Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 10 October 2025, to Question 74211, on Prime Minister: Recruitment, if he will list the information requested for appointments below SCS2.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 10 October 2025, Official Report, PQ 74211.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to (a) amend and (b) modernise the Lieutenancies Act 1997.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
There are no plans to amend or update the Lieutenancies Act 1997.
Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment the Investment Security Unit has made of the effectiveness of (a) the Planning Inspectorate and (b) Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project processes to safeguard against national security risks from investment by (i) inappropriate or (ii) hostile overseas sources.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Investment Security Unit in the Cabinet Office is responsible for administering the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act 2021, which provides robust investment screening powers for the Government to scrutinise and, where necessary, intervene in acquisitions which could present a risk to the UK’s national security. If required, the Government has the ability to impose conditions, block or unwind acquisitions.
The Government welcomes investment as part of our mission to boost growth, but only where it meets our regulatory requirements and does not compromise our national security. We will not hesitate to use our powers to protect national security where we identify concerns.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, further to the IGR Secretariat Annual Report 2023-24, published on 5 November 2025, when will the report for 2024-25 be published.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The impartial IGR Secretariat intends to publish their 2024-25 Annual Report in the spring.
Asked by: Lorraine Beavers (Labour - Blackpool North and Fleetwood)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress he has made on the launch of Community Help Partnerships.
Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Government announced Community Help Partnerships (CHPs) at the Spending Review. Since then, we have been working closely with a wide range of stakeholders—including people with lived experience, the voluntary sector, and central and local government—to design a programme of preventative support for adults experiencing disadvantage.
This will build on learning from the Changing Futures’ crisis-focused programme. CHPs will go further in addressing systemic barriers to allow local services to provide better integrated, earlier preventative support. The Cabinet Office is working closely with MHCLG to coordinate the two programmes.
We are continuing to explore how to strengthen alignment with wider place-based public sector reform. Further details will be announced in due course.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of temporary workers employed across the UK during the Christmas period in the a) postal and b) courier sectors.
Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question's of 21st November is attached.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish data on the most recent estimate of Christmas seasonal vacancies in the postal sector.
Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question's of 21st November is attached.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps is the Government taking to review public sector cloud services procurement practices in light of the Competition and Markets Authority's finding that Microsoft and AWS hold approximately 70% market share between them; and will the Government publish guidance on competitive tendering to ensure value for money.
Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Further to the Competition and Markets Authority findings, the Crown Commercial Service, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Cabinet Office are exploring measures to strengthen value for money and promote supplier diversification.
Procurement guidance is kept under regular review, and we will consider issuing further guidance as needed to support value for money.
Asked by: Lorraine Beavers (Labour - Blackpool North and Fleetwood)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how the new Community Help Partnerships will differ from the Changing Futures Programme.
Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Government announced Community Help Partnerships (CHPs) at the Spending Review. Since then, we have been working closely with a wide range of stakeholders—including people with lived experience, the voluntary sector, and central and local government—to design a programme of preventative support for adults experiencing disadvantage.
This will build on learning from the Changing Futures’ crisis-focused programme. CHPs will go further in addressing systemic barriers to allow local services to provide better integrated, earlier preventative support. The Cabinet Office is working closely with MHCLG to coordinate the two programmes.
We are continuing to explore how to strengthen alignment with wider place-based public sector reform. Further details will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Lorraine Beavers (Labour - Blackpool North and Fleetwood)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how allocations will be decided for new Community Help Partnerships.
Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Government announced Community Help Partnerships (CHPs) at the Spending Review. Since then, we have been working closely with a wide range of stakeholders—including people with lived experience, the voluntary sector, and central and local government—to design a programme of preventative support for adults experiencing disadvantage.
This will build on learning from the Changing Futures’ crisis-focused programme. CHPs will go further in addressing systemic barriers to allow local services to provide better integrated, earlier preventative support. The Cabinet Office is working closely with MHCLG to coordinate the two programmes.
We are continuing to explore how to strengthen alignment with wider place-based public sector reform. Further details will be announced in due course.