Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when the direct ministerial appointments portal will be updated to include (1) all appointments to date, and (2) the full terms of reference of appointments, including any allowances paid.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
As set out in the published Guidance on Making Direct Ministerial Appointments, the Cabinet Office has recently made changes to its public appointments digital platform to allow departments to record and track their data on Direct Ministerial Appointments. The Direct Ministerial Appointments announcement portal, which draws data from the digital platform and went live in December 2025, brings together public announcements for these appointments from across government. Departments should also add all existing DMAs to the portal.
Appointing ministers are responsible and accountable to Parliament for the appointments they make and the responsibility for the publication of information about Direct Ministerial Appointments rests with individual departments. As such, all appointing ministers are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the information published on the appointments that they make.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government which minister is responsible for overseeing the accuracy of the portal for direct minister appointments.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
As set out in the published Guidance on Making Direct Ministerial Appointments, the Cabinet Office has recently made changes to its public appointments digital platform to allow departments to record and track their data on Direct Ministerial Appointments. The Direct Ministerial Appointments announcement portal, which draws data from the digital platform and went live in December 2025, brings together public announcements for these appointments from across government. Departments should also add all existing DMAs to the portal.
Appointing ministers are responsible and accountable to Parliament for the appointments they make and the responsibility for the publication of information about Direct Ministerial Appointments rests with individual departments. As such, all appointing ministers are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the information published on the appointments that they make.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many civil servants are employed through Skilled Worker visas in (1) the Cabinet Office, and (2) its Executive Agencies.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
39 Civil Servants are employed through Skilled Worker visas in (1) the Cabinet Office and 0 in its (2) Executive Agencies.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many civil servants are employed through Skilled Worker visas by each department (including non-ministerial departments) and their executive agencies.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
This information is not held centrally and would only be held by individual departments.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government through what mechanism and form of communication are recipients of honours informed of the awarding of their style, dignity or title; what correspondence is sent from (1) His Majesty's Government, (2) the Prime Minister, or (3) the Royal Household; and whether Members of Parliament are (a) asked, or (b) permitted, to handle such correspondence and provide it to recipients.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Honours lists are published twice a year at New Year and on the Sovereign’s Official Birthday. There are ten independent committees which assess nominations for the Prime Minister’s List.
Once the final honours list is agreed and The King’s informal approval obtained, sounding letters are sent to all those on the list asking if they are content for the Prime Minister to submit their name to The King for formal approval. Letters are sent in strict confidence from the Honours and Memorialisation Secretariat within the Cabinet Office. On occasion, phonecalls may be made to recipients prior to the letters being sent notifying them of the honour, however honours can only be accepted by recipients in writing following receipt of the official letter from the Secretariat. For the Birthday 2025 List, the sounding process began in early May.
On occasion, and following sounding and acceptance of an honour, letters of congratulation may be sent by the relevant Minister.
Following publication of the List, the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood writes to the recipient to invite them to receive their honours at an Investiture.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the mechanism and form of communication used to inform recipients of honours of the awarding of their style, dignity and title; what correspondence is sent from (1) the Government, (2) the Prime Minister, or (3) the Royal Household; and whether Members of Parliament are asked, or permitted, to handle and provide such correspondence to recipients.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Honours lists are published twice a year at New Year and on the Sovereign’s Official Birthday. There are ten independent committees which assess nominations for the Prime Minister’s List.
Once the final honours list is agreed and The King’s informal approval obtained, sounding letters are sent to all those on the list asking if they are content for the Prime Minister to submit their name to The King for formal approval. Letters are sent in strict confidence from the Honours and Memorialisation Secretariat within the Cabinet Office. On occasion, phonecalls may be made to recipients prior to the letters being sent notifying them of the honour, however honours can only be accepted by recipients in writing following receipt of the official letter from the Secretariat. For the Birthday 2025 List, the sounding process began in early May.
On occasion, and following sounding and acceptance of an honour, letters of congratulation may be sent by the relevant Minister.
Following publication of the List, the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood writes to the recipient to invite them to receive their honours at an Investiture.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance has (1) the Cabinet Office and (2) the Information Commissioner provided to public authorities regarding sharing the personal identity of FOI request applicants when consulting a third party in relation to the FOI applicant’s request.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
All public authorities that process personal data for the purposes of responding to FOI requests must comply with the requirements of data protection legislation.
The Freedom of Information Code of Practice, issued under section 45 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, provides guidance to public authorities on consultation with third parties. The Code is published on GOV. UK at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/freedom-of-information-code-of-practice.
Guidance issued by the Information Commissioner can be found at www.ico.org.uk
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government which organisations have presented to the Child Poverty Taskforce ministerial advisory sessions; and on what topics.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Child Poverty Taskforce is drawing in evidence and expertise from all relevant departments, as is reflected in the broad membership of the Ministerial Taskforce. The Taskforce is co-chaired by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and the Secretary of State for Education. The Secretaries of State or their delegates from the following departments are members of the Taskforce: the Cabinet Office; the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government; HM Treasury; the Department for Culture, Media and Sport; the Department for Business and Trade; the Department for Energy and Net Zero; the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; the Department for Health and Social Care; the Wales Office; the Northern Ireland Office; and the Scotland Office.
The Taskforce has consulted external experts from a range of organisations, including local and regional government, charities, think tanks, businesses, and the public sector on a range of topics.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government who the members of its Child Poverty Taskforce are.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Child Poverty Taskforce is drawing in evidence and expertise from all relevant departments, as is reflected in the broad membership of the Ministerial Taskforce. The Taskforce is co-chaired by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and the Secretary of State for Education. The Secretaries of State or their delegates from the following departments are members of the Taskforce: the Cabinet Office; the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government; HM Treasury; the Department for Culture, Media and Sport; the Department for Business and Trade; the Department for Energy and Net Zero; the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; the Department for Health and Social Care; the Wales Office; the Northern Ireland Office; and the Scotland Office.
The Taskforce has consulted external experts from a range of organisations, including local and regional government, charities, think tanks, businesses, and the public sector on a range of topics.