Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of degree level apprenticeships within the civil service.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
This government remains committed to apprenticeships as one pathway to break down barriers to opportunity. It is for individual departments to identify the need and assess effectiveness of apprenticeships, including degree apprenticeships, within their workforce and development plans.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the number of civil servants working from home for three days a week or more is increasing or decreasing.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Data on Civil Service Headquarters (HQ) occupancy is collected and published quarterly on GOV.UK for all HQ buildings of Whitehall Departments, Office for Scotland, Office for Wales and Northern Ireland Office.
Data for the latest period for which data is available is copied below. No other information on occupancy data or workforce attendance is gathered centrally.
Departments manage their own arrangements for monitoring workforce attendance. Heads of departments have agreed that 60% minimum office attendance for most staff continues to be the best balance of working for the Civil Service.
Monthly Average HQ Building Occupancy (Quarter 1: April to June 2025)
| Departmental HQ | Building | April | May | June |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Cabinet Office | 70 Whitehall | 62% | 92% | 83% |
Department for Business and Trade | Old Admiralty Building | 76% | 79% | 77% |
Department for Culture, Media and Sport | 100 Parliament Street | 69% | 72% | 62% |
Department for Education | Sanctuary Buildings | 65% | 66% | 70% |
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | 3-8 Whitehall Place/55 Whitehall | 100% | 97% | 100% |
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | 2 Marsham Street | 74% | 59% | 72% |
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology | 22 Whitehall | 88% | 85% | 92% |
Department for Transport | Great Minster House | 61% | 61% | 61% |
Department for Work and Pensions | Caxton House | 61% | 61% | 62% |
Department of Health and Social Care | 39 Victoria Street | 76% | 81% | 72% |
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office | King Charles Street | 65% | 63% | 65% |
HM Revenue and Customs | 100 Parliament Street | 70% | 68% | 73% |
HM Treasury | 1 Horse Guards | 68% | 69% | 68% |
Home Office | 2 Marsham Street | 72% | 74% | 73% |
Ministry of Defence | MOD Main Building | 82% | 85% | 87% |
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 2 Marsham Street | 71% | 72% | 74% |
Ministry of Justice | 102 Petty France | 81% | 75% | 76% |
Northern Ireland Office | 1 HG/Erskine House | 57% | 59% | 59% |
Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland | Dover House | 61% | 55% | 62% |
Office of the Secretary of State for Wales | Gwydyr House | 66% | 59% | 59% |
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the reasons for the delays in the compensation payments which are due to those affected by infected blood following the Infected Blood Inquiry; and who is responsible for them.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The delivery of compensation is a matter for the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA).
IBCA has opened the service to those who are living with infection, registered with a support scheme, and prioritising those who are nearing the end of their lives within this cohort. IBCA is contacting an average of 100 people every week so start their claim. At that rate, they expect to have contacted all those who are living with infection and registered with a support scheme this calendar year.
IBCA is taking a ‘test and learn’ approach to the delivery of compensation. By starting small, they are able to improve the service they deliver, which means that compensation can be paid to everyone faster.
As of 15th July, IBCA has contacted 2, 215 people to start their compensation claim, and 1,934 people have started the claim process. 808 offers of compensation have been made, totalling over £602 million, and so far 587 people have accepted their offers with more than £411 million paid in compensation.
Asked by: Lord Patten (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 25 June (HL8364), whether they will now answer the question put; namely what period of time is meant by the phrase “in a generation” in their Plan for Change published on 5 December 2024.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
I refer the noble Lord to the answer of HL8364 given on 25 June 2025:
Lord Patten: To ask His Majesty's Government what period of time is meant by the phrase “in a generation” in their Plan for Change published on 5 December 2024.
Baroness Anderson answered: The use of the term “in a generation” in the Plan for Change is consistent with language used in other government documents to indicate ambitious reform. Milestones for this Parliament have been clearly set out.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what period of time is meant by the phrase “in a generation” in their Plan for Change published on 5 December 2024.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The use of the term “in a generation” in the Plan for Change is consistent with language used in other government documents to indicate ambitious reform. Milestones for this Parliament have been clearly set out.
Asked by: Lord Patten (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 26 March (HL5733), whether it is their policy that civil servants may self-identify as having a neurodivergent condition.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
All of the demographic questions asked on HR systems are dependent on self-identification. There may be situations where additional information is required about a condition for example to support the provision of reasonable adjustments.
This will depend on the condition, but also the nature of requested adjustments.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how neurodiversity is recognised within the employment practices of the Civil Service.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Civil Service supports neurodivergent employees in all aspects of employment practices in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the work of the Infected Blood Compensation Authority.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) is an operationally independent body. My honourable friend in the other place, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, who is the sponsoring Minister for IBCA, is committed to working with IBCA to monitor their performance and ensure compensation is delivered to everyone who is eligible as quickly as possible. The first payments to infected people have been made, totalling over £25 million, and in February the Government laid the second set of infected blood compensation regulations before Parliament. If approved by Parliament, these regulations will give IBCA the powers it needs to also begin payments to affected people eligible under the Scheme.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the effects of long-term sickness among civil servants on the delivery of public services.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Civil Service provides its employees with a comprehensive range of health and wellbeing tools and policies to ensure that employees remain in work or return to work as quickly as possible following absence due to ill health. In addition, since 2022, the Government People Group has worked with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, the professional body for HR, and the Joint Department for Work and Pensions and Department of Health and Social Care Work and Health Directorate, to benchmark the Civil Service approach to long term sickness for its employees, and ensure it is aligned to best practice.
Individual departments are responsible for managing their own workforces, including the impact of any sickness absences to ensure the effective delivery of the public services it is responsible for.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the impact of working from home on efficiency and outcomes in the Civil Service.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
There are a wide range of studies available on the clear benefits of hybrid working, which have been used to inform the expectation for 60% office attendance for Civil Servants. The government renewed their commitment to the 60% office attendance mandate on the 24th October, and has resumed quarterly publication of office occupancy data to support this.