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 13 November (HC10698), which specific Minister has been allocated each individual official residence; and what criteria the Prime Minister used to decide which Minister would receive an official residence.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Basildon - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal

As has been the case under successive administrations, the Prime Minister allocates official residences to ministers, either on the grounds of security or to allow them to better perform their official duties. The following official residences are formally allocated to ministers:

The flats above 10 and 11 Downing Street, are allocated to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Prime Minister respectively.

1 Carlton Gardens is allocated to the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs.

The Chequers and Dorneywood estates are owned by trusts and managed by trustees; these are allocated to the Prime Minister and Chancellor respectively.

The Chevening estate is also owned by a trust and managed by trustees. The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs is the nominated person for the use of the estate.

Hillsborough Castle is available for Ministers in the Northern Ireland Office while on duty in Northern Ireland.

One of the flats in Admiralty House is allocated to the Deputy Prime Minister. The previous time limited allocation, referred to in Answer of 23 October 2024 to Question 10698 has come to an end.

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 15 November (HC11589), what involvement the Prime Minister has had with the policy development of the Football Governance Bill, or whether he has recused himself in the light of the value of the hospitality he has received from football clubs since becoming Prime Minister.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Football Governance Bill, and policy decision making in this area, is led by the Ministers in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether Ministers approved the renaming the “Cross-Government Women’s Network” as the “Cross-Government Gender Network”; whether a public sector equality duty assessment was undertaken on the change; and how much diversity network time is now allocated to the Cross-Government Gender Network.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Cross Government Gender Network is a Civil Service wide forum made up of staff networks working towards advancing gender equality and parity in the Civil Service and across arms-length bodies. The change in name from the Cross-Government Women’s Network took place in 2020, under the previous administration. It does not represent any change in Government policy or activity and a public sector equality duty (PSED) assessment was not undertaken by the previous administration.

There are currently no centrally set time allocation limits for cross Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion networks.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the constitutional implications of the reforms in the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill for (1) the continued validity of the Salisbury-Addison Convention, and (2) the conventions of the House of Lords in not rejecting secondary legislation.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Basildon - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal

The conventions of the House are unaffected by the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill. The Bill fulfills a manifesto commitment to remove the right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords. As such, the Bill clearly engages the Salisbury-Addison convention.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what use Cabinet Office Ministers, including the Prime Minister, have made of Lord Alli’s house in London since 5 July.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Basildon - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal

Any hospitality received by Ministers is declared in accordance with the Ministerial Code. The Cabinet Office publishes details of ministers’ hospitality on a quarterly basis, and this will move to a monthly basis in future. Hospitality received by ministers in a non-ministerial capacity is published on the parliamentary registers in line with the parliamentary codes of conduct.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government which cross-government diversity network represents the interests of biological women.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Cross Government Gender Network is a Civil Service wide forum made up of gender related staff networks, including women’s networks, working towards advancing gender equality and parity in the Civil Service and across arms-length bodies. Other networks are available which also represent the broader interests of women.

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 19 November (HC14112), whether there are any informal working groups or sub-committees of the HD Committee.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals (known as the HD Committee) only has one sub-committee, the Advisory Military Sub-Committee. There are no other sub-committees or working groups for the committee.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many and which Permanent Secretaries have left office since the general election; and how many and which Permanent Secretaries have given notice that they intend to stand down in the next six months.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Since the general election on 4 July 2024 three Permanent Secretaries have announced they will stand down: Sir Jim Harra (HMRC), Sir Philip Barton (FCDO) and Sir Crawford Falconer (DBT).

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is their policy on the length of time that (1) Cabinet Ministers, and (2) the Foreign Secretary, should remain in office.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Prime Minister is responsible for the overall organisation of the Executive.

All ministers serve at the discretion of the Prime Minister.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will provide a list of all Civil Service committees that exercise management functions in relation to the Civil Service, including the membership of each committee; and what changes, if any, have been made to the Civil Service Governance Framework since the publication in November 2023 of the Independent Review of Governance and Accountability in the Civil Service by Lord Maude of Horsham.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

A review was carried out in April 2024 that resulted in the streamlining of civil service governance structures and fora.

Current Civil Service committees that exercise management functions in relation to the Civil Service include the:

• Civil Service Board

• People Board

• Civil Service Operations Board

• Location and Property Board

• Data and Digital Board

• Senior Leadership Committee

Membership of these committees are as follows:

Civil Service Board:

• Cat Little CB (Chair - CS Chief Operating Officer, Cabinet Office)

• Sir Chris Wormald (Cabinet Secretary, Cabinet Office)

• Tamara Finkelstein CB (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs)

• Dame Bernadette Kelly (Department for Transport)

• Sir Matthew Rycroft (Home Office)

• Sir Peter Schofield (Department for Work and Pensions)

• Dame Antonia Romeo (Ministry of Justice)

• Sarah Healey CB CVO (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government)

• James Bowler CB (HM Treasury)

• Sir Philip Barton (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office)

• John Paul Marks (Scottish Government)

• David Williams CB (Ministry of Defence)

• Jeremy Pocklington CB (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

People Board:

• Sarah Healey (Chair - Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government)

• Fiona Ryland (Government Chief People Officer, Cabinet Office)

• Sir Philip Barton (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office)

• Sir Jim Harra ( HM Revenue & Customs)

• Gareth Davies (Department for Business and Trade)

• Dr Andrew Goodall (Welsh Government)

• Susan Acland-Hood (Department for Education)

• Sarah Munby (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

• Beth Russell (HM Treasury)

• Phil Swallow (Home Office, Non Executive Board Member)

• Professor Dame Angela McLean (Government Office for Science)

• Susannah Storey (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Civil Service Operations Board:

• Cat Little (Chair - CS Chief Operating Officer, Cabinet Office)

• Joanne Davidson (Digital and Data)

• Marco Salzedo / Clare Gibbs (Commercial)

• Conrad Smewing / James McEwen (Finance)

• Fiona Ryland (People)

• Nick Smallwood (Project Delivery)

• Tara Smith (Department for Business and Trade)

• Nina Cope (Ministry of Defence)

• Justin Holliday (HM Revenue and Customs)

• Debbie Alder (Department for Work and Pensions)

• Jane Cunliffe (Department for Education)

Location and Property Board:

• Jeremy Pocklington CB (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero - Chair)

• Angela MacDonald (HM Revenue and Customs)

• Susan Acland-Hood (Department for Education)

• Peter Schofield (Department for Work and Pensions)

• Sarah Munby (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

• Antonia Romeo (Department of Justice)

• John-Paul Marks (Scotland Office)

• Nick Joyce (Department For Transport)

• David Kuenssberg (Home Office)

• Catherine Webb (HM Treasury)

• Damian Paterson (Government Legal Department)

• Sarah Harrison (Cabinet Office)

• Nina Cope (Ministry of Defence)

• Sarah Homer (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs)

• Catherine Vaughan (Department for Business and Trade)

• Juliet Chua (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office)

Data and Digital Board:

• Sarah Munby (Chair - Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

• Joanna Davinson (Government Chief Digital Officer)

• Sir Ian Diamond (Office of National Statistics)

• Jim Harra (HM Revenue and Customs)

• Susan Acland-Hood (Department for Education)

• Peter Schofield (Department for Work and Pensions)

• Matthew Rycroft (Home Office)

• Paul Lincoln (Ministry of Defence)

• Megan Lee Devlin (Ministry of Justice)

• Conrad Smewing (HM Treasury)

• Bella Powell (Government Security Group)

• Doug Gurr (Non-Executive Board Member, Department for Health and Social Care)

• Paul Willmott (Non-Executive Board Member, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Senior Leadership Committee:

• Dame Antonia Romeo (Chair - Ministry of Justice)

• Sir Chris Wormald (Cabinet Secretary, Cabinet Office)

• Cat Little - (CS Chief Operating Officer, Cabinet Office)

• Sarah Healey (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government)

• James Bowler (HM Treasury)

• Sir Philip Barton (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office)

• Fiona Ryland (Government Chief People Officer, Cabinet Office)

• Baroness Gisela Stuart (First Civil Service Commissioner)

• Tamara Finkelstein (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs)

• Dame Bernadette Kelly (Department for Transport)

• Brian McBride (Lead Non Executive Board Member, MoD)

• Sir Matthew Rycroft (Home Office)

• Sir Peter Schofield (Department for Work and Pensions)

• David Williams (Ministry of Defence)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 15 November (HL1929), whether the Prime Minister approved the proposal from HD Committee to transfer the responsibility for honours committees’ appointments from the Prime Minister to the Head of the Civil Service; and, what was the policy reason for such a change.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Prime Minister was consulted on the proposal to transfer the responsibility for honours committee appointments from the Prime Minister to the Head of the Civil Service.

As noted in our answer to HL1929, this policy change was made to ensure political independence of process.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Twycross on 1 November (HL1767) and by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office on 7 November (HC9001), on what dates before the Taylor Swift concert did representatives of the Prime Minister speak to representatives of Taylor Swift in relation to the provision of a police escort for Taylor Swift.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

I refer the Noble Lady to the Minister for the Cabinet Office's response of 7 November, Official Report, PQ 9001.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 4 December (HC16604), whether they will place in the Library of the House a list of the reference numbers of Government Art Collection works that have been removed from 10 and 12 Downing Street since the general election; and a list of the reference numbers of works that are scheduled to be removed.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

It is standard practice, as followed by the previous government, for new ministers to select works from the Government Art Collection for their ministerial offices. All such changes of displays of works from the Government Art Collection constitute 'business as usual' for the Collection. All artworks in the Government Art Collection are on the website where anyone can readily establish their present locations. The Collection does not publish the history of the locations of artworks.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have further plans to re-introduce the Union Learning Fund, the Union Modernisation Fund, or similar schemes for state funding of trade unions.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The government does not currently have plans to re-introduce the Union Learning Fund or the Union Modernisation Fund. The government is currently updating trade union legislation, so it is fit for a modern economy. We will always consider suggestions on further steps we could take to improve industrial relations.

Found: Chair); Lord Anderson of Ipswich; Lord Beith; Lord Burnett of Maldon; Lord Falconer of Thoroton; Baroness Finn