Asked by: Baroness Finn (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what changes have been made to the collection of political activity data in relation to regulated public appointments since the public data appointments reporting year 2024–25.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
This was not a decision taken by ministers. The Public Appointments Data Report 2024-25 did not include information on the political activity of public appointees due to the transition to the public appointments digital service in 2023.
The Commissioner for Public Appointments Annual Report 2024-25 was published on 17 December. For appointments made during the reporting period, the report provides the percentage of appointees who declared political activity. It does not provide a breakdown of political activity by party for the reason stated above.
Asked by: Baroness Finn (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many regulated public appointments made since 4 July 2024 have made a declaration of political activity relating to the Labour Party.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
This was not a decision taken by ministers. The Public Appointments Data Report 2024-25 did not include information on the political activity of public appointees due to the transition to the public appointments digital service in 2023.
The Commissioner for Public Appointments Annual Report 2024-25 was published on 17 December. For appointments made during the reporting period, the report provides the percentage of appointees who declared political activity. It does not provide a breakdown of political activity by party for the reason stated above.
Asked by: Baroness Finn (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Cabinet Office report Public Appointments Data Report 2024–25, published on 2 December, whether the forthcoming annual report of the Public Appointments Commissioner will include political activity statistics for 2024–25.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
This was not a decision taken by ministers. The Public Appointments Data Report 2024-25 did not include information on the political activity of public appointees due to the transition to the public appointments digital service in 2023.
The Commissioner for Public Appointments Annual Report 2024-25 was published on 17 December. For appointments made during the reporting period, the report provides the percentage of appointees who declared political activity. It does not provide a breakdown of political activity by party for the reason stated above.
Asked by: Baroness Finn (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government why the Cabinet Office report Public Appointments Data Report 2024–25, published on 2 December, does not include political activity statistics; and who took the decision not to include those statistics.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
This was not a decision taken by ministers. The Public Appointments Data Report 2024-25 did not include information on the political activity of public appointees due to the transition to the public appointments digital service in 2023.
The Commissioner for Public Appointments Annual Report 2024-25 was published on 17 December. For appointments made during the reporting period, the report provides the percentage of appointees who declared political activity. It does not provide a breakdown of political activity by party for the reason stated above.
Asked by: Baroness Finn (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to Ministers' Gifts and Hospitality: Publication Guidance, published on 30 January, whether ministerial gifts and hospitality which were accepted and subsequently reimbursed or repaid to the donor by (1) the Prime Minister, (2) the Deputy Prime Minister, (3) the Chancellor of the Exchequer, are (a) included, or (b) omitted, from the Register of Ministers’ Gifts and Hospitality.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Details of gifts and hospitality received by the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer in a ministerial capacity have been declared in line with the requirements of the Ministerial Code and Cabinet Office guidance.
In line with these requirements, the Cabinet Office publishes a Register of Ministers' Gifts and Hospitality each month, which can be found, alongside the publication guidance, at the following address -
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/register-of-ministers-gifts-and-hospitality
Asked by: Baroness Finn (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office on 6 June (HC53886), how many domestic flights in total were travelled by the Prime Minister on official business since 5 July 2024, counting each one-way journey as one flight.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
It has been the practice of successive administrations not to publish granular information relating to the official movements of Ministers and those accompanying them within the United Kingdom for security reasons. Information about official overseas travel is published as part of the Cabinet Office transparency returns and made available on the GOV.UK website.
Asked by: Baroness Finn (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when Tom Kibasi (1) began, and (2) finished, working at 10 Downing Street; and what salary he was paid for his role.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
It would not be appropriate to comment on staffing matters or individuals' remits and responsibilities.
Asked by: Baroness Finn (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish an organisational chart of the current structure, including the decision-making hierarchy, of those working in the Prime Minister's Office and the division of their responsibilities.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Data on the number of officials in the Cabinet Office is published monthly at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-workforce-management-data-2023-to-2024 and Business Unit level data including for Business Units in Number 10 Downing Street is published quarterly at https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/ff76be1f-4f37-4bef-beb7-32b259413be1/organogram-cabinet-office
As was the case under the previous Administration, information about Special Adviser numbers is published in the Annual report on Special Advisers.
Asked by: Baroness Finn (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 21 July (HLWS867), whether the Prime Minister has issued, or intends to issue, a direction or agreement under section 17 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 to give the Civil Service Commission new statutory functions relating to the Business Appointment Rules.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Rt. Hon. Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, Minister for the Cabinet Office and His Majesty’s Paymaster General, on behalf of the Prime Minister, exchanged letters with Baroness Stuart, the First Civil Service Commissioner, in July 2025 to confirm the Commission’s agreement to accept new functions under section 17 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. This correspondence can be found here: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/first-civil-service-commissioner-responds-to-the-minister-for-the-cabinet-office-on-proposed-changes-to-the-role-of-the-civil-service-commission/
Asked by: Baroness Finn (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 21 July (HLWS867), whether they intend to retain political members nominated by opposition parties on the Committee on Standards in Public Life, as under current arrangements.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Yes. This is laid out in correspondence between the Minister for the Cabinet Office and the Chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, available on GOV.UK here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/correspondence-between-the-minister-for-the- cabinet-office-and-the-chair-cspl-on-the-ethics-and-integrity-commission