Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to page 134 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, what progress he has made in establishing an infrastructure pillar within the Home Defence Programme.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare
As set out in the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence Review, the Cabinet Office led Home Defence Programme is developing greater preparedness against a changing international risk picture. Work to bolster the resilience of UK Critical National Infrastructure forms one strand of the wider programme. These areas are being developed in close cooperation with the MOD and Whitehall departments.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to page 11 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published on 24 June 2025, what progress she has made in enhancing the resilience of critical national infrastructure.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare
The UK Government is committed to building the security and resilience of UK critical national infrastructure (CNI). On 8 July this year, the Government published the Resilience Action Plan, which sets out this government's strategic approach to increasing the UK's resilience against the risks the UK faces.
To improve CNI resilience, UK Government has committed to continue delivery of CNI Knowledge Base - the UK government’s world-leading CNI mapping tool; map and fully use the complex network of reserved and devolved standards for CNI sectors, which are fundamental in holding industry to account and assuring the resilience of UK CNI; develop a new Cyber Resilience Index to build on existing cyber resilience measures to provide a cross-sector, holistic overview of cyber resilience for UK CNI; and raise resilience by using UK government resources, including the expertise of our National Technical Authorities (including National Cyber Security Centre and National Protective Security Authority), to provide world-leading advice on security and resilience best practice directly to businesses.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the use of super-injunctions by the Government on the reputation of Government.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government has been deeply concerned about the lack of transparency to Parliament and to the public as a result of the super-injunction about the data protection breach from February 2022 relating to the Afghan relocations and assistance policy.
As the Secretary of State for Defence stated to the House on 15 July, the super-injunction was unprecedented. The Government looks forward to engaging with any forthcoming select committee inquiries.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to page 27 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published on 24 June 2025, who will be responsible for the creating of a Biothreats Radar.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare
The Cabinet Office’s National Situation Centre is responsible for creating the Biothreats Radar. The Radar brings together information on human, animal, and plant health risks to create a powerful, near real-time view of emerging biological threats and the impact they could have.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many injunctions have been filed by government departments since 5 July 2024.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare
This information is not held by the Cabinet Office.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 15 July 2025 to Question 66338 on George Cross Committee, when the decisions of the George Cross Committee are notified to applicants.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The George Cross Committee assesses all recommendations for civilian gallantry awards. The Committee's recommendations are submitted by the Prime Minister to The King, who awards the honour. If an award is recommended and subsequently approved, those nominated for gallantry awards are asked if they are willing to accept. Unlike the King’s Birthday and New Year Honours Lists, there is no set timeline for notification and publication of gallantry lists.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 15 July 2025 to Question 66727 on Military Alliances: France, which Ministers will attend the first meeting.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare
The UK-France Nuclear Steering Group meetings will be convened and attended by senior government officials representing the UK Cabinet Office and the Presidency of the French republic as well as other Ministries and organisations. The Steering Group will regularly update senior UK and French Ministers on the items under discussion. Ministerial discussions between the UK and France will take place as required.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when (a) was the most recent and (b) is the next scheduled meeting of the George Cross Committee.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The most recent George Cross Committee meeting took place on Thursday 13 March 2025. We do not release the dates of committee meetings ahead of time. This ensures minimising the chance of lobbying of committee members.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the UK-France Nuclear Steering Group will be convened; and who the participants will be.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare
The UK France Nuclear Steering Group will be chaired by the Presidency of the Republic on the French side and by the Cabinet Office on the UK side. It will include participants from other Ministries and organisations as required. The first meeting will take place in the autumn.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on what date (a) was the last and (b) is the next meeting of the Honours and Appointments Secretariat.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The UK Honours and awards system does not comprise a committee or administrative team known as the Honours and Appointments Secretariat, which was the previous name of the Honours and Memorialisation Secretariat. This team holds weekly team meetings.