Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Cabinet Secretary plans to issue a new edition of the Cabinet Manual in 2026-27.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Prime Minister has announced that the Government will update the Cabinet Manual to ensure it remains an authoritative guide to the UK’s constitutional arrangements.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Cabinet Secretary's objectives 2026-27 published on 7 April 2026, what is the timetable for refreshing the Civil Service Code; in what manner will the code be refreshed; and whether political parties will be consulted.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Cabinet Secretary has set out her intention to refresh the Civil Service Code to ensure it is up to date, well understood, and adhered to across the Civil Service.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the draft of the Civil Service Code published by Re:State.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Cabinet Secretary has set out her intention to refresh the Civil Service Code to ensure it is up to date, well understood, and adhered to across the Civil Service. Further updates will be communicated in due course.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 19 May 2026, to Question 427, Cabinet Office: Facilities Agreements, when he plans to deposit that documentation in the Library.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
A copy of the updated Facility Time Framework was deposited in the House Library on Tuesday 2 June (DEP2026-0371).
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the answer of 10 March 2026 to Question 113614 on Prime Minister: Palantir, whether Palantir was in attendance in the White House when the Prime Minister met President Trump on 27 February 2025.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
No.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his planned timetable is for the publication of the Civil Service External Expenditure on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion for 2025-26.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
We will publish the Civil Service External Expenditure on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion for the financial year 2025/2026 in due course.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, With reference to the answer of 28 April 2026, to Question 127472, on Cabinet Office: Review, whether Lord Mandelson’s involvement in the APCO/Labour Together dossier is in scope of the Government’s response to the Humble Address on Lord Mandelson.
Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the Government’s statement and release of information on 1st June, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The documents published in the first and second tranches contain the entirety of the documents the Government has available for disclosure, except those being withheld at the request of the Metropolitan police.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much has (a) HM Treasury and (b) its PFI contractors spent on outdoor furniture in the last 12 months.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
HM Treasury has not spent money on outdoor furniture in the last 12 months. It does not have a PFI contract as it occupies space managed by the GPA.
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 participate in the EU’s European Peace Facility.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
This Government agreed a UK-EU Security and Defence Partnership (SDP) to strengthen European security, support growth and reinforce NATO. The SDP makes provision for the UK and EU to explore potential opportunities for engagement on peace building and crisis management in areas of mutual interest. The Government currently has no plans to join the European Peace Facility, but will keep this under review.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the address by the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister to the FDA Union of 15 May 2026, whether the new delivery advisers will be (a) civil servants, (b) non-executive directors and (c) direct ministerial appointments; and whether they will be selected by open and fair competition.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The approach to recruiting delivery advisors is a matter for individual departments.