Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, further to the UKSA letter entitled Letter to leaders of political parties in advance of the May 2026 elections, what is the statutory basis for OSR and UKSA monitoring and commenting on statements made by opposition political parties in an election period.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Parliamentary Question of 6th July is attached.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 8 June 2026 to Question 4139 on Government Departments: Cost Effectiveness, if he will publish the most recent quarterly efficiency report for the UK Statistics Authority.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Parliamentary Question of 6th July is attached.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 30 June 2026 to Question 12159 on Cabinet Office: Marketing, whether (a) ONS and (b) UKSA has undertaken any expenditure on branded goods since the Government Chief Commercial Officer letter.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Parliamentary Question of 6th July is attached.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the written statement of 1 July 2026, on Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026, HCWS173, whether the payments relating to the EU Flagship Fund and EU Anti-Corruption Initiative will involve direct UK Exchequer contributions to the European Union.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

No. UK payments will go directly to the fund and initiative in question.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the October 2025 guidance on Direct Ministerial Appointments, for what reason has the remuneration of the Special Envoy on Chagos not been disclosed.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 21 April in response to Question 124862.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2026 to Question 12154 on WPP: Contracts, what Social Value Standards have been agreed with the Crown Commercial Service for these contracts.

Answered by Chris Ward

The social value requirements for the Media and Creative Services framework agreement (RM6364), under which WPP Media is appointed, are set out in the framework documentation. These include Framework Schedule 4 (Framework Management) and Framework Schedule 1 Specification (Lot 1 Media Strategy Planning and Buying), which are published on the Government Commercial Agency website at the following link: https://www.gca.gov.uk/agreements/RM6364

For individual Call-Off Contracts under RM6364, customers (Contracting Authorities) are responsible for setting and managing Social Value Commitments relevant to their individual contracts.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 29 June 2026 to Question 10647 on Gordon Brown, how many full-time equivalent staff from existing teams supported Gordon Brown in the last week for which figures are held.

Answered by Chris Ward

Mr Brown has taken up an unpaid role as a Special Reviewer. In this role, he has been supporting the Prime Minister by progressing existing government workstreams.

The civil servants working with Mr Brown are already working full-time within those policy areas.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Cabinet Secretary has issued guidance in relation to the announcement of new government policies in the period before a new Prime Minister takes office.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds

The Cabinet Secretary has written to Heads of Departments to set out the principles of how the Civil Service should operate during this period.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Treasury's policy paper entitled Joint statement following the twelfth meeting of the Specialised Committee on Financial Provisions, published on 4 June 2026, if she will place in the Library (a) a copy of the 11th invoice submitted by the European Commission and (b) any associated documentation.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

HM Treasury discloses the invoices under the UK-EU Financial Settlement under the Withdrawal Agreement in the EU Finances Statement (EUFS). This includes the UK payments to and from the EU, as well as the line-by-line breakdown of the payments under each Article of the Withdrawal Agreement.

The EUFS is published annually and forms part of HMT’s disclosure and transparency obligations as agreed with the Public Accounts Committee in 1980 when the UK was a Member State. The next edition of the EUFS will cover UK payments to and from the EU in 2026, and is expected to be published in Spring 2027.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the answer of 2 June 2026 to question HL105 on Lord Mandelson, for what reason Lord Mandelson’s visit to 11 Downing Street on 8 January 2025 was not recorded in transparency returns; and whether a civil servant was present at the meeting.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

At the time of the meeting Peter Mandelson was a Parliamentarian and it was therefore not included in the return in line with the guidance on publishing Ministers’ meetings.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the press release entitled PM meeting with Prime Minister Mottley of Barbados: 25 June 2026, of 25 June 2026, whether the UK Prime Minister discussed the issue of reparations with the Prime Minister of Barbados.

Answered by Chris Ward

There is nothing further to add to the referenced readout on gov.uk.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, Whether UK Statistics Authority and Office for Statistical Regulation staff are civil servants and bound by the Civil Service Code.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Parliamentary Question of 7th July is attached.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, Pursuant to the answer of 8 June 2026, to Question 4139, on Government Departments: Cost Effectiveness, if she will publish the most recent quarterly efficiency report submitted to HM Treasury by HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate as a non-ministerial department.

Answered by Ellie Reeves - Attorney General

HMT’s publication of the 2026-27 financial reporting manual makes clear that a select group of smaller departments and independent bodies – which includes the Law Officers Departments - are exempt from the requirement to report efficiencies to HM Treasury in line with the Government Efficiency Framework. There are therefore no efficiency reports from the HMCPSI to HM Treasury, but the Law Officer Departments are all working towards their commitment at Spending Review 2025 to deliver at least 5% savings and efficiencies over Phase 2 of the SR period.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Cabinet Office Propriety and Ethics Team has issued guidance on whether Ministers can claim a proportion of their travel and accommodation costs in relation to family holidays overseas if they conduct some element of official business during their trip.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds

The Ministerial Code sets out principles relating to ministerial travel for official business. Section 10.1 of the Ministerial Code states that “Ministers must ensure that they always make efficient and cost‑effective travel arrangements. Official transport should not normally be used for travel arrangements arising from party or private business, except where this is justified on security grounds.” Section 10.4 states “When ministers travel on official business, their travel expenses should be borne by the departmental vote.”

Furthermore, section 8.13 of the Ministerial Code notes that “If a minister meets an external organisation or individual and finds themselves discussing official business without an official present (for example, at a social occasion or on holiday) any significant content should be passed back to the department as soon as possible after the event.”

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 1 July 2026 to Question 13158 on Darlington Economic Campus: Remote Working, which departments are based in the Darlington Economic Campus; and what the headcount of each department is.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Departments based at DEC are as follows:

• Bishopsgate House

• Department for Education (DfE)

• Darlington Feethams House

• HM Treasury (HMT)

• Office for National Statistics (ONS)

• Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG)

• Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)

• Department for Business and Trade (DBT)

• Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)

• Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ)

• Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) are also a part of the wider DEC Campus, but is housed in a separate facility

Central data on Civil Service occupancy is collected and published quarterly on GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-hq-occupancy-data) for all HQ buildings of Whitehall Departments. As was the case under the previous administration, no other information on workforce attendance is gathered centrally. 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.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Review into the Organisation, Performance and Transformation of the Permanent Civil Service, published on 1 July 2026, whether he will consult His Majesty’s Official Opposition on the proposals once that review has reported.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Review into the Organisation, Performance and Transformation of the Permanent Civil Service (“the Review”) will draw on a wide range of expert advisers from academia, private, public, civil society, and international spheres. It will welcome views and input from across Parliament, including through engagement with the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee and the Lords Constitutional Committee.

As the Terms of Reference set out, the Review will consider the wide range of activities undertaken by the Civil Service and will culminate in a report setting out a vision for the future Civil Service as a world class institution, to deliver for Ministers and the public. The Review will report before summer 2027, and it will be made available to the public.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2026 to Question 428 on Members: Correspondence, and with reference to the Civil Service Complaints Procedures, for what reason consideration of a Stage 2 complaint cannot be taken forward by a department if the Stage 1 complaint was considered by a Permanent Secretary; whether there are any provisions to transfer a Stage 2 complaint to a different individual in such circumstances; and who considers complaints about a Permanent Secretary.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds

Individual departments are responsible for setting their own complaints procedures. In reference to Question 428, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office does not operate a two-stage complaints procedure, as set out on their website: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/foreign-commonwealth-development-office/about/complaints-procedure

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a committee to consult on a mandatory retirement age for the House of Commons.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds

The House of Lords has established a dedicated select committee to look at how best to implement the manifesto commitments on a retirement age and participation requirement.

The Government looks forward to responding to the Committee’s report in due course.

The Government has no plans to establish a committee to consult on a mandatory retirement age for the House of Commons.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans for the proposed mandatory retirement age for peers to be introduced through primary legislation.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds

The House of Lords has established a dedicated select committee to look at how best to implement the manifesto commitments on a retirement age and participation requirement.

The Government looks forward to responding to the Committee’s report in due course.

The Government has no plans to establish a committee to consult on a mandatory retirement age for the House of Commons.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Cabinet Office Second Headquarters 2030 Strategy, published in June 2026, how many desks are currently assigned for the 700 staff in the Glasgow office.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)

It has been the practice of this and successive governments not to comment, on grounds of both national security and staff safety, on the physical capacity or staffing numbers for individual buildings of the government estate.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, With reference to the Cabinet Office Second Headquarters 2030 Strategy, published in June 2026, on what occasions in the last 12 months have Cabinet Office Ministers substantively worked from the Glasgow office.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)

Having welcomed numerous Ministers over the last four years, the Second Headquarters will continue to host a regular rhythm of Ministers and senior leadership in line with the Cabinet Office Second Headquarters 2030 strategy.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 1 July 2026 to Question 13195 on Civil Service: Facilities Agreements, which departments (a) operate check off for trade union subscriptions and (b) charge trade unions for that service; and whether he plans to make changes to charging practices.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Cabinet Office does not hold a central record of which departments currently (a) operate check off for trade union subscriptions and (b) charge trade unions for that service. While departments are responsible for setting their own policies regarding the administration of trade union subscriptions, the Civil Service Management Code (Section 7.3) provides guidance to departments on voluntary deductions from the pay of civil servants, including trade union subscriptions. The Government has no current plans to update the management code on this matter.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, Pursuant to the answer of 24 June 2026, to Question 11152, on Civil Service: Facilities Agreements, what was the aggregate monetary cost of the facility time to the Civil Service in 2023-24 on which the 0.04% figure are based; and what was the average percentage figure for 2024-25.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The aggregate monetary cost of facility time in the Civil Service, based on the Cabinet Office published data for the year 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, was £12,525,615.37.

The average percentage of pay spent on facility time in the Civil Service, based on the Cabinet Office published data for the year 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, was 0.04%.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Prime Minister has received representations from the Home Secretary in relation to the Ministerial tenure of the Hon. Member for Dover and Deal; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Chris Ward

Ministerial appointments and compliance with the Ministerial Code are a matter for the Prime Minister.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 1 July 2026, to Question 13162, on Civil Service: Equality, whether the Sex Equality and Equity Network (SEEN) was consulted.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

As with any other model policy, the Cabinet Office engaged with a range of stakeholders during development of the model Policy and Guidance: Supporting Trans and Non-binary Employees.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, With reference to the answer of 24 September 2025, to Question 71230, on Cabinet Office: Calder Conferences, what venues have been booked through Calder Conferences since 24 September 2025.

Answered by Chris Ward

Our latest available figures show that since 24 September 2025 there have been a total of 74 venue bookings commissioned through Calder Conferences. These bookings support various essential operational functions, training programs, and departmental meetings across the UK. A full breakdown of the venues booked, including dates and locations, is provided below:

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Ministers in his Department have undertaken equality, diversity and inclusion training since July 2024.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds

The Cabinet Office does not run a specific programme of equality, diversity and inclusion training for Cabinet Office ministers.

The Prime Minister’s expectations of Ministers are set out in the Ministerial Code, which makes clear that ministers are expected to maintain high standards of conduct and to behave in a way that upholds the highest standards of propriety. As per section 1.5 of the Ministerial Code, “Harassing, bullying or other inappropriate or discriminatory behaviour wherever it takes place is not consistent with the Ministerial Code and will not be tolerated.”

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many claims have been brought under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 since July 2024, relating to which public body in each case, and how many have succeeded.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

Since July 2024, there were 9,524 Public Interest Disclosure jurisdiction complaints received by the Employment Tribunal. Over the same period, 2,921 complaints were disposed of, approximately 1% of which were successful at hearing. These figures are from published Employment Tribunal (January to March 2026) statistics.

Employment tribunal claims brought under PIDA are not recorded against the public body involved, so this information cannot be provided. Cases successful at hearing may not be representative of cases successfully resolved as those conciliated through ACAS, for example, will have been settled ahead of a tribunal hearing.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether any complaints have been made about the conduct of (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers in his Department since July 2024.

Answered by Chris Ward

HR matters are strictly confidential, and it would not be appropriate to comment publicly.

Information on advice provided to the Prime Minister by the Independent Adviser in relation to allegations concerning ministers can be found in his Annual Reports which are published on GOV.UK. The 2024-2025 report is available here and 2025-2026 report here.

The Special Adviser Code of Conduct can be found here.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether any departmental special adviser took a leave of absence, or undertook a new party contract, to work on the Makerfield by-election.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

As per the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, where a special adviser wishes to undertake work for a political party which does not arise out of government business they may do this either in their own time, outside office hours, or under a separate contract with the Party, working part-time for the Government. They may not use annual or unpaid leave for this purpose.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2026 to Question 12154 on WPP: Contracts, and with reference to RM6364 Framework schedule 1 specification: lot 4 creative strategy and development, paragraph 13.1.13, how much has been spent on Celebrity recruitment and management by (a) the Cabinet Office, (b) the New Media Unit, (c) the Government Communications Service and (d) via outsourced creative agencies, since July 2024.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The new RM6364 Media and Creative Services Framework for Lot 4 came into effect on 14th January 2026.

Across the Cabinet Office, there has been no spend against Lot 4 as there is currently no contract in place against this Lot.