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Written Question
Ulster Farmers Union
Thursday 12th December 2024

Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether (a) he and (b) the Paymaster General has met the Ulster Farmers Union since the general election.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Details of official meetings held in a ministerial capacity with external organisations or individuals are published quarterly on GOV.UK


Written Question
Cabinet Office: Internet
Tuesday 10th December 2024

Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason his Department's About Us web page lists the Government's priorities for 2021-22.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

This page has been amended and will be updated further in due course.


Written Question
Arms Length Bodies
Wednesday 4th December 2024

Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether framework agreements between his Department and Arms Length Bodies are approved by Ministers.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Ministers have direct involvement in approving the strategy, outputs and objectives of Arms Length Bodies (ALBs). This ensures that ALBs remain aligned and can effectively deliver the commitments and objectives of the government. Ministers are responsible for the appointment of the Chair and Board Members, in most circumstances, through open and fair competition. The Board, once appointed, is responsible for maintaining accountability of senior officials to Ministerial objectives.

Framework Agreements are usually approved by the Principal Accounting Officer / Permanent Secretary on behalf of the department. However when revising a Framework Agreement, or establishing a new ALB, the relevant Minister will be engaged on the contents of the document.


Written Question
Cabinet Office: Parliamentary Private Secretaries
Wednesday 27th November 2024

Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many private secretaries each Minister in his Department has.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

There are 34 members of staff, at multiple grades, who support the seven Cabinet Office ministers.


Written Question
Civil Servants: Workplace Pensions
Wednesday 27th November 2024

Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants (a) are members of the Alpha pension scheme, (b) are members of the Partnership pension scheme and (c) have opted out of both schemes.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

As at 31 October 2024, there were 588,623 active members of the alpha pension scheme. As well as civil servants, the Civil Service Pension arrangements cover employees of certain non-Civil Service organisations, such as non-Departmental Public Bodies, if they meet the Cabinet Office policy on eligibility for entry and legislative requirements on funding.

As at 30 June 2024 there were 8,748 active members of the partnership scheme.

As at 31 October 2024, a total of 3,894 people had opted out and were not members of either pension scheme.


Written Question
Senior Civil Servants: Pay
Wednesday 27th November 2024

Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to increase the pay bands of Permanent Secretaries.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Government is committed to delivering value for money for the taxpayer. We will publish written evidence to the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) later this year, and will consider any recommendations from the SSRB on the remuneration of Senior Civil Servants, including Permanent Secretaries, when it reports next year.


Written Question
Public Appointments
Wednesday 27th November 2024

Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will list all formal notifications his Department has submitted to the Commissioner for Public Appointments since 4 July 2024.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Since 4 July 2024 the Cabinet Office has engaged with the Commissioner for Public Appointments to seek approval of Senior Independent Panel Members for two recruitment campaigns: the Chair of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and the Chair of the Advisory Committee on Public Appointments (ACOBA).


Written Question
Advisory Committee on Business Appointments
Tuesday 26th November 2024

Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the framework agreement between his Department and the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACoBA) is an independent body sponsored and funded by the Cabinet Office. ACoBA is part of the ‘Independent Offices’ and shares a secretariat and Accounting Officer with the Civil Service Commission and the Office for the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Work is well advanced on a new Framework Document for the ‘Independent Offices’ which will be published in due course.


Written Question
Permanent Secretary Remuneration Committee
Tuesday 26th November 2024

Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will list the members of the Permanent Secretary Remuneration Committee.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Committee is chaired by the Government Lead Non-Executive. Membership includes two other Departmental Non-Executive Directors and the Chair of the Senior Salaries Review Body. The Civil Service members are: the Cabinet Secretary/Head of the Civil Service, the Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary to the Cabinet Office, the Chair of the Senior Leadership Committee, and the Permanent Secretary of HM Treasury. The Director of Senior Talent in the Cabinet Office also attends in an advisory capacity.


Written Question
House of Lords Appointments Commission
Tuesday 26th November 2024

Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the framework agreement between his Department and the House of Lords Appointments Commission.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The House of Lords Appointments Commission (HOLAC) is an independent advisory non-departmental body of the Cabinet Office. As was the case when the honourable member was a Minister in the department, there is not currently a Framework Document between HOLAC and the Cabinet Office. As with all independent advisory bodies, the Government keeps its arrangements with HOLAC under review to ensure they reflect current best practice and standards of corporate governance.