Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has had recent discussions with the Church of England on taking steps to help ensure that senior appointments within the Church uphold (a) accountability and (b) safeguarding culture.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Senior appointments within the Church are undertaken under the Standing Orders of the Church of England laid down by the Church’s elected body, the General Synod, which govern the Crown Nominations Commission, the committee which nominates Archbishops and diocesan Bishops. Safeguarding ability is an essential requirement for all senior positions, necessitating enhanced DBS checks and specialist training as well as being assessed as part of the application paperwork and at interview.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to help improve cross-government coordination to counter hostile state narratives promoted through domestic voices.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Defending Democracy Taskforce has a mandate to drive forward a whole-government response to the full range of threats to our democracy, including foreign information operations.
This response includes the Counter Political Interference and Espionage Action Plan, which I announced in the House in November.
Coordinated by the Cabinet Office with the support of Departments across Whitehall, this plan is designed to disrupt the ecosystem of proxy organisations and individuals used by foreign states to facilitate interference.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of neurodiversity training and accountability across civil service departments.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
We do not have any specific neurodiversity training available to all Civil Service departments. Civil Service Expectations is an e-learning course for all civil servants which explains why inclusion, diversity and equality is important to the Civil Service and the citizens it serves. We do not actively monitor the training of other departments and departments have delegated authority to develop learning that aligns to their organisational requirements.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to strengthen neurodiversity awareness to ensure that every public servant can thrive equally in the workplace.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office is taking a range of steps to strengthen neurodiversity awareness and support available. We have established a dedicated Neurodiversity Network, which provides a platform for colleagues to share lived experiences and access resources that promote understanding of neurodiversity across the department and has a senior active Neurodiversity Champion.
A Disability Line Manager Toolkit has been launched this year providing clear guidance on recognising neurodiversity, outlines common neurodivergent conditions, and highlights key statistics to build awareness among managers. It also explains the support available within the department, including the Workplace Adjustments Passport.
Sessions on the importance of neurodiversity, hosted by our Cabinet Office Diversity Network Champion and Diversity and Inclusion team are run, to help deepen insight and encourage inclusive working practices and we use Line Managers calls to raise awareness.
In addition, the Business Disability Forum, delivers regular Lunch and Learn events on neurodiversity. These sessions provide practical guidance, share best practice, and support managers and teams in fostering an inclusive culture.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the Honours System in terms of (a) fairness, (b) equity and (c) and value.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Cabinet Office Honours team is working to make the honours system truly representative of UK society, in line with the Prime Minister’s priorities for the honours system. As part of this work, we have recently established a new independent Diversity and Outreach Committee which will assist the committee process in delivering an honours system which is properly diverse and reflective of UK society.
In addition to ongoing work, every five years, a report to Parliament is published on the Operation of the UK Honours System. This report sets out progress and key developments to our work to improve the integrity and fairness in, and access to, the Honours System. The most recent report was published in May 2023 and can be viewed here. The next report is due to be published in 2028.