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 impact of trade tariffs imposed on the EU by the United States on businesses in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
We have a strong and proud tradition over centuries of free trade here in the United Kingdom, and we will continue to make the case for that. With regard to our specific trading relationship with the United States, after conversations between the Prime Minister and the President in the Oval Office in February, we wish to deepen our trading relationship with the United States. We will continue to monitor the impact of any such policy on Northern Ireland and I continue to regularly discuss issues with my European counterpart Maroš Šefčovič.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make it his policy that the Civil Service Commission should be informed of recent political donations from people appointed to the Civil Service by exception.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Civil Service Commission’s prior approval is required for appointments by exception at SCS PB2 or above. Individual Civil Service departments and organisations have delegated authority to appoint by exception at grades below SCS PB2.
For appointments by exception delegated to departments, the department is responsible for both carrying out background checks on individuals who may be appointed, and addressing any potential propriety matters.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department plans to issue Outcome Delivery Plans.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Government has published its Plan for Change, which sets out clear and ambitious milestones to reach over this Parliament from each of the Government’s national missions. Detail on wider government commitments will continue to be provided by relevant departments.
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 publish the civil service EDI dataset.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
We are considering the Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Review commissioned by the previous Government.
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 18 September 2024 to Question HL835 on Government Departments: Remote Working, whether the Civil Service meets the requirement to attend the office or work face-to-face with colleagues at least 60% of the time.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Civil Service Headquarters (HQ) Occupancy statistics are published quarterly on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, in what circumstances people in receipt of a civil service pension who re-join the civil service are subject to abatement.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The circumstances have not changed since the Rt Hon Gentleman was a Minister in the department, and can be found at https://www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has issued guidance on non-contingent labour contracts.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Departments are directed that Contingent labour contracts should only be used in government where better value alternatives are not available and that a justifiable need to use contingent labour has been identified as part of their workforce plans. Cabinet Office manages a spend control for contingent labour for which guidance is set out at gov.uk.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether there is a Framework Agreement between his Department and the Senior Salaries Review Body.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
A Framework Agreement between the Cabinet Office and the Senior Salaries Review Body will be finalised in due course.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether members of the Senior Salaries Review Body have made declarations of political activity.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Political party activity is declared by all members of the Senior Salaries Review Body and is publicly available in the Pay Review Body members’ register of interests: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ome-review-body-members-register-of-interests
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the Prime Minister plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar dated 29 November 2024.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
A response will be sent in due course.