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 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 Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether Department for Business and Trade ministers worked on site at Old Admiralty Buildings during the industrial action by the Public and Commercial Services Union from 3 to 13 February.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We do not release location data of Ministers.
Asked by: Baroness Finn (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether Department for Science, Innovation and Technology ministers worked on site at 22–26 Whitehall during the industrial action by the Public and Commercial Services Union from 3 to 13 February.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We do not release location data of Ministers.
Asked by: Baroness Finn (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether Department for Energy Security and Net Zero ministers worked on site at 3-8 Whitehall or 55 Whitehall during the industrial action by the Public and Commercial Services Union from 3 to 13 February.
Answered by Lord Wilson of Sedgefield - Lord 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 Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will place in the Library of the House a list of the Government Art Collection (GAC) items in each ministerial office that have been selected by ministers since the general election, broken down by (1) minister, (2) artist, (3) title, and (4) GAC number.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government Art Collection is a working collection, used across government buildings in the UK and the global estate, which means that artworks displayed in ministerial offices may change from time to time in response to new display steers and requests. The Government Art Collection website has all artworks belonging to the Collection and their current location. It is possible to search for all artworks in a specific location.
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.