Charlie Dewhirst

Dr Stephenson has been selected as the Government Preferred Candidate for the next EHRC Chair, following a fair and open process, in line with the Governance Code for Public Appointments. As per the Code, all candidates were asked to declare any conflicts of interest they held as part of the interview process. We will continue to follow the Code as the process continues.

In April 2023, the previous government issued guidance on positive action in the workplace (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/positive-action-in-the-workplace-guidance-for-employers/positive-action-in-the-workplace). This sets out the differences between positive action and positive discrimination and what is permitted under the Equality Act 2010.

The Government Car Service (GCS) offers vehicles to government departments as a shared resource. Each department independently determines the allocation of these vehicles to its ministerial cadre/officials, as under previous administrations.

The Attorney General’s Office is currently allocated two vehicles including allocated and shared vehicles.

For security reasons specific details of allocations including make and model of vehicles are not issued.

The average cost to a department for a single DPC (Department Pool Car) in 2024/25 financial years is £108K per annum.

The Government Car Service (GCS) offers vehicles to government departments as a shared resource. Each department independently determines the allocation of these vehicles.

The arrangements relating to the using of vehicles in the Government Car Service is set out in the Civil Service Management Code.

There has been no change in this policy since the general election.

I refer you to the Government's statement and release of information on 11th March, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The Government is working to ensure that Parliament’s instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.

I refer the Hon Member to the Government's statement and release of information on 11th March, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The Government is working to ensure that Parliament’s instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.

Individual departments are responsible for their own discipline policies and guidance, which detail formal processes and procedures. These policies align with the Civil Service Code and the Civil Service Management Code, which set out the standards and behaviour expected from all employees. Departments collect information internally as required, in accordance with GDPR.

Departments are not required to report details of Civil Service leavers and exit payments under the terms of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme to HM Treasury. Departments publish information on exit payments and staffing numbers within their Annual Reports and Accounts. Departments are however required to report to HM Treasury the use of all special severance payments paid within the financial year in line with the published transparency requirements.

Public authorities throughout the United Kingdom were given an opportunity to apply for a free portrait of His Majesty The King if they wanted to display it in their building. This was a voluntary scheme to mark the accession of His Majesty The King. The announcement was originally made on 1 April 2023 and the scheme was launched in November that year and closed for applications in August 2024.

As it was a voluntary scheme, there was no obligation for public authorities to apply for a portrait. There may also be a variety of reasons as to why an institution did not order a portrait, such as suitable location or whether they had an existing portrait. It would therefore be inappropriate to release a simple list of individual authorities and institutions which did or did not order a free portrait.

I refer the Honourable Member to the information published on GOV.UK on 28 November 2024 which provided a summary of the His Majesty The King Official Portrait Scheme, including the number of portraits provided and the total cost of the scheme: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/conclusion-of-his-majesty-the-kings-free-portrait-scheme

The HMK Portrait scheme was launched on 14th November 2023 and, including two extensions of scope, ran until 15th August 2024. A total of 20,565 orders were received, the cost of which, including delivery, was £2,710,705.50 with an average price of £131.81 per portrait.

The public consultation is now open and I encourage you and your constituents to respond.

The design and delivery of digital ID are subject to the consultation outcomes. The feedback from the consultation will inform our final approach and enable a more accurate assessment of costs.

As the Government has stated previously, any costs in this Spending Review period will be met within existing settlements.

No.

Information about this role was published by the government on the new Direct Ministerial Appointments Announcements Portal: https://apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/direct-ministerial-appointments-announcements.

Since 2010, Central Government departments publish expenditure above £25,000 on a monthly basis. Oxygen Finance aggregates this transparency data to provide reports on spending by a particular department or category.

Jaggaer Spend relies on data generated by payments processed through public sector procurement systems, as opposed to published invoice data.

Information related to Direct Ministerial Appointments can be found on gov.uk.

Guidance in relation to the payment and billing of council tax is developed and issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to local authorities.

However, the National Fraud Initiative (NFI), as part of the Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA), works closely with local authorities to help them identify and prevent fraud.

As part of this, the NFI is currently collaborating with local authorities to understand the fraud risks related to council tax second home premiums. The NFI will use that insight to inform options, such as a data matching pilot, to detect and prevent fraud in this area.

This collaboration is also what has allowed the removal of fraudsters from social housing properties, ensuring they go to those families in genuine need, and cracking down on blue badge fraud - of which 22,000 fraudulent permits were cancelled in the last year alone.

Responsibility for Lord-Lieutenant policy and appointments was incorporated in the Church Appointments Team in 2018. The equivalent of one full-time member of staff is employed on this work. The team is responsible for managing the appointments of Lord-Lieutenants and Vice Lord-Lieutenants for the United Kingdom, and Deputy Lieutenants in England and Wales. It also oversees expenses for Lieutenancies in England, handles complaints from the public, and addresses relevant policy issues.

No SAFE framework assessment has been conducted on Guido Fawkes, Sunday Sport or Politico.

Omni and Unlimited are contracted to Cabinet Office Government Communication Service. These agencies have supported GCS in delivering campaigns on the government's priorities and missions.

Influencers have proven to be effective in reaching audiences that traditional marketing channels find hard to reach.

There are no plans to publish specific financial details in the public domain.

United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) is currently meeting its agreed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) across each product type. UKSV KPIs are set and regularly reviewed in consultation with customer groups to ensure that demand is balanced with maintaining assurance in national security safeguards.

In line with the practice followed by successive administrations, the Government does not otherwise comment on security matters.

All costs relating to the Cabinet Office's annual expenditure are outlined from page 165 onwards, which includes spending by the Government Property Agency as an agency of the Cabinet Office. The report does not enter into granular building level accounts, as has been the case under successive administrations.

I refer the Honourable Member to 73315 which has since been corrected.

The Government Property Agency holds records on the costs of works, fittings and fixtures relating to ministerial residences of Admiralty House only.

I refer the Honourable Member to 73315 which has since been corrected.

The following sets out the key individuals and groups that made up the governance structure for One Big Thing 2024, including their roles:

No conflicts of interest were recorded. The Expert Advisory Group had representation from external experts from the private sector and academia. Their role was limited to providing subject matter expertise, with no decision-making/ sign-off authority or involvement with delivery.

We are unable to publish the minutes of meetings, as requested, as the effective design of One Big Thing is reliant upon these being internal forums for free and frank discussions, with attendees often providing informal opinions or preliminary views.

Due diligence was undertaken prior to the appointment of the former Ambassador to the United States, and was part of an established process to collate relevant information as part of the identification and selection of the appointee.

In line with the practice across multiple administrations, the government does not publish such material.

I refer the Hon. Member to the Cabinet Secretary’s letter of 30 October 2025 to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, which sets out the process and information contained in the due diligence report: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/50019/documents/269409/default/

Opinions and statements are assessed against relevant legislation and policy to assess suitability.

As was the case under successive administrations, an itemised list is not routinely published.

This notice relates to the development of the Central Digital Platform for procurement. Goaco Group Ltd sought permission from the Cabinet Office to engage the Open Contracting Partnership (OCP) to undertake independent data quality analysis, so that the continuous improvement of the Platform is supported by the highest level of expertise available. OCP is an independent non-profit charity and has a presence in Spain and Canada. All development work related to this contract remains onshore in the UK.

As is the long-standing practice, the Cabinet Office as the contracting authority has given notice of amendment to the Goaco Contract to facilitate this work.

It is a longstanding policy not to comment on individuals. Details of any payments are published in the Cabinet Office annual report and accounts.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68fb37aec18f97edd2b63756/36.17_CO_ARA_24-25_00-Book_v16A_WEB.pdf

Guidance on managing public money effectively is issued by HMT Treasury and it sets out rules and responsibilities, as well as best practice to achieve value for money. This guidance details the circumstances in which severance is payable. All special severance payments are approved by HMT.

It is a longstanding policy not to comment on individuals. Details of any payments are published in the Cabinet Office annual report and accounts

(https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68fb37aec18f97edd2b63756/36.17_CO_ARA_24-25_00-Book_v16A_WEB.pdf).

Guidance on managing public money effectively is issued by HMT Treasury and it sets out rules and responsibilities, as well as best practice to achieve value for money. This guidance details the circumstances in which severance is payable. All special severance payments are approved by HMT.

In compliance with the Business Appointment Rules (BARs) the Cabinet Office is transparent in the advice given to individual applications from senior staff, including special advisers. Advice given to senior civil servants regarding specific business appointments is published quarterly on GOV.UK as part of our ongoing transparency obligations.

We do not comment on specific individuals or BARs applications.

The gender pay gap for Special Advisers is published annually on GOV.UK as part of the Cabinet Office Gender Pay Gap Report.

The next annual report, covering the most recent period, will be published in due course.

In 2024-25, the Cabinet Office spend fell well below the recommended 0.1% maximum spend laid out in the facility time framework guidance.

Trade Union representatives have a statutory right to be granted reasonable paid time off to undertake trade union duties and reasonable unpaid time to undertake trade union activities. The facility time guidance sets out the requirement to monitor and report on facility time spend in the Cabinet Office.