Ben Obese-Jecty

The government is committed to strengthening equal pay and ending pay discrimination. Alongside other measures, we will establish an Equal Pay Regulatory and Enforcement Unit with the involvement of trade unions.

This month we launched a call for evidence on a number of areas of equality policy, including equal pay enforcement. We are holding this call for evidence while policy is at a formative stage in order to enable businesses, trade unions, civil society and others to share their knowledge, experiences, and perspectives at this early point.

Officials in the Office for Equality and Opportunity will continue to engage with a wide range of stakeholders, including trade unions, as policy develops.

The government is committed to strengthening equal pay and ending pay discrimination. Alongside other measures, we will establish an Equal Pay Regulatory and Enforcement Unit with the involvement of trade unions.

This month we launched a call for evidence on a number of areas of equality policy, including equal pay enforcement. We are holding this call for evidence while policy is at a formative stage in order to enable businesses, trade unions, civil society and others to share their knowledge, experiences, and perspectives at this early point.

Officials in the Office for Equality and Opportunity will continue to engage with a wide range of stakeholders, including trade unions, as policy develops.

As set out in the King’s Speech in July, the government is committed to making the right to equal pay effective for ethnic minority and disabled people. This measure will be part of the upcoming Equality (Race and Disability) Bill.

This month we launched a call for evidence on a number of areas of equality policy, including on this commitment. We will consider the views from the call for evidence to understand the challenges and find the appropriate solutions in developing this policy, making sure that the legislation works for all.

Details of Ministers’ meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on gov.uk. Data for Equalities Ministers is included in the releases by the Departments in which they are operationally based - for example, data for Minister Phillipson and Minister Smith is available at:

www.gov.uk/government/collections/dfe-ministers-quarterly-returns

www.gov.uk/government/publications/dfe-ministerial-overseas-travel-and-meetings-october-to-december-2024.

For the Cabinet Office the figures are:

These are the devices reported by staff of the Cabinet Office as lost since July 5th 2024. Some of these devices may have been found since their initial reporting.

Office for Equality and Opportunity are part of the Cabinet Office and as such, lost/stolen laptops will be reported within the Cabinet Office data

Part 5 of the Equality Act 2010 provides protection against direct and indirect discrimination in employment and makes it unlawful for an employer or a recruitment agency to discriminate against an employee or someone applying for employment because of a protected characteristic.

Interns with, or applying for, a contract of employment that falls within the definition of “employment” are covered by the Equality Act 2010’s protections against discrimination based on sex, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, amongst other protected characteristics.

There are some circumstances in which employers may provide additional help to groups of people who share a protected characteristic, including interns. This is permitted by the positive action provisions in the Equality Act 2010. Whether positive action is permitted will depend on whether the test in those provisions is met.

Government guidance to help employers understand the difference between positive action and positive discrimination can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/positive-action-in-the-workplace-guidance-for-employers. The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Code of Practice provides employers with support and can be found at: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/equality/equality-act-2010/codes-practice/employment-code-practice-0.

The Law Officers’ Convention applies to advice which may or may not have been given by the Law Officers, or requested of the Law Officers, and the Convention applies to your question.

The Law Officers’ Convention can be found at paragraph 21.27 of Erskine May:

“By long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, the fact of, and substance of advice from, the law officers of the Crown is not disclosed outside government. This convention is referred to in paragraph [5.14] of the Ministerial Code [updated on 6 November 2024]. The purpose of this convention is to enable the Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence.”

The Attorney sits on the Parliamentary Business and Legislation Committee. As part of the process of approving a government Bill for introduction, as set out in the published Guide to Making Legislation, a legal issues memorandum is prepared for this Committee. This will set out all relevant legal issues.

Whether the Law Officers have been asked to provide advice outside of the PBL process is covered by the Law Officers' Convention. This Convention provides that whether or not the Law Officers have been asked to provide advice, and the contents of any such advice, is not disclosed outside Government.

This protects the Law Officers’ ability as chief legal advisers to the Government to give full and frank legal advice and provides the fullest guarantee that government business will be conducted at all times in light of thorough and candid legal advice.

Acting recklessly with or throwing fireworks can cause life-changing injuries. These actions can result in criminal prosecution and/or civil liability, depending on whether the injury was caused deliberately, recklessly or negligently.

There are numerous offences this can fall under, including: s.39 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (common assault/battery) or from the+ Offences against the Person Act 1861: s47 (assault occasioning actual bodily harm), s20 (wounding/inflicting grievous bodily harm), s18 (wounding/causing grievous bodily harm with intent to do grievous bodily harm), s28 (grievous bodily harm by the unlawful explosion of gunpowder or other explosive substance), s29 (unlawfully causing gunpowder or some other explosive substance to explode with intent to cause grievous bodily harm). The charge chosen will depend on the facts and circumstances of the case and the level of injury caused.

During the most recently available 12 months (ending June 2025) management information shows that a total of 102,493 offences charged by way of the above legislation, commenced prosecution in magistrates’ courts. Of these charges the CPS is unable to identify which offences specifically involved fireworks as opposed to physical assaults or the use of other types of weapons, without a manual review of each case, which would incur disproportionate cost.

If an injury is caused through negligence (e.g. due to an accident at a private or publicly organised display) the person who set off the firework (or the event organiser/landowner) may be sued for damages in a civil court. Information on proceedings in civil courts is held by HM Courts and Tribunals Service.

Offences relating to the dangerous use or misuse of fireworks can be prosecuted under Section

80 of the Explosives Act 1875 (throw or light a firework in a highway, street or public place),

Section 131(1(d)) and Section 161(2(b)) of Highways Act 1980 (light a fire/discharge a

firework/firearm within 50 feet of a public highway), Section 28 of the Town and Police Clauses

Act 1847 (throw a firework/missile/discharge a firearm/light a fire in the street) and Section 2 of

the Football (Offences) Act 1991 (throw a missile onto a football pitch or adjacent area).

Management information is held by the CPS showing the number of offences in which a

prosecution commenced during each of the last five years for the above legislation.

Of these charges the CPS is unable to identify which offences specifically involved fireworks as

opposed to other types of missiles, without a manual review of each case, which would incur

disproportionate cost.

There is no indication of the final outcome or if the charged offence was the substantive charge at

the time of finalisation. It is often the case that an individual defendant is charged with more than

one offence.

Sickness absence data for the Civil Service, including departmental breakdowns is published annually, and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sickness-absence.

The next update will be for the year ending 31st March 2025.

The process was followed as set out in the Ministerial Code.

The Attorney General made a further statement on the speech in question which is publicly available.

The safety of our roads is a key priority for this government.

We have amended the Crime and Policing Bill to provide for new offences and penalties for dangerous cycling, updating legislation that is over 160 years old, to ensure that the tiny minority who recklessly disregard others face the full force of the law.

Cases of causing death or serious injury by dangerous or careless driving have usually been prosecuted under section 35 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 (OAPA 1861), but this offence applies to any person ‘having charge of any carriage or other vehicle’ and therefore does not solely apply to cyclists.

The earliest data held by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for prosecutions of offences under s. 35 OAPA 1861 is from 2005. Between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2024, the CPS authorised charges for 362 offences of causing injury by wanton and furious driving contrary to s. 35.

Of these charges, the CPS is unable to identify which offences involved defendants who were cyclists, without a manual review of each case, which would incur disproportionate cost.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has conducted a full manual review of the 11 case files with a monitoring flag for child abuse. It could not ascertain whether the defendants and victims were from Guinea-Bissau or Portugal from the information provided by the police.

The CPS were unable to undertake a full manual review of the remaining cases with a monitoring flag for modern slavery as to obtain this information would incur a disproportionate cost.

This Government is committed to tackling the scourge of child trafficking. Children who are exploited by gangs for criminal purposes will now receive greater protection under the Government’s flagship Crime and Policing Bill, with the introduction of a new offence of child criminal exploitation. The Bill represents the biggest package of measures on crime and policing for decades, with new measures to cut crime and make our streets safer.

From January 2010 to September 2024, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecuted 56 cases flagged for modern slavery in the Cambridge Police Force Area.

Data is recorded by defendant, rather than victim, and therefore modern slavery flagged cases may involve adult or child victims. Of these 56 cases, 11 cases also had a case monitoring flag applied for child abuse, which covers several different offences, including child trafficking.

The CPS is working closely with law enforcement via the Modern Slavery Criminal Justice Action Group – a joint working group led by CPS National Lead for Human Trafficking and the National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Modern Slavery and Organised Immigration Crime – to identify areas of improvement to promote early advice and increase referrals and prosecutions of modern slavery cases.

The Cabinet Office is currently finalising the operational requirements of the Government Media Unit and we are actively recruiting for this new team.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 15 April 2026 to Question UIN 125344.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 15 April 2026 to Question UIN 125344.

The Rt Hon Member for Tottenham had use of the ministerial residence at 1 Carlton Gardens until 12 September 2026. As of 5 October 2026, the residence has not been allocated to another Minister.

The Manchester Digital Campus represents a significant step in strengthening the Government presence in the North West. The Manchester Digital Campus programme continues to progress as set out in the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Major Projects Annual Report 2025 to 2026.

The Government Communications Service is currently finalising its 2026 annual data collection, therefore the figures provided below are from the 2025 annual data collection.

Staffing figures across the central teams are as follows:

• Number 10 Civil Service Communications Team: 44.8 FTE.

• Core Cabinet Office Communications Roles: 40.43 FTE (including 22 roles within the Press Office and Cabinet Office Digital Communications).

• Central GCS Team (Cabinet Office-based): 191.52 FTE in total, comprising 141.52 FTE communications roles and 50 FTE non-communications roles.

Information on roles specifically related to video production and social media content is not held.

Overall headcount stood at 6,120.35 FTE in 2024, compared to 5,950.54 FTE in 2025. Please note that these figures are not directly comparable due to differences in the specific organisations submitting returns across the 2024 and 2025 collection cycles.

As set out in the Strategic Defence Review 2025, the national conversation will be a multi-year engagement designed to embed a whole-of-society approach, where Government, businesses, and the public all play a part in strengthening our resilience.

The Cabinet Office is actively leading and coordinating this work through the Home Defence Programme. We all have a part to play in making the UK more resilient. The complex and volatile nature of the threats we face reinforce just how important it is that households across the UK are informed and that we drive forward a public conversation on risks and preparedness.

The Future Civil Service programme is our collective movement to build a world-class organisation, one that is fit for an AI-powered future and relentless in its delivery for the public. These changes are about more than any one policy area: they are about how the Government is organised and simplified to deliver the best outcomes for citizens. They amount to the most fundamental reset of the state and how it works in decades.

Yes, the Transforming Public Procurement programme was completed on 31 March 2026, closed on the Government's Major Projects Portfolio and handed over to BAU.

The activation of the Emergency Alert capability on 14 August was issued at no cost to the taxpayer.

The Falcon programme is currently in its pilot phase, which includes three business units. Key technical aspects of the pilot are expected to be completed by Christmas, followed by a wider Cabinet Office rollout starting in January, which will allow benefits to be realized as each business unit transitions.

The programme’s future service model has been designed and will be tested during the pilot, which is scheduled to conclude by 31st March 2027. Regarding governance, the programme has refined and matured its change control and governance processes, enabling faster identification, assessment, and decision-making.

A revised Programme Business Case is underway, with work initiated in late August and is scheduled for submission in November. This document will include both a rebaselined benefits position and rebaselined costs extending to December 2027.

In relation to testing, defects identified during prepilot testing required significant remediation before the programme could pass through its pilot entry gateway review. Subsequent remediations were successfully planned and executed, enabling the programme to proceed through a following gateway review.

The Falcon programme is currently in its pilot phase, which includes three business units. Key technical aspects of the pilot are expected to be completed by Christmas, followed by a wider Cabinet Office rollout starting in January, which will allow benefits to be realized as each business unit transitions.

The programme’s future service model has been designed and will be tested during the pilot, which is scheduled to conclude by 31st March 2027. Regarding governance, the programme has refined and matured its change control and governance processes, enabling faster identification, assessment, and decision-making.

A revised Programme Business Case is underway, with work initiated in late August and is scheduled for submission in November. This document will include both a rebaselined benefits position and rebaselined costs extending to December 2027.

In relation to testing, defects identified during prepilot testing required significant remediation before the programme could pass through its pilot entry gateway review. Subsequent remediations were successfully planned and executed, enabling the programme to proceed through a following gateway review.

The Falcon programme is currently in its pilot phase, which includes three business units. Key technical aspects of the pilot are expected to be completed by Christmas, followed by a wider Cabinet Office rollout starting in January, which will allow benefits to be realized as each business unit transitions.

The programme’s future service model has been designed and will be tested during the pilot, which is scheduled to conclude by 31st March 2027. Regarding governance, the programme has refined and matured its change control and governance processes, enabling faster identification, assessment, and decision-making.

A revised Programme Business Case is underway, with work initiated in late August and is scheduled for submission in November. This document will include both a rebaselined benefits position and rebaselined costs extending to December 2027.

In relation to testing, defects identified during prepilot testing required significant remediation before the programme could pass through its pilot entry gateway review. Subsequent remediations were successfully planned and executed, enabling the programme to proceed through a following gateway review.

The Falcon programme is currently in its pilot phase, which includes three business units. Key technical aspects of the pilot are expected to be completed by Christmas, followed by a wider Cabinet Office rollout starting in January, which will allow benefits to be realized as each business unit transitions.

The programme’s future service model has been designed and will be tested during the pilot, which is scheduled to conclude by 31st March 2027. Regarding governance, the programme has refined and matured its change control and governance processes, enabling faster identification, assessment, and decision-making.

A revised Programme Business Case is underway, with work initiated in late August and is scheduled for submission in November. This document will include both a rebaselined benefits position and rebaselined costs extending to December 2027.

In relation to testing, defects identified during prepilot testing required significant remediation before the programme could pass through its pilot entry gateway review. Subsequent remediations were successfully planned and executed, enabling the programme to proceed through a following gateway review.

The Falcon programme is currently in its pilot phase, which includes three business units. Key technical aspects of the pilot are expected to be completed by Christmas, followed by a wider Cabinet Office rollout starting in January, which will allow benefits to be realized as each business unit transitions.

The programme’s future service model has been designed and will be tested during the pilot, which is scheduled to conclude by 31st March 2027. Regarding governance, the programme has refined and matured its change control and governance processes, enabling faster identification, assessment, and decision-making.

A revised Programme Business Case is underway, with work initiated in late August and is scheduled for submission in November. This document will include both a rebaselined benefits position and rebaselined costs extending to December 2027.

In relation to testing, defects identified during prepilot testing required significant remediation before the programme could pass through its pilot entry gateway review. Subsequent remediations were successfully planned and executed, enabling the programme to proceed through a following gateway review.

The Falcon programme is currently in its pilot phase, which includes three business units. Key technical aspects of the pilot are expected to be completed by Christmas, followed by a wider Cabinet Office rollout starting in January, which will allow benefits to be realized as each business unit transitions.

The programme’s future service model has been designed and will be tested during the pilot, which is scheduled to conclude by 31st March 2027. Regarding governance, the programme has refined and matured its change control and governance processes, enabling faster identification, assessment, and decision-making.

A revised Programme Business Case is underway, with work initiated in late August and is scheduled for submission in November. This document will include both a rebaselined benefits position and rebaselined costs extending to December 2027.

In relation to testing, defects identified during prepilot testing required significant remediation before the programme could pass through its pilot entry gateway review. Subsequent remediations were successfully planned and executed, enabling the programme to proceed through a following gateway review.