Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much funding was allocated to the Civil Service LGBT Plus Network in each of the last five years.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
I refer you to the response given by Minister Gould to PQ43014 in April of this year which asked what the cost to the public purse was of this employee network.
The Civil Service LGBT+ staff network is a volunteer collaborative group of Civil Service staff. The LGBT+ network does not hold a budget, but a department can choose to provide support where there is a business case to do so. We are not aware of any such financial support. There has been no cost to the public purse of the LGBT+ network since 2020. We do not hold any records prior to this date. The LGBT+ network was created in 2003.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance has been issued to help civil servants distinguish between acceptable network activity and activity that may breach impartiality rules.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Staff Network Policy was launched on 23 September 2025 and is applicable to all cross-Civil Service Staff networks, from this date. Departments have been strongly encouraged to adopt or align to this policy for their own departmental networks. The policy establishes a consistent framework to ensure all staff networks operate effectively, in line with the Civil Service code.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 21 November 2025 to Question 91601 on Prime Minister: Climate Change Convention, on what basis possibility is assessed in respect of publishing offsetting data.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Prime Ministerial flights are carbon offset where that is possible. This takes into account a range of factors. GBNI flights are carbon offset at the end of the financial year. Information about official overseas travel is published as part of the Cabinet Office transparency returns and made available on the GOV.UK website, in line with the approach of successive administrations.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make it his policy to publish data relating to carbon offsetting for all government flights.
Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Government does not have a general policy of carbon offsetting flights.
Prime Ministerial flights are carbon offset where that is possible. The yearly payment to carbon offset flights using the G-GBNI aircraft is calculated at the end of each financial year based on the flights that have taken place to ensure accuracy.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2025 to Question 88938 on Prime Minister: Climate Change Convention, how many miles have been carbon offset in each of the last 12 months.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Prime Ministerial flights are carbon offset where that is possible.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests has been asked to investigate the appointment of the Independent Football Regulator Chair.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
It is the role of the independent Commissioner for Public Appointments to provide independent assurance that public appointments are made in accordance with the Government’s Principles of Public Appointments and Governance Code.
The report of the Commissioner for Public Appointments’ inquiry into the process of appointing the Chair of the Independent Football Regulator was published on 6 November 2025 and can be found here.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Prime Minister sought advice from the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests on the receipt of donations from David Kogan prior to his appointment as the Independent Football Regulator Chair.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
I refer the Hon Member to the Prime Minister’s letter to the Independent Adviser for Ministerial Standards, published on 12 November.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish correspondence between the Prime Minister's Office and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the appointment of the Independent Football Regulator Chair.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
I refer the Hon Member to the Prime Minister’s letter to the Independent Adviser for Ministerial Standards, published on 12 November.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the cost was of the Prime Minister's attendance at COP30.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Ministerial travel is undertaken using efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements. Security considerations are also taken into account. Information about official overseas travel is published as part of the Cabinet Office transparency returns and made available on the GOV.UK website. It has been the practice that official Prime Ministerial flights are carbon offset where that is possible. Civil Servants and Special Advisers routinely travel with the Prime Minister, including so as to provide support in the conduct of any official duties, which can arise at any time.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has made an estimate of the carbon emissions generated by the Prime Minister's attendance at the COP30 summit; and whether he took steps to offset those emissions.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Ministerial travel is undertaken using efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements. Security considerations are also taken into account. Information about official overseas travel is published as part of the Cabinet Office transparency returns and made available on the GOV.UK website. It has been the practice that official Prime Ministerial flights are carbon offset where that is possible. Civil Servants and Special Advisers routinely travel with the Prime Minister, including so as to provide support in the conduct of any official duties, which can arise at any time.