complex legacy cases from impacting "business as usual" pension services for other members.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how arrears payments were made by Capita Pensions Solutions Ltd, on behalf of the Civil Service Pension scheme as of the 5 March 2026.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The delays faced by pension scheme members in accessing their pensions are unacceptable.

Arrears payments made by Capita Pension Solutions Ltd to retired members are usually made by BACS. However, these may be made by CHAPS, where a case has been escalated due to vulnerabilities such as financial hardship.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2026 to Question 114870 on Lobbying: Finance, whether grant funding has been approved where lobbying activity is expressly part of the purpose of the grant since July 2024.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The government grants register is published on GOV.UK. The latest publication, for 2023/24, makes no reference to lobbying under the purpose of any scheme listed.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which body is responsible for measuring, collecting, reporting and validating greenhouse gas emissions across the Government estate.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

Individual Government departments are responsible for measuring and collecting greenhouse gas emissions data from their own estates. This data is reported to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) which coordinates the Greening Government Commitments (GGC) framework and publishes the annual GGC report. Validation of the data is conducted by DEFRA and its technical contractors at a cross-government level, while individual departments are responsible for the accuracy of their own underlying data.

To fulfill the statutory duty under Section 86 of the Climate Change Act 2008, the Cabinet Office utilises this data as part of its annual State of the Estate report on the efficiency and sustainability of the government estate.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what statistical disclosure control techniques, including aggregation, rounding, banding or noise adjustment, are available to the Office for National Statistics to enable publication of sector-level occupational data derived from low-count Standard Occupational Classification categories.

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

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

Please see the letter attached from the Permanent Secretary for the Office of National Statistics.

The Rt Hon. the Lord Freybeg

House of Lords

London

SW1A 0PW

02 March 2026

Dear Lord Freyberg,

As Permanent Secretary of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking a) further to the Written Answer by Lord Livermore on 17 February (HL14181), whether the Office for National Statistics has assessed the feasibility and statistical acceptability of aggregating multiple Standard Occupational Classification codes that individually fall below publication thresholds into higher-level sector groupings for publication purposes; and if so, what conclusions were reached (HL14677); and b) what statistical disclosure control techniques, including aggregation, rounding, banding or noise adjustment, are available to the Office for National Statistics to enable publication of sectorlevel occupational data derived from low-count Standard Occupational Classification categories (HL14679).

The Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes are routinely used for statistical outputs. SOC codes are designed with a hierarchical structure, ranging from 1-digit codes for the broadest categories, 2 = ‘Professional occupations’ for example, to 4-digit codes for the most detailed categories, 2451 = ‘Architects’ for example. The SOC ‘nested’ structure means multiple Standard Occupation Classification codes are aggregated into higher-level groupings by design. The use of these standard groupings allows for better comparisons over time and with other data sources. Statistical outputs that the ONS produces will use an appropriate level of detail of SOC codes, aiming to balance the need for detailed occupation information, with the possibility of smaller categories falling below the publication threshold. Further information about the SOC classification can be found on the ONS website. There is currently a consultation to update SOC2020 because of the continual evolution of occupations, and to ensure that SOC reflects significant changes in the labour market. Submissions to the consultation are live until 11 May 2026.

All the disclosure control techniques you reference in your question are available to use. Aggregation and banding are the most used methods to increase the number of contributors. The choice of disclosure method depends on the source of data, user needs, disclosure risk and other related factors. The disclosure control methods applied are always designed to maximise the usefulness of the data whilst protecting the confidentiality of the contributors.

Yours sincerely,

Darren Tierney

https://www.ons.gov.uk/methodology/classificationsandstandards/standardoccupationalclassificationsoc/soc2020/soc2020volume1structureanddescriptionsofunitgroups

https://consultations.ons.gov.uk/external-affairs/soc2020-revision-consultation/

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance his Department has issued on (a) the selection and use of KPIs in government procurement and (b) whether failure to meet KPIs is grounds for termination of contracts.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Procurement Act 2023, introduced by the previous Government, empowers contracting authorities to terminate their contracts for serious breaches of contract or poor performance. It also now makes it a statutory requirement for contracting authorities, where appropriate, to set and publish at least three key performance indicators for public contracts with an estimated value of more than £5 million.

Additionally, the Cabinet Office provides guidance on the selection and use of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) through the Sourcing Playbook. This guidance provides that all new projects should include relevant and proportionate performance measures designed to incentivise delivery.

While specific grounds for termination are subject to individual contract terms, it is the responsibility of each contracting authority to manage supplier performance.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office on 14 January (HC102820), in what circumstances visits by the Prime Minister to offices of external organisations which are not foreign governments are not required to be listed in the list of ministerial meetings; and whether the Prime Minister had discussions with representatives of (1) Palantir, and (2) Global Counsel, relating to government businesses during his visit to their offices in Washington with Lord Mandelson on 27 February 2025.

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

To clarify, it was not a meeting, and so minutes were not taken, therefore no reward was made.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support retired civil servants who have not received their pensions from the Civil Service Pension Scheme in January.

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

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in accessing their pensions is unacceptable.

Angela MacDonald, Deputy Chief Executive at HMRC, is working with the Cabinet Office and Capita to lead and support delivery of a full recovery plan. This includes commitments, with milestones, to immediately deal with priority cases, restore service levels and improve communication with affected members.

In response, we have set up a dedicated team to work urgently with Capita, with 650 full time staff across Government and Capita and with an aim to restoring normal service as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery.

Capita has prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. A similar position will be reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March.

Alongside these arrangements, Capita has prioritised payment of tax-free pension lump sums for members who had received quotations but were not in receipt of their benefits, with the vast majority of these having been paid in February.

Since 26 January, the recovery team has received detailed data on all the outstanding cases, allowing us to track progress and actively manage the most urgent situations.

The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.

No former civil servant should be facing financial hardship as a result of delays to their pension and we are supporting government employers to provide direct support to people facing delays in their first payments.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Capita about retired civil servants who have not received pensions from the Civil Service Pension Scheme in January.

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

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in accessing their pensions is unacceptable.

Angela MacDonald, Deputy Chief Executive at HMRC, is working with the Cabinet Office and Capita to lead and support delivery of a full recovery plan. This includes commitments, with milestones, to immediately deal with priority cases, restore service levels and improve communication with affected members.

In response, we have set up a dedicated team to work urgently with Capita, with 650 full time staff across Government and Capita and with an aim to restoring normal service as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery.

Capita has prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. A similar position will be reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March.

Alongside these arrangements, Capita has prioritised payment of tax-free pension lump sums for members who had received quotations but were not in receipt of their benefits, with the vast majority of these having been paid in February.

Since 26 January, the recovery team has received detailed data on all the outstanding cases, allowing us to track progress and actively manage the most urgent situations.

The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.

No former civil servant should be facing financial hardship as a result of delays to their pension and we are supporting government employers to provide direct support to people facing delays in their first payments.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of compensating people who were unable to pay (a) mortgages, (b) credit card bills and (c) other household bills due to delays in payments from the Civil Service Pensions Scheme.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023.

The delays facing scheme members are unacceptable, and no former civil servant should face financial hardship as a result. There is a robust recovery plan in place to ensure normal service can resume as soon as possible.

Arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans of up to £5,000 (and up to £10,000 in exceptional cases) to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members.

Interest will be paid on delayed benefits to avoid financial loss by members. In addition, the existing statutory complaints process evaluates claims for financial losses, as well as distress and inconvenience caused, on a case-by-case basis to determine whether compensation is due. This ensures that any retiree who provides evidence of extra costs, such as bank penalties or interest charges caused by the delay, is fairly assessed. This process is run in accordance with the standards set by the Pensions Ombudsman. The Cabinet Office is working with Capita to ensure this process is applied as efficiently as possible.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance has the (a) Cabinet Office and (b) Civil Service People Group given to the Civil Service and Whitehall Departments on the potential implications of the Employment Tribunal decision of Renowden v Office for National Statistics of February 2019 on the use of temporary promotions without open and fair competition.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Government is committed to ensuring we attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds to help deliver on our priorities.

Neither the Cabinet Office or Government People Group has given additional guidance to Departments in relation to the use of temporary appointments. Decisions on the use of temporary recruitment are delegated to departments.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 2 February 2026 to Question 108091 on MHCLG: Repairs and Maintenance, on what date the PFI contract for 2 Marsham Street expires; and which organisation will own the building on expiry.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The PFI expiry date is 2nd April 2031. It is anticipated an option will be called to allow the property to revert to His Majesty’s Government ownership from that date.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the written statement of 19 January 2026 entitled A roadmap for modern digital government 2025-2030, HCWS1249, what estimate he has made of expected take-up of the proposed national digital identity scheme by 2030; whether any public services will require its use; what non-digital alternatives will remain available; and how the scheme will interact with existing identity verification systems used by local authorities and the NHS.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The scope of the digital ID scheme is still in development and we are inviting the public to have their say in the consultation as we develop an inclusive, trusted and useful system.

This Government recognises that around 1.5 million people in the UK are digitally excluded. That’s why we will deliver an ambitious inclusion programme working closely with employers, trade unions, civil society groups, the devolved governments, and other stakeholders.

Wider inclusion work is already underway - we set out a range of first steps in the Digital Inclusion Action Plan published in February last year and are working across government to reduce exclusion. There are no plans to make the national digital ID a requirement to access public services.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether any current Ministers were involved in the vetting process for Peter Mandelson to become UK ambassador to the US.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (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.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which public body holds the registered legal title of the Ministerial residences in (a) 11 Downing Street, (b) Admiralty House and (c) 1 Carlton Gardens.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

Information on property registered in England and Wales is available to the public by following the following link to HM Land Registry undertaking a search and paying the necessary fees - Search for land and property information

https://www.gov.uk/search-property-information-land-registry

The Government Property Agency (GPA), an executive agency of the Cabinet Office, holds Admiralty House following an administrative transfer in April 2018, and is responsible for the administration and payment of any tax liabilities.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to paragraph 88 of the policy paper entitled UK Government Resilience Action Plan, published on 14 July 2025, how many meetings have been attended by civil servants within their Department in relation to the Home Defence Programme; which directorate in the Department owns the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme; and what the job title is of the civil servant leading and cohering the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Resilience Action Plan sets out the Government’s strategic approach to how we will strengthen our domestic resilience and invest to protect the nation. Cabinet Office officials regularly attend meetings to discuss the implementation of the Resilience Action Plan as well as matters of national security and defence.

The Cabinet Office coordinates the Home Defence Programme working closely with the MoD and other departments. This is led by the COBR Director and COBR Directorate, with oversight by the Deputy National Security Advisor (DNSA) for Intelligence, Defence and Security.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Cabinet Office has declined to lay before Parliament a draft statutory code submitted by an arm's-length body between January 2015 and December 2025, where that code has not been subject to litigation.

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

The information requested is not held centrally by the Cabinet Office.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 22 December 2025 to Question 99535 on List of Ministerial Responsibilities, if he will list the full Ministerial responsibilities of the hon. Member for Makerfield.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Honorable Member for Makerfield is no longer serving as a Minister following his resignation on 28 February 2026.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what is the expected date for completion of the review into the material related to Lord Mandelson.

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.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what resources he has allocated to the disclosure process on the Peter Mandelson inquiry.

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.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Humble address of 4 February 2026, what material the ISC will have the authority to determine the publication of; and whether the Government will have a right to veto ISC decisions on the publication of documents.

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.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that all documents relevant to his Department's investigation into Peter Mandelson are received in a timely manner.

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.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, will the information received on the inquiry into Peter Mandelson be forwarded to the Intelligence and Security Committee (a) in tranches and (b) all together.

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.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Proprietary and Constitution Group is involved in ensuring compliance with the Humble Address motion of 4 February 2026.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Staff from across the Cabinet Office including but not limited to the Public Inquiry Response Unit and the Propriety and Constitution Group are involved in compliance with the Humble Address motion as necessary.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Public Inquiry Response Unit is involved in compliance with the Humble Address motion of 4 February 2026.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Staff from across the Cabinet Office including but not limited to the Public Inquiry Response Unit and the Propriety and Constitution Group are involved in compliance with the Humble Address motion as necessary.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department conducted a separate investigation into further wrongdoing following Peter Mandelson’s dismissal as Ambassador in September 2025.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

I refer you to the Oral Statement on the 23rd February, in the name of the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will ask the US Department of Justice to provide the unredacted email addresses of people included in the emails to Jeffery Epstein that included Government documents.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

A related police investigation is underway. The Government will support the police in whatever way it can.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make it his policy to approach the US Department of Justice to request whether there are additional communications held by the Department, but which have not been publicly disclosed, between Jeffery Epstein or his associates and to/from Peter Mandelson, that are outside the direct scope of the publication requirements of the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

A related police investigation is underway. The Government will support the police in whatever way it can.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will launch an independent inquiry into the potential role of Peter Mandelson in negotiating contracts between the UK Government and Palantir; and if he will make it his policy to publish the results of that inquiry.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Details of central government contracts above £12,000 for procurements commenced before 24 February 2025 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts procured under the Procurement Act 2023, which came into force on 24 February 2025, are published on the Central Digital Platform Find a Tender service.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether guidance has been issued to Ministers and officials in relation to messages that were subject to automatic deletion timers and existed at the time the Humble Address motion of 4 February 2026 was passed but have since expired.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

I refer you to the Government's response to the Urgent Question tabled on 12th February, the Written Ministerial Statement in the name of the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister that same day, and the Oral Statement on the 23rd February, in the name of the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, which set out an update on the Government's process and that Departments have been instructed to retain material that may be relevant to the motion.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what information his Department holds on the vetting process related to the appointment of Lord Mandelson as the UK Ambassador to the United States.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the evidence provided by Sir Oliver Robbins to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee on 03 November 2025, Q277, the Government's response to the Urgent Question tabled on 12th February, and the Written Ministerial Statement in the name of the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister that same day, which set out an update on the Government's process. We will set out further details in due course. The Government wishes to ensure that Parliament’s instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what criteria his Department plans to use to determine proposed (a) national security and (b) international relation redactions in the context of the Government’s response to the humble Address laid before the House on 4 February.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (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.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 24 February 2026 to Question 113130 on Official Cars: Global Positioning System, whether the location of the Government Car Service driver is shared with the Private Office via (a) text and (b) location sharing.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

I refer the Hon Member to my answer on 24 February 2026 (PQ 113130).

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to provide an answer to Question 110951.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

A response has been issued here.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to provide an answer to Question 110950.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

A response has been issued here.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many journeys were undertaken by civil servants using Government Car Service vehicles since 4 July 2024.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Government Car Service (GCS) provides vehicles to government departments as a shared resource. Individual departments determine the allocation and use of these vehicles in line with the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code. Information on the number of journeys undertaken is not held centrally by GCS.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Prime Minister was informed by the (a) US and (b) Israeli government of their intention to attack Iran prior to strikes being launched.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Government was informed of the action in advance.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what consideration has been made to exercise his contract termination rights on Clause 33.1 and 33.2 as outlined in the Pension Scheme Administration and Related Services Agreement between the Government and Capita Pensions Solutions Ltd.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. Although the contract was awarded to Capita in 2023, under the previous Government, I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita’s performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

The Cabinet Office will continue to use all available commercial levers to hold Capita to account and ensure they deliver the contractual service levels.

Furthermore, any further service failures by Capita will attract financial penalties, which will reduce the overall cost of the contract.

While at this time there are no plans to exercise contract termination rights on Clause 33.1 and 33.2 as outlined in the Pension Scheme Administration and Related Services Agreement between the Government and Capita Pensions Solutions Ltd. Our full focus is on stabilising the service and supporting any members experiencing hardship. We will conduct a full review once this has been achieved.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate has the Office for National Statistics made of the average house price of a (a) residential dwelling and (b) primary residence dwelling, in each (i) local authority area and (ii) Parliamentary constituency.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Rt Hon. gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 6th March is attached.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of recovering the total cost of civil servants supporting the Civil Service Pension Scheme recovery plan from Capita Pensions Solutions Ltd.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve. While HM Government is bearing the initial costs to protect vulnerable members and restore service requirements, it has not provided a fixed monthly estimate for the next 12 months. This is because formal commercial discussions with Capita Pensions Solutions Ltd in relation to the costs of this government intervention will commence once the service has successfully stabilised.

We are applying contractual levers available to us to deal with performance failures, and we continue to explore all commercial avenues to hold them to account for the quality of their delivery. For example, existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita’s performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

The Cabinet Office does not provide training to staff employed by Capita Pensions Solutions Ltd; instead, the contractor is responsible for ensuring its workforce meets the required proficiency standards. Staff must complete a training programme covering both systems and soft skills, with mandatory sign-offs required before they are permitted to handle specific case types. For sensitive cases involving bereaved individuals, Capita utilises a dedicated team where staff only progress to these complex queries after passing rigorous performance assessments.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the monthly cost of civil servants working on the Civil Service Pensions Scheme recovery plan for each of the next 12 months.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve. While HM Government is bearing the initial costs to protect vulnerable members and restore service requirements, it has not provided a fixed monthly estimate for the next 12 months. This is because formal commercial discussions with Capita Pensions Solutions Ltd in relation to the costs of this government intervention will commence once the service has successfully stabilised.

We are applying contractual levers available to us to deal with performance failures, and we continue to explore all commercial avenues to hold them to account for the quality of their delivery. For example, existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita’s performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

The Cabinet Office does not provide training to staff employed by Capita Pensions Solutions Ltd; instead, the contractor is responsible for ensuring its workforce meets the required proficiency standards. Staff must complete a training programme covering both systems and soft skills, with mandatory sign-offs required before they are permitted to handle specific case types. For sensitive cases involving bereaved individuals, Capita utilises a dedicated team where staff only progress to these complex queries after passing rigorous performance assessments.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department is providing training to staff employed by Capita Pensions Solutions Ltd in dealing with cases involving bereaved individuals.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve. While HM Government is bearing the initial costs to protect vulnerable members and restore service requirements, it has not provided a fixed monthly estimate for the next 12 months. This is because formal commercial discussions with Capita Pensions Solutions Ltd in relation to the costs of this government intervention will commence once the service has successfully stabilised.

We are applying contractual levers available to us to deal with performance failures, and we continue to explore all commercial avenues to hold them to account for the quality of their delivery. For example, existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita’s performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

The Cabinet Office does not provide training to staff employed by Capita Pensions Solutions Ltd; instead, the contractor is responsible for ensuring its workforce meets the required proficiency standards. Staff must complete a training programme covering both systems and soft skills, with mandatory sign-offs required before they are permitted to handle specific case types. For sensitive cases involving bereaved individuals, Capita utilises a dedicated team where staff only progress to these complex queries after passing rigorous performance assessments.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of operating a free telephone helpline for those contacting the Civil Service Pensions Scheme.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

As of the 2 March 2026 recovery update, performance at the contact centre has improved significantly following the deployment of additional helpline advisers. During the final week of February, more than 90% of calls were answered within 30 seconds. The overall call answer rate has now reached 99%.

The Cabinet Office utilises 0300 numbers for the CSPS in line with government-wide standards for public bodies. This model ensures that calls are treated as standard geographic numbers, making them free to the vast majority of the public who use inclusive minute plans. Transitioning to a free-to-caller 0800 number would incur significant additional administrative costs for the taxpayer; the department is instead focused on maintaining swift answer rates to ensure costs for all callers remain minimal.

The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update (2 March 2026) is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-update-2-march-2026

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the average waiting time is for members of the public to have their telephone call answered when contacting the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

As of the 2 March 2026 recovery update, performance at the contact centre has improved significantly following the deployment of additional helpline advisers. During the final week of February, more than 90% of calls were answered within 30 seconds. The overall call answer rate has now reached 99%.

The Cabinet Office utilises 0300 numbers for the CSPS in line with government-wide standards for public bodies. This model ensures that calls are treated as standard geographic numbers, making them free to the vast majority of the public who use inclusive minute plans. Transitioning to a free-to-caller 0800 number would incur significant additional administrative costs for the taxpayer; the department is instead focused on maintaining swift answer rates to ensure costs for all callers remain minimal.

The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update (2 March 2026) is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-update-2-march-2026

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the estimated cost per minute is for members of the public to contact the Civil Service Pension Scheme telephone helpline.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

As of the 2 March 2026 recovery update, performance at the contact centre has improved significantly following the deployment of additional helpline advisers. During the final week of February, more than 90% of calls were answered within 30 seconds. The overall call answer rate has now reached 99%.

The Cabinet Office utilises 0300 numbers for the CSPS in line with government-wide standards for public bodies. This model ensures that calls are treated as standard geographic numbers, making them free to the vast majority of the public who use inclusive minute plans. Transitioning to a free-to-caller 0800 number would incur significant additional administrative costs for the taxpayer; the department is instead focused on maintaining swift answer rates to ensure costs for all callers remain minimal.

The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update (2 March 2026) is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-update-2-march-2026

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2026 to Question 111950, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of its data-collection arrangements; and what steps he is taking to ensure that his Department is made aware of all high-value and cross-departmental contracts.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Strategic suppliers are selected based on the scale, scope and criticality of the services they provide, and are overseen centrally to observe their performance in the delivery of public services. Palantir is not a strategic supplier to government and there are no plans to classify the company as a strategic supplier at this time.

The two largest UK public sector contracts with Palantir are the NHS Federated Data Platform contract (FDP) and the MOD Palantir Enterprise Agreement (EA). These contracts were initially awarded by the previous government.

Further information on Crown Representatives and the strategic suppliers they work with is published on gov.uk. This list is under regular review and suppliers are added or removed as part of larger supplier segmentation exercises.

Details of central government contracts above £12,000 for procurements commenced before 24 February 2025 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts procured under the Procurement Act 2023, which came into force on 24 February 2025, are published on the Central Digital Platform Find a Tender service.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2026 to Question 111950 on Palantir: Contracts, what data his Department collects on the cumulative cost to the public purse of suppliers not classified as strategic that have contracts with more than one Government department with a total value in excess of £100 million.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Strategic suppliers are selected based on the scale, scope and criticality of the services they provide, and are overseen centrally to observe their performance in the delivery of public services. Palantir is not a strategic supplier to government and there are no plans to classify the company as a strategic supplier at this time.

The two largest UK public sector contracts with Palantir are the NHS Federated Data Platform contract (FDP) and the MOD Palantir Enterprise Agreement (EA). These contracts were initially awarded by the previous government.

Further information on Crown Representatives and the strategic suppliers they work with is published on gov.uk. This list is under regular review and suppliers are added or removed as part of larger supplier segmentation exercises.

Details of central government contracts above £12,000 for procurements commenced before 24 February 2025 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts procured under the Procurement Act 2023, which came into force on 24 February 2025, are published on the Central Digital Platform Find a Tender service.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2026 to Question 111950, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of designating Palantir Technologies a strategic supplier.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Strategic suppliers are selected based on the scale, scope and criticality of the services they provide, and are overseen centrally to observe their performance in the delivery of public services. Palantir is not a strategic supplier to government and there are no plans to classify the company as a strategic supplier at this time.

The two largest UK public sector contracts with Palantir are the NHS Federated Data Platform contract (FDP) and the MOD Palantir Enterprise Agreement (EA). These contracts were initially awarded by the previous government.

Further information on Crown Representatives and the strategic suppliers they work with is published on gov.uk. This list is under regular review and suppliers are added or removed as part of larger supplier segmentation exercises.

Details of central government contracts above £12,000 for procurements commenced before 24 February 2025 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts procured under the Procurement Act 2023, which came into force on 24 February 2025, are published on the Central Digital Platform Find a Tender service.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2026 to Question 111950, whether his Department plans to classify Palantir Technologies as a strategic supplier.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Strategic suppliers are selected based on the scale, scope and criticality of the services they provide, and are overseen centrally to observe their performance in the delivery of public services. Palantir is not a strategic supplier to government and there are no plans to classify the company as a strategic supplier at this time.

The two largest UK public sector contracts with Palantir are the NHS Federated Data Platform contract (FDP) and the MOD Palantir Enterprise Agreement (EA). These contracts were initially awarded by the previous government.

Further information on Crown Representatives and the strategic suppliers they work with is published on gov.uk. This list is under regular review and suppliers are added or removed as part of larger supplier segmentation exercises.

Details of central government contracts above £12,000 for procurements commenced before 24 February 2025 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts procured under the Procurement Act 2023, which came into force on 24 February 2025, are published on the Central Digital Platform Find a Tender service.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to assign Palantir Technologies a Crown Representative.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Strategic suppliers are selected based on the scale, scope and criticality of the services they provide, and are overseen centrally to observe their performance in the delivery of public services. Palantir is not a strategic supplier to government and there are no plans to classify the company as a strategic supplier at this time.

The two largest UK public sector contracts with Palantir are the NHS Federated Data Platform contract (FDP) and the MOD Palantir Enterprise Agreement (EA). These contracts were initially awarded by the previous government.

Further information on Crown Representatives and the strategic suppliers they work with is published on gov.uk. This list is under regular review and suppliers are added or removed as part of larger supplier segmentation exercises.

Details of central government contracts above £12,000 for procurements commenced before 24 February 2025 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts procured under the Procurement Act 2023, which came into force on 24 February 2025, are published on the Central Digital Platform Find a Tender service.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2026, to Question 111829 on Palantir, whether his Department holds a copy the presentation.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

A copy of the presentation was not shared with the Prime Minister’s Office.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 13 October 2025, to Question 71202, on Public Bodies: Freedom of Information, whether information held by civil servants who have now left Crown Service is in scope of the Humble Address on Lord Mandelson.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

I refer you 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.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Palantir's Government contract revenues will exceed £100 million in a single financial year from 2025-26 onwards.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Strategic suppliers are selected based on the scale, scope and criticality of the services they provide, and are overseen centrally to observe their performance in the delivery of public services. Palantir is not a strategic supplier to government and there are no plans to classify the company as a strategic supplier at this time.

The two largest UK public sector contracts with Palantir are the NHS Federated Data Platform contract (FDP) and the MOD Palantir Enterprise Agreement (EA). These contracts were initially awarded by the previous government.

Further information on Crown Representatives and the strategic suppliers they work with is published on gov.uk. This list is under regular review and suppliers are added or removed as part of larger supplier segmentation exercises.

Details of central government contracts above £12,000 for procurements commenced before 24 February 2025 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts procured under the Procurement Act 2023, which came into force on 24 February 2025, are published on the Central Digital Platform Find a Tender service.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many meetings he has had with his EU counterparts to discuss UK-EU relations following the UK-EU Summit 2025 - Joint Statement of 19 May 2025.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Minister for the Cabinet Office regularly speaks to his EU counterparts to discuss UK-EU relations on both a formal and informal basis.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring think tanks that seek to influence public policy to disclose their sources of private funding.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Electoral law already requires transparency where think tanks make political donations, campaign during elections, or work with political parties on regulated activity, and there are further restrictions on think tanks which have charitable status.

The Government also takes seriously the risk of improper or foreign financial influence on UK democracy. Philip Rycroft’s independent review is examining the wider framework for countering these risks across the political system and will inform the Government’s next steps.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of launching an independent review of the adequacy of the work of (a) MyCSP and (b) Capita Pensions Solutions in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

Current efforts are, rightly, focused on supporting service recovery, as the service moves into normal service levels, which we expect to occur by the end of June 2025. Once that is achieved, a review will be undertaken to look at what lessons can be learned for the future.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make it his policy to remain outside the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in the context of his negotiations with the EU, and the policies associated with EU/UK reset.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Common Understanding does not provide for oversight of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) within Great Britain or Northern Ireland. Instead it provides that the CJEU will have a limited role in assisting an independent arbitration tribunal responsible for deciding a dispute between the UK and the EU in relation to questions of EU law under any future SPS agreement, ETS linking agreement or an electricity agreement. The CJEU does not rule on the substantive outcome of the dispute - that is a matter for the independent arbitration panel.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether non-corporate communications including private email accounts are in scope of the Humble Address of 4 February 2026.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

I refer you to the Government's response to the Written Ministerial Statement in the name of the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister on 12 February, and Oral Statement on the 23 February which set out an update on the Government's process for complying with the Humble Address motion.

I also refer you 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.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the publication Cabinet Office: business expenses, hospitality and meetings for senior officials, July to September 2025, published on 16 December 2025, what external organisations did Ellen Atkinson in the Propriety and Constitution Group meet in Edinburgh and Belfast on 2 to 3 September 2025.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Ellen Atkinson did not travel to Edinburgh or Belfast between the 2nd and 3rd September 2025. This was an incorrect entry on the Cabinet Office's Senior Officials' Business Expenses publication, which has now been amended.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what advice departmental officials in charge of the Cabinet Office guidance on consultations have given departments on whether consultation responses submitted from organisations or individuals subject to a policy of non-engagement should be disregarded.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer on 16 January 2026 (103769).

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2026 to Question 116167 on Peers, whether a sitting peer removed from the Roll of the Peerage is eligible to be receive a Writ of Summons from the Lord Chancellor to Parliament.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Roll of the Peerage is an officially compiled and maintained list, intended to contain the names of all living peers. If a title has been removed from the Roll of the Peerage, it can no longer be used in official documents. Removal would not affect an individual’s membership of the House of Lords, where relevant, and an individual would still be entitled to receive a writ of summons if already eligible.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2026 to Question 116167 on Peers, what information his Department holds on whether the Duke of York requested that he was removed from the Roll of the Peerage.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

On 17 October 2025, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor voluntarily confirmed he would no longer use his title or the honours which had been conferred upon him. On 5 November 2025 he was removed from the Roll of the Peerage. The Government supports this decision taken by His Majesty The King.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason emails of 4 February 2026 were published as part of their release of documents around the appointment of Peter Mandelson; and whether more context for their inclusion will be provided.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

I refer you 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.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2026 to Question HL13539 on Special Advisers: Email, whether guidance or advice has been given to (a) officials and (b) special advisers on whether information held on non-corporated advices remains in scope of the Freedom of Information requests after they leave Crown Service.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Officials and special advisers are directed to guidance on use of Non Corporate Communication Channels on appointment and leaving of Crown Service.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many documents due to be disclosed in the Government’s response to the Humble Address will not be disclosed until after the legal proceedings being investigated by the Metropolitan Police.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

As per the statement from the Metropolitan Police on 4th February 2026, they are asking us to refrain from publishing any relevant documents that could prejudice their investigation. We do not comment on ongoing police investigations. The Government stands ready to support the police in whatever way it can.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Answer of 10 March 2026 to Question HL15172 on Civil Servants: Media and Public Speaking, what is the timetable for the policy development and publishing updated guidance; and whether the new guidance will be published on gov.uk.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The development of the updated guidance is a live policy area and it will be completed in due course. Publication plans will be confirmed when complete.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance has the (a) Cabinet Office Propriety and Constitution Group and (b) the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards given to Ministers on whether they must declare a (1) close personal or (2) sexual relationship in their declaration of Ministerial interests to (i) the Permanent Secretary and (ii) Independent Adviser, where such an individual has dealings with the Department.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Ministerial Code sets out the high standards of behaviour expected of those who serve in Government, including the requirement that ministers ensure that no conflict arises, or could reasonably be perceived to arise, between their public duties and their private interests, financial or otherwise

There is an established process in place for the declaration and management of private interests held by ministers, as set out in the Ministerial Code. This process ensures that steps are taken to avoid or mitigate any actual or perceived conflicts of interest.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, further to the Cabinet Office: business expenses, hospitality and meetings for senior officials, July to September 2025, published on 16 December 2025, whether the taxi journey recorded on 22 July 2025 for Ellen Atkinson in the Propriety and Constitution Group from central London to Foster & Partners in Battersea, at a cost of £18.95, what was the purpose of the meeting.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

This meeting was with Foster + Partners, the design team for the national memorial for Queen Elizabeth II to be built in St James’s Park, London.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 1 July 2025, to Question 62993, on King Charles III: Artworks, whether (a) Royal Armouries Museum, (b) Royal Museums Greenwich, (c) Historic Royal Palaces, (d) Royal Parks and (e) Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, took up the offer from the Cabinet Office of a free portrait of the King to place in their offices.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Public authorities throughout the United Kingdom were given an opportunity to apply for a free portrait of His Majesty The King if they wanted to display it in their building. This was a voluntary scheme to mark the accession of His Majesty The King. The announcement was originally made on 1 April 2023 and the scheme was launched in November that year and closed for applications in August 2024.

As it was a voluntary scheme, there was no obligation for public authorities to apply for a portrait. There may also be a variety of reasons as to why an institution did not order a portrait, such as suitable location or whether they had an existing portrait. It would therefore be inappropriate to release a simple list of individual authorities and institutions which did or did not order a free portrait.

I refer the Honourable Member to the information published on GOV.UK on 28 November 2024 which provided a summary of the His Majesty The King Official Portrait Scheme, including the number of portraits provided and the total cost of the scheme: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/conclusion-of-his-majesty-the-kings-free-portrait-scheme

The HMK Portrait scheme was launched on 14th November 2023 and, including two extensions of scope, ran until 15th August 2024. A total of 20,565 orders were received, the cost of which, including delivery, was £2,710,705.50 with an average price of £131.81 per portrait.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2026 to Question 116149 on Cabinet Office: Social Media, on what campaigns in (a) France and (b) the United States social media influencers were used; what messaging they promoted; and whether their social media posts stated they were being paid by the Government.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The campaigns in France and the United States are GREAT Audacious Kingdom and GREAT USA.

These campaigns are used to promote the UK internationally.

The Government works closely with its creative agency to ensure all partnerships with creators comply with Advertising Standards Authority guidance. This requirement is built into creators' contracts.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2026, to Question 110389, on Muslim Council of Britain, and to the answer of 11 February 2026, to Question 110397, on Public Order and Hate Crime Legislation Review, what is the policy of (a) Cabinet Office and (b) Downing Street on engagement with the Muslim Council of Britain.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Government’s policy of non-engagement with the Muslim Council of Britain has not changed.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what period of time is information on visits held on the Downing Street visitor notification system; and what happens to that information after that period of time.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

It would not be appropriate to disclose this information for security reasons.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether civil servants working in Number 10 have had meetings with Bute Energy since 4 July 2024.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Government does not comment on private meetings held by officials.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many officials in the Senior Civil Service were employed on a full-time equivalent basis in each of the last five years.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Information on the number of civil servants working at SCS level employed on a full-time equivalent basis is published annually by Cabinet Office as part of the accredited official statistics publication ‘Civil Service Statistics’. Data as at 31 March each year for the years 2021 to 2025 can be accessed through the ‘Civil Service Statistics data browser’ for each of these five years using the links below:

https://civil-service-statistics.jdac.service.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/data_browser_2025/Responsibility_level_grouped/index.html

https://civil-service-statistics.jdac.service.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/data_browser_2024/Responsibility_level_grouped/index.html

https://civil-service-statistics.jdac.service.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/data_browser_2023/Responsibility_level_grouped/index.html

https://civil-service-statistics.jdac.service.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/data_browser_2022/Responsibility_level_grouped/index.html

https://civil-service-statistics.jdac.service.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/data_browser_2021/Responsibility_level_grouped/index.html

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government plans to make the Civil Service Recruitment Framework (2022) publicly available.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

I refer to my predecessor’s answer for 100338, published 23 December 2025. There are no plans to publish this internal-facing framework to the public domain, as it constitutes HR-to-HR guidance designed for departments to integrate into their respective policies and processes.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants were employed in each Government department as of 1 January 2026.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Information on the number of civil servants employed in each Government department are published quarterly by Office for National Statistics (ONS) with a one quarter lag as part of their accredited official statistics publication ‘Public Sector Employment’. Latest data as at end September 2025 can be accessed using the web link below.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/datasets/publicsectoremploymentreferencetable

Information on Civil Service employment as at end December 2025 is scheduled for publication by ONS as part of these statistics on 19 March 2025.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2026, to Question 115437, on Civil Servants: Redundancy, if he will make it his policy to publish the information on projected exits in an anonymised or Barnardised format.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Departments publish details of exits made under the terms of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme within their Annual Report and Accounts.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions he has had with Capita on (a) its performance on delivering the Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) and (b) how he will hold Capita to account for the ongoing lack of system access and payment delays.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

I want to reassure you that the Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

Furthermore, Capita remains subject to all SLAs within the contract, which includes system access and timely payments. We are applying contractual levers available to us to deal with performance failures, and we continue to explore all commercial avenues to hold them to account for the quality of their delivery. For example, existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita’s performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

The Minister for the Cabinet Office has met with the Capita CEO both before and after the transition. This oversight is supported by Cabinet Office officials and the taskforce, who remain in daily contact with Capita leadership. Ministers are regularly updated with progress being made to ensure the recovery remains on track.

The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 20 January 2026, to Question 105533, on Civil Servants: Redundancy Pay, and to Question 105534, on Public Sector: Pay whether departments are required to report details of civil service leavers, and exit payments, to HM Treasury.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Departments are not required to report details of Civil Service leavers and exit payments under the terms of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme to HM Treasury. Departments publish information on exit payments and staffing numbers within their Annual Reports and Accounts. Departments are however required to report to HM Treasury the use of all special severance payments paid within the financial year in line with the published transparency requirements.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, through what mechanism his Department reminds public bodies of the requirements to submit public sector facility time data each year; and whether this includes an electronic communication to public bodies sent by the Cabinet Office.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Each year Cabinet Office sent an electronic communication, reminding those who had submitted public sector facility time data in the previous year, of the requirements to submit public sector facility time. Cabinet Office no longer sends any such communication, following the repeal of the requirement to report facility time data to the Cabinet Office as part of the Employment Rights Act (2025).

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether any independent oversight will exist where a Minister seeks to set a KPI that an official considers inconsistent with the Civil Service Code.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Civil Service Code sets out the steps that should be taken if civil servants believe they are being required to act in a way which conflicts with the Code.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his oral contribution of 23 February 2026 on Labour Together and APCO Worldwide: Cabinet Office Review, Official Report, Columns 28 and 29, whether the Independent Adviser will consider the conduct of the hon. Member for Makerfield before he became a Minister.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The advice and the exchange of letters between the Prime Minister and Josh Simons MP are on gov.uk.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will introduce a mandatory retirement age for (a) regulated public appointments and (b) direct ministerial appointments.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Departments follow published guidance when making regulated public appointments and direct ministerial appointments:

1. The “Governance Code on Public Appointments” sets out the process for making Public Appointments and includes the principle of appointment on merit.

2. The “Guidance on making Direct Ministerial Appointments” explains the processes departments should follow when making a Direct Ministerial Appointment.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 19 January 2026, to Question 104191, on Ministers: Public Appointments, whether the Cabinet Office holds desk notes on the appointment of peers.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Governance Code on Public Appointments sets out the process and principles on making regulated public appointments. The Cabinet Office regularly provides advice to help departments implement government policy as part of the normal workings of government.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance his Department has given to departments on whether members of HM Opposition undertaking official visits to (a) schools, (b) hospitals and (c) military barracks may post photographs of the visit.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

No such guidance has been given to departments.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason Question 111416 on Jeffrey Epstein and Lord Mandelson, tabled on 6 February for answer on 11 February 2026, has not been answered; and when he plans to answer it.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

An answer was made to UIN 111416 on 4 March.

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-02-06/111416

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will have discussions with the previous seven Cabinet Secretaries on information disclosed to them in diplomatic telegrams by overseas staff on the (a) personal use of UK diplomatic residences by Andrew Mountbatten Windsor when he was a UK Trade Envoy and (b) action taken following receipt of that information.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Rt Hon Member will be aware that a related police investigation is underway, as per the statement of Thames Valley Police on 19th February. The Government stands ready to support the police in whatever way it can.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether (1) Downing Street or (2) the wider Cabinet Office holds information on the (a) attendees and (b) cost of the Channukah reception in Downing Street on 16 December 2025; and whether this was a (i) political or (ii) official reception.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

As was the case under previous administrations, details of official receptions are published in quarterly transparency returns on gov.uk.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 11 December 2025 to Question 96206 on Lord Alli, whether people receiving No10 security passes were subject to security checks before the passes were given to then.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

In line with the approach of successive administrations, it would not be appropriate to confirm or deny the security clearance status of individuals.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the answer to question 42 at the Liaison Committee on 15th December 2025, whether the Prime Minister’s office has agreed a date to meet with the victims of press abuse.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 02 February, Official Report, PQ 107285.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 2 March 2026 to Question 115433 on Cabinet Office: Social Media, how much the Prime Minister’s Office has spent on social media influencers since July 2024.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

10 Downing Street has not spent money on social media influencers since July 2024.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he will make an assessment of the potential merits of legislation to prevent individuals who are unsuccessful in general elections from being appointed as peers.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

It is for party leaders to consider who is best placed to represent their party in the House of Lords when nominating individuals to the upper House.

The Government has introduced a requirement that all nominating parties need to provide a citation when nominating individuals for appointment to the House of Lords.

This is a straightforward but important change that provides greater clarity about why individuals are being nominated for appointment to the House of Lords.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much has been spent by the (a) Cabinet Office, (b) HM Treasury and (c) Government Property Agency on the Prime Minister’s official residence in 11 Downing Street since 4 July 2024.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

I refer the Hon Member to the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts, which contains the total expenditure on the Prime Minister’s residence.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 2 June 2025 to Question 54277 on Cabinet Office: Freedom of Information, when he plans to lay the updated Handbook in the Library of the House.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Updates to the Honours Committee handbook are ongoing. Once these updates have been completed, the relevant version will be laid in the House Library.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 24 February 2026, to Question 110815, on Special Advisers: ICT, what the status is of electronic records held on non-corporate communication devices by Morgan McSweeney; and what is the retention policy in relation to information held on his corporate devices and systems, including (a) no10 email and (b) no10 whatsapp.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Special Advisers are expected to comply with the Cabinet Office policies on the management of information and records. All official business should be conducted using official systems wherever possible. Where official information is created or received on non corporate communication devices, it must be handled in accordance with records management requirements, including being transferred to an appropriate official system where it forms part of the official record.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 26 February 2026, to Question 114869, on Civil Servants: Media and Public Speaking, and with reference to the policy development referenced in the answer of 3 February 2026, to Question HL13976, whether following the letter from the Institute for Government of 28 July 2025 and the reply from the Minister for the Cabinet Office of 14 October 2025, there is an intention to amend the current version of the guidance to Civil Servants on media and public speaking, separate to the guidance in the Civil Service Management Code.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

I refer the Right Hon Gentleman to the answer to Parliamentary Question 114869.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Answer of 12 March 2024 to Question 16665 on Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Offenders, whether Ministers are asked to declare a criminal convention when joining the Department.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

I refer the Honourable Member to the government’s response to his previous question of 9 December 2025, reference 96210.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the Parliamentary Secretary is scheduled to end her maternity leave.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Satvir Kaur MP was on maternity leave from her role as Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office from 7 September 2025 until 22 February 2026, with a phased return from January 2026.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will commission a review into the due diligence process for political peerage nominations.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made by the Prime Minister on 19 June 2025, Official Report, HCWS718.

Found: Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations Cabinet Office

Found: We intend to advertise on the Cabinet Office Public Appointments website, via social media channels,

Found: forward’ 4 DWP (2025) Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2024 5 Cabinet Office

Found: Co-ordination should also be led by a reinstated, permanent Child Poverty Unit within the Cabinet Office

Found: March 2026 12 Cabinet Office, Child Poverty Strategy: Monitoring and Evaluation Framework, 5 December

Found: exploitation, 2025 20 Far from settled: The government’s ‘earned settlement’ consultation | IPPR 21 Cabinet Office

Found: We commend the work of the Child Poverty Unit based in the Cabinet Office, and strongly support the

Found: London: Cabinet Office and Department for Work and Pensions, 5 December.

Found: responsibility is expected to sit with the Department for Work and Pensions, supported by the Cabinet Office

Found: Placing the Child Poverty Unit in the Cabinet Office could help maintain this focus. March 2026

Found: families. 3.5 We are concerned about the potential downgrading of the Child Poverty Unit in the Cabinet Office

Found: This might be best achieved by retaining an element of central oversight in the Cabinet Office or No

Found: academy sector available to Parliament , the education sector and the public, such as the Cabinet Office

Found: In close partnership with the Cabinet Office, Capita has reached the milestones it outlined to the Committee

Found: initial draft were developed in conjunction with other UK Government departments and with the Cabinet Office

Found: by the Crown Dependencies whose relationships with HMG are led by the Justice Department, the Cabinet Office

Found: It builds on policy and best practice, as set by the Cabinet Office, and the National Technical Authorities

Found: largest cost category and are highly variable by sector, but indicative estimates from the Cabinet Office

Found: www.restorationandrenewal.uk/sites/default/files/2024-03/rr_22- 23_ara_050723_cert_online_v5_u.pdf [11] Cabinet Office

Found: in education, employment or training (NEET), 2025; ONS, Employment and labour market, 2025 7 Cabinet Office

Found: Old Admiralty Building London SW1A 2HQ Rt Hon Nick Thomas–Symonds MP Minister for the Cabinet Office

Found: Torsten Bell: Responsibility for the civil service pension scheme lies with the Cabinet Office, so I

Found: We will be adhering to the Cabinet Office "New Bodies Approval process" as this is a crucial control

Found: other departments, the HO will work with the Ministry of Defence (MoD), Ministry of Justice and Cabinet Office

Found: March and the result of this phase will inform the plans for the 2026/27 activity, subject to Cabinet Office

Found: children and ensure that they are not adversely impacted. 2 See Guide to Making Legislation, Cabinet Office

Found: Additionally, we continue to follow Cabinet Office policy on the use of Government Procurement Cards

Found: Jones MP Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Cabinet Office

Found: Letter from Rt Hon Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, Minister for the Cabinet Office & His Majesty’s Paymaster

Found: obviously work very closely with the Prime Minister’s team, the National Security Secretariat in the Cabinet Office

Found: Between the Cabinet Office and this Committee, we are very keen to have more formalised, strategic tracking

Found: Darren Jones MP Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Cabinet Office

Found: /media/67d04b8989fd153fd9f29a36/regulating-for- growth-regulatory-reform-action-plan.pdf [2] Cabinet Office

Found: Letter from the Chief Executive of the Cabinet Office relating to Follow Up - Estimation of counter fraud

Found: Again, it would be the Cabinet Office owning and managing that risk; for example, if you are talking

Found: met folks from the UK mission and from the EU, mainly the joint committee, and folks from the Cabinet Office

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to page 92 of the Strategic Defence Review, how many meetings officials from their Department have attended on the national conversation on defence and security; which directorate in their Department is responsible for the departmental contribution to that national conversation; and what the job title is of the official responsible.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Officials from the department regularly attend meetings to discuss matters of national security, defence and resilience as well as the associated public communications required to deliver these lines of efforts. The conversation on national defence was a recommendation in the 2025 Strategic Defence Review (SDR), which the government accepted. The Ministry of Defence is the lead department for delivering the SDR, with support from the Cabinet Office, and particularly from the National Security Secretariat.

As set out in the SDR, the national conversation will be a multi-year, cross-departmental effort designed to deliver on the whole-of-society approach to national security and defence allowing government, the private sector and public to play their part in strengthening the UK’s resilience to any potential future shocks. This work addresses the risks and threats the UK faces, including those below and above the threshold of an armed attack.

The department is actively supporting this work. It plans to promote communications as part of National Preparedness Week later this year and is increasing engagement with its sectors on resilience issues.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the remit of the Defending Democracy Taskforce will be extended to consider what action may be required to protect democratic integrity in the UK from sectarianism.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Defending Democracy Taskforce (DDTF) has a mandate from the Prime Minister to coordinate and drive forward a whole of government response to the full range of threats to our democracy, including protecting democratic integrity.

The Taskforce monitors evolving threats as they arise and remains flexible to respond effectively and promptly where necessary.

For example, the Joint Election Security and Preparedness (JESP) Unit, which sits jointly between Cabinet Office and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government is standing up an election cell ahead of upcoming local elections in England and devolved elections in Scotland and Wales.

This brings together government departments, the police, the intelligence agencies, the Devolved Governments, and external partners to monitor and respond to any emerging issues across physical, cyber and information security.

Question

To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, with reference to the urgent question of 23 February 2026, on Labour Together and APCO Worldwide: Cabinet Office Review, if the Electoral Commission will publish their internal report on Labour Together.

Answered by Jeremy Wright

The Commission does not publish internal documents relating to its regulatory work. It publishes information about recently closed investigations every month, including the possible offences it investigated, the outcome and any further action. An overview of the Commission’s investigation into Labour Together is listed under April 2021 – March 2022.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 88 of the policy paper entitled UK Government Resilience Action Plan, published on 14 July 2025, how many meetings have been attended by civil servants within their Department in relation to the Home Defence Programme; which directorate in the Department owns the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme; and what the job title is of the civil servant leading and cohering the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Senior officials from the Resilience and Recovery Directorate in MHCLG regularly attend meetings to discuss matters of national security, defence and resilience as well as the associated public communications required to deliver these lines of efforts. The conversation on National Defence was a recommendation in the 2025 Strategic Defence Review (SDR), which the Government accepted. The Ministry of Defence is the lead department for delivering the SDR, with support from the Cabinet Office, and particularly from the National Security Secretariat.

As set out in the Strategic Defence Review, the national conversation will be a multi-year, cross-departmental effort designed to deliver on the whole-of-society approach to national security and defence allowing Government, the private sector and public to play their part in strengthening the UK’s resilience to any potential future shocks. This work addresses the risks and threats the UK faces, including those below and above the threshold of an armed attack.

MHCLG is actively supporting this work, including liaising with Local Resilience Forums.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to delay departmental decisions on academy closures or mergers in Norfolk until after the 2026 local elections.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

In line with the Cabinet Office May 2026 elections guidance, during the three weeks preceding local authority elections, the department will take special care in relation to decisions, announcements and other public actions which could have a bearing on the elections.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with his Cabinet Office colleagues on publishing the Defence Investment Plan during a period of purdah.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

We will publish the Defence Investment Plan (DIP) as soon as possible. It is essential that we take the time required to ensure decisions are robust and support the transformation of the Armed Forces outlined in the Strategic Defence Review. Once finalised, the DIP will be laid before Parliament in accordance with the appropriate Parliamentary procedures. As always, the Government will adhere to pre‑election period restrictions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the final report of the Infected Blood Inquiry, published on 20 May 2024, whether any ongoing access to (a) patient notes, (b) tissue samples and (c) post‑mortem material is being carried out under (i) public health legislation and (ii) other regulatory powers.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Given the long-running nature of the infected blood scandal, not all medical records will still be available, and eligibility for compensation will be determined based on the balance of probabilities.

The Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) will try to get as much information, including medical records and information about an applicant’s condition, from organisations who already have this information. This should mean those claiming will be asked for the least amount of information possible.

The IBCA will provide assistance to those who believe their medical records have been lost or destroyed. The role of the IBCA’s claim managers includes helping individuals who are claiming to gather information, including medical evidence where available, to support their claim.

In July 2025, the Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Office wrote to the chairs of the Public Accounts and Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committees to set out the measures being taken to prioritise faster payments to victims of the infected blood scandal. One of these measures is to use the powers in the Victims and Prisoners Act to get records from the Infected Blood Inquiry, and using testimony to contribute to the assessment of proof of infection.

Organisations that remove, store, and use human tissue for some types of health research, medical treatment, post-mortem examination, education and training, and for display in public, are independently regulated by the Human Tissue Authority.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2025to Question 96897 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Public Appointments, when and where he will publish this this information; and if it will include all sitting DMAs.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Cabinet Office has created a gov.uk page for departments to publish Direct Ministerial Appointments (DMAs). In line with their guidance, MHCLG now publishes details of all new appointments and extensions, and extant appointments will be published in due course.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department had correspondence with Global Counsel between 10 February 2025 and 11 September 2025.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Yes. Cabinet Office are collating a cross-government response to the Humble Address related to Lord Mandelson and relevant papers will be provided to the House.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many staff are working in the team responsible for reviewing records relating to the period in which Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor served as the UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, expressed as (a) number of staff and (b) full-time equivalent hours.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Department for Business and Trade is leading the Government’s response to the Humble Address on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s appointment as Special Representative on Trade and Investment. A small, Director-led team is co-ordinating work to identify relevant records, assisting Ministers to meet their obligations to the House, and supporting the ongoing police investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct in office. The team is also working to support the Government’s response to the Humble Address on Peter Mandelson. The team is drawing extensively on support from officials across the Department, particularly staff with expertise on historical records management. The team is also working closely with other Whitehall Departments, particularly teams in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Cabinet Office. We will update the House on this work as soon as is practicable.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether any of the staff working in the team responsible for reviewing records relating to the period in which Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor served as the UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment are also working on the Government response to the Humble address on Mandelson.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Department for Business and Trade is leading the Government’s response to the Humble Address on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s appointment as Special Representative on Trade and Investment. A small, Director-led team is co-ordinating work to identify relevant records, assisting Ministers to meet their obligations to the House, and supporting the ongoing police investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct in office. The team is also working to support the Government’s response to the Humble Address on Peter Mandelson. The team is drawing extensively on support from officials across the Department, particularly staff with expertise on historical records management. The team is also working closely with other Whitehall Departments, particularly teams in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Cabinet Office. We will update the House on this work as soon as is practicable.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the staff working in the team responsible for reviewing records relating to the period in which Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor served as the UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment are dedicated exclusively to that work.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Department for Business and Trade is leading the Government’s response to the Humble Address on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s appointment as Special Representative on Trade and Investment. A small, Director-led team is co-ordinating work to identify relevant records, assisting Ministers to meet their obligations to the House, and supporting the ongoing police investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct in office. The team is also working to support the Government’s response to the Humble Address on Peter Mandelson. The team is drawing extensively on support from officials across the Department, particularly staff with expertise on historical records management. The team is also working closely with other Whitehall Departments, particularly teams in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Cabinet Office. We will update the House on this work as soon as is practicable.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether any civil servants hired by his Department were recruited over another person on the basis of a protected characteristic in each of the last three years.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Civil Service recruitment is governed by the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, which requires that all appointments to the Civil Service are made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition.

The Cabinet Office does not recruit candidates on the basis of protected characteristics. All appointments are made on merit, in line with the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. Compliance with these principles is overseen by the independent Civil Service Commission.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what away days has his Department organised for locations outside departmental buildings since March 2025, and at what cost.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Cabinet Office guidance which was issued by the current Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, is that government offices should not hold away days in non-government buildings and DWP complies with this guidance.

Government-branded merchandise and away days banned - GOV.UK

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether any (a) policy documents, (b) staff guidance, (c) equality strategies or (d) training materials used by the Cabinet Office People Group or the Office for Equality and Opportunity reference the concept of white privilege.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We established the office for Equality and Opportunity to lead work to ensure that whoever you are, wherever you come from, Britain is a country that will respect your contribution and give you a fair chance to get on in life.

The Government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and improving outcomes for everyone.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the written statement of 2 March 2026, HCWS1375, on Flexible Voting Pilots, and with reference to the list of councils with elections in the Cabinet Office purdah guidance published on 2 March 2026, when will North Hertfordshire District Council hold its next local election.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

North Hertfordshire District Council elections are not listed in the Cabinet Office pre-election period guidance because they do not have scheduled elections in 2026. The government remains committed to the indicative timetable for local government reorganisation set out in July 2025, including for Hertfordshire, with elections to the new councils scheduled for May 2027.

In addition, for the 2026 parish council elections, the Hertfordshire parishes of Codicote, Kimpton, Knebworth and Royston will take part in the flexible voting scheme for polls on 7 May 2026.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of delaying decisions on school closures until after the 2026 local elections in relevant local authorities.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department has not made such an assessment.

However, in line with the Cabinet Office May 2026 elections guidance, during the three weeks preceding local authority elections the department takes special care in relation to announcements, including academy closures, and other public actions which could have a bearing on the elections.

Local authorities are the decision makers for proposals to close maintained schools. Local authorities are subject to their own restrictions when elections are taking place.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will list the reference numbers and topics of the National Archives papers that were due for release in December 2025 in relation to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor that were subsequently recalled, and what role DCMS Ministers played in the decision to recall them.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

No records were recalled. One record (PREM 49/4325, ROYAL FAMILY. Visits; part 3) was temporarily withdrawn from access following discussions between the Cabinet Office and The National Archives so that minor redactions could be applied to comply with GDPR and Freedom of Information exemptions.

DCMS Ministers were not involved in these discussions.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many civil servants are currently working to locate and identify files relating to the period in which Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor served as the UK’s Special Representative for International Trade and Investment.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Department for Business and Trade is leading the Government’s response to the Humble Address on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s appointment as Special Representative on Trade and Investment and has set up a small, Director-led team to co-ordinate work to identify relevant records, assist Ministers to meet their obligations to the House, and support the ongoing police investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct in office. The team is also working to support the Government’s response to the Humble Address on Peter Mandelson. The team is drawing extensively on support from officials across the Department, particularly staff with expertise on historical records management. The team is also working closely with other Whitehall Departments, particularly teams in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Cabinet Office.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to answer to the question 118015, what are the timescales for the publication of the government commissioned study on the costs of innovative undergrounding methods for transmission lines over distances of 20km to 50km.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The study on costs of innovative undergrounding methods for transmission lines is being prepared for publication shortly and in line with Cabinet Office May 2026 pre-election guidance.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to harmonise pay, terms and conditions for staff transferring to the Fair Work Agency from (a) Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, (b) The Employment Agency Standards inspectorate, (c) the Office of the Director of Labour Standards Enforcement and (d) HMRC National Minimum Wage Unit.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Creating the Fair Work Agency is a significant step forward in strengthening the enforcement of employment rights. All transfers of staff into the organisation will be carried out in line with the principles set out in the Cabinet Office Statement of Practice regarding such matters.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to page 92 of the Strategic Defence Review, how many meetings officials from their Department have attended on the national conversation on defence and security; which directorate in their Department is responsible for the departmental contribution to that national conversation; and what the job title is of the official responsible.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Officials from the Department for Work and Pensions regularly attend meetings to discuss matters of national security, defence and resilience as well as the associated public communications required to deliver these lines of efforts. The conversation on National Defence was a recommendation in the 2025 Strategic Defence Review (SDR), which the Government accepted. The Ministry of Defence is the lead department for delivering the SDR, with support from the Cabinet Office, and particularly from the National Security Secretariat.

As set out in the Strategic Defence Review, the national conversation will be a multi-year, cross-departmental effort designed to deliver on the whole-of-society approach to national security and defence allowing Government, the private sector and public to play their part in strengthening the UK’s resilience to any potential future shocks. This work addresses the risks and threats the UK faces, including those below and above the threshold of an armed attack.

The Department for Work and Pensions is actively supporting this work.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to page 92 of the Strategic Defence Review, how many meetings officials from their Department have attended on the national conversation on defence and security; which directorate in their Department is responsible for the departmental contribution to that national conversation; and what the job title is of the official responsible.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Officials from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology regularly attend meetings to discuss matters of national security, defence and resilience as well as the associated public communications required to deliver these lines of efforts. The conversation on National Defence was a recommendation in the 2025 Strategic Defence Review (SDR), which the Government accepted. The Ministry of Defence is the lead department for delivering the SDR, with support from the Cabinet Office, and particularly from the National Security Secretariat.

As set out in the Strategic Defence Review, the national conversation will be a multi-year, cross-departmental effort designed to deliver on the whole-of-society approach to national security and defence allowing Government, the private sector and public to play their part in strengthening the UK’s resilience to any potential future shocks. This work addresses the risks and threats the UK faces, including those below and above the threshold of an armed attack.

DSIT is actively supporting this work.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 88 of the policy paper entitled UK Government Resilience Action Plan, published on 14 July 2025, how many meetings have been attended by civil servants within their Department in relation to the Home Defence Programme; which directorate in the Department owns the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme; and what the job title is of the civil servant leading and cohering the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Resilience Action Plan sets out the Government’s strategic approach to how we will strengthen our domestic resilience and invest to protect the nation. Ministry of Defence officials regularly attend meetings to discuss the implementation of the Resilience Action Plan as well as matters of national security and defence.

The Ministry of Defence is actively contributing to this work, particularly playing a key role within the Cabinet Office-led Home Defence Programme. This is clear from the recent comments by the Chief of the Defence Staff at the Munich Security Conference. Under Defence Reform, the Ministry of Defence have set up dedicated civil servant and military teams to cohere the planning and to input to the Home Defence programme. The work is led from within the Defence Security Policy and Military Strategy Operations and Commitments areas, under DG Security Policy and Deputy Chief of Defence Staff Military Strategy and Operations, working across the Department of State, Military Strategic Headquarters, Defence Nuclear Enterprise and National Armaments Directorate Group. There is a dedicated SCS2 senior civil servant, Director Homeland Defence and Strategic Threats, who with Assistant Chief Defence Staff Military Strategy is cohering the programme across the SCS2/2 star civil servant and military leads delivering different aspect of the programme.

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Found: As the Cabinet Office notes in its guidance, ombudsmen can make recommendations for a change of practice

Found: that under Managing Public Money guidance required additional authorities from DWP, HMT and Cabinet Office

Found: that under Managing Public Money guidance required additional authorities from DWP, HMT and Cabinet Office

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Found: meeting was chaired by the Rt Hon Damian Green MP, First Secretary of State and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Found: To this end, the BFI and DCMS shall: ● have regard to Cabinet Office guidance

Found: of several Department for Transport (DfT) public bodies being reviewed as part of the wider Cabinet Office

Found: Related Publications Cabinet Office publish annual Civil Service employment statistics.

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Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the proposal to extend free bus travel to all people on universal credit to improve access to employment and essential services, and what progress has been made in reforming public debt recovery processes to ensure that debt owed to the Scottish Government does not push families into destitution and hunger.

Answered by Somerville, Shirley-Anne - Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice

The Scottish Government will continue to monitor the National Concessionary Travel Schemes to ensure their longer- term sustainability. At present the Scottish Government has no plans to extend the concessionary travel schemes beyond the current eligibility criteria. Any decisions will be for the next Parliament to consider.

The Scottish Government recognises the financial pressures that many households are experiencing, including debts to public sector bodies. Scottish Ministers have consistently encouraged public bodies to share good practice on debt assistance and collection and to show empathy and dignity when working with people struggling with debts including an assessment of affordability to repay debt. This includes using the Collaborative Council Tax Collection Guide[1] and Good practice principles for managing school meal debt[2] published by COSLA in February 2023 following engagement with local government partners. We have allocated £2.22m in 2025-26 to support a national Council Tax Debt Project delivered by Citizen’s Advice Scotland. In addition to enabling increased debt advice provision across the whole of Scotland for those in Council Tax arrears, this project is supporting the development of national resources which can help support the best practice principles in Council Tax collection.

The Scottish Government supported the inclusion of provisions during the passage of The Housing (Scotland) Act 2025 which require a review of how joint and several liability for Council Tax arrears affects people experiencing domestic abuse. This review will help councils navigate these complex cases with greater care and understanding, ensuring that support is available. Scottish Ministers have also committed to consult on the question of prescription periods and Council Tax in the next Parliament, so that any reform balances fairness for households with the need to protect local services and is robust and workable.

The Scottish Government has liaised with the Cabinet Office and HMRC to explore data sharing opportunities which improve Council Tax debtor data-sharing channels between Scottish local authorities and HMRC. New data-sharing pathways have been agreed which will support local authorities in enacting fair debt recovery and help identify and support vulnerable debtors while increasing uptake of the Scottish Government’s means tested Council Tax Reduction scheme. This scheme ensures that nobody in Scotland should have to meet a Council Tax liability they cannot be expected to afford.

These new data-sharing pathways represent an opportunity to support fairer debt recovery, help identify and support vulnerable debtors, and increase uptake of the Council Tax Reduction scheme by identifying eligible non-recipients.

Scottish Ministers continue to work with COSLA through the Joint Working Group on Sources of Local Government Funding and Council Tax Reform to encourage the adoption of best practice on debt collection and advice.

In addition, Social Security Scotland is committed to delivering a debt management service that is responsive to clients’ needs while protecting the public purse. This includes an approach for vulnerable clients that includes training debt officers to identify and sensitively handle potential hardship and vulnerable clients, as well as signposting them to support and advocacy groups.

[1]Collaborative Council Tax Collection (improvementservice.org.uk)

[2]Good-Practice-Principles-for-School-Meal-Debt-Management.pdf (cosla.gov.uk)

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Found: retirement and interaction with Welsh Government policies where there may be overlap between Cabinet Office

Found: The Welsh Government’s approach to SCS workforce matters is determined by the framework Cabinet Office

Found: The Welsh Government has also worked with DSIT and Cabinet Office on a more coordinated approach to engagement

Found: London: Behavioural Insights Team with HM Cabinet Office.

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Found: E-PIMS is a UK Government platform administered by the Cabinet Office.

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