Asked by: Baroness Finn (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many Assessment Advisory Panels for public appointments (1) the Director General, Propriety and Constitution Group, and (2) the Director General, Propriety and Ethics, have served on since 2019; what assessment they have made of the appropriateness for individuals in those roles to sit on Assessment Advisory Panels given their responsibilities for sponsoring the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments and advising on ethical issues in the appointments process; and whether they have made an assessment of the risk of conflict of interest where individuals in those roles may later be required to investigate or advise on complaints relating to campaigns on which they have served.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Director General of the Cabinet Office's Propriety and Constitution Group (previously Director General of Propriety and Ethics), since taking up the role in March 2021, has served as a member of an Advisory Assessment Panel on seven (7) public appointment recruitment campaigns.
The Governance Code on Public Appointments has a rigorous and well established process for assessing and managing potential conflicts of interest in all regulated public appointments processes, which has been in effect across a number of administrations. The process covers potential personal and professional conflicts of interest for both independent panel members and the departmental or sponsor body representatives. As per the Governance Code on Public Appointments, ministers must agree the composition of all Advisory Assessment Panels.
Asked by: Baroness Finn (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 5 February (HL4297), whether the Prime Minister has a (1) direct, or (2) de facto, power of veto on the recommendations of the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals to the Sovereign to make policy changes on honours, decorations and medals, including changes to (a) the design of medals, and (b) the formal names of orders of chivalry.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
I refer the Noble Lady to my answer of 20 January 2025, Official Report, PQ HL3881:
On 8th January 2025 Baroness Finn asked: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office on 27 November 2024 (HC14966), whether the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals advises the Prime Minister or the Sovereign directly; and whether the Prime Minister can veto decisions by the Committee.
To which Baroness Twycross responded: The Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals advises the Sovereign directly.
As noted in our answer to HC 14966, the Prime Minister’s Principal Private Secretary is a member of the committee. This is the mechanism by which the Prime Minister is able to feed into decisions taken by the committee, and the view of the PPS carries equal weight to all other committee members.
Asked by: Baroness Finn (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether Cabinet Office ministers worked on site at 70 Whitehall during the industrial action by the Public and Commercial Services Union from 3 to 13 February.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We do not release location data of Ministers.
Asked by: Baroness Finn (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office on 14 January (HC22193), whether cross-government special advisers are deemed to be employed by the Cabinet Office or a department; and whether unionised departmental special advisers who have affiliated to the First Division Association can undertake strike action as a consolidated block across government.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
All special advisers are employees of their appointing minister's department in line with the terms of the Model Contract for Special Advisers.
Special advisers have the same legal rights as other employees regarding the possibility of undertaking industrial action.
Asked by: Baroness Finn (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to the list of Cabinet Committees and their membership updated in October 2024, whether the National Security Adviser is a formal member of any Cabinet Committee or sub-committee.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The National Security Adviser is not a member of any Cabinet committees. The full list of Cabinet committees and their membership is available on Gov.uk. Officials and advisers may attend committees with agreement of the Chair.
Asked by: Baroness Finn (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance they have issued about whether, and how, unofficial departmental meetings with trade unions about government business should be declared.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Meetings with external organisations and individuals are declared quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK. Published declarations include official meetings with trade unions, subject to any exemptions listed in the Guidance.
Asked by: Baroness Finn (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the 2025–26 policy of the Cabinet Office on awarding bonuses for (1) the Senior Civil Service, and (2) lower grades of the Civil Service; and what is the maximum that can be given to any individual in any financial year.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
As has been the practice in previous administrations, the arrangements for performance-related pay for the Senior Civil Service (SCS) are published in annual SCS pay practitioner guidance. The 2025-26 guidance, including the controls on performance related pay, can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-the-senior-civil-service-pay-award-202526
For grades below the SCS, departments have delegated authority to determine their own performance-related pay arrangements.
Asked by: Baroness Finn (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to the data Expenditure Over £25,000: April 2025 (Cabinet Office Core), published on 29 May, why the payment of £78 million to the Department for Work and Pensions (transaction number 2037003799) is classified as "current grants to private sector – non-profit institutions serving households".
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) has started to make payments to claimants using the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) payment capabilities. This is to facilitate the high volume and speed at which IBCA and this government wants to make payments to compensation recipients. The Cabinet Office has to transfer funding to DWP, via a payment service request, so they can make the compensation payments on behalf of IBCA.
Asked by: Baroness Finn (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 23 April (HL5835), whether at any stage during the life of the contract C2980 KPMG has received any contractual guarantees, exclusivity arrangements, or written assurances, including side letters or informal undertakings, relating to the continuation of work, future procurements or eligibility for subsequent frameworks.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
During the life of contract C2980 with KPMG there are no contractual guarantees relating to spend or service volumes and no exclusivity arrangements. Furthermore, there have been no written assurances, side letters or informal undertakings relating to the continuation of work, future procurements or eligibility for subsequent frameworks.
Asked by: Baroness Finn (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 23 April (HL5835), whether they considered a bridging arrangement with an alternative supplier to KPMG before the extension of contract C2980; and if so, what assessment they made of value for money and risk when comparing the options of extending the contract and finding an alternative supplier.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Alternatives to a short-term contract extension were considered, and the decision to pursue a short-term extension without an increase to the contract value was taken based on this providing best value for money and other considerations (for example system changes and interoperability) and constraints associated with a short-term bridging opportunity.
At the Spending Review the Cabinet Office secured funding from the Transformation Fund to begin the long-term transformation of the civil service model for learning and development.