Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Written Statement of 21 July 2025 on Government of service, HCWS870, whether the appointment of members to the Ethics and Integrity Commission will be made under the Public Appointments Order in Council; and which Department will be responsible for approving those appointments.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Ethics and Integrity Commission will be established on 13 October 2025 by the Government strengthening and reforming the Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL).
The appointment of independent members to the Ethics and Integrity Commission will continue to be subject to the Governance Code for Public Appointments and regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments, as has been the case with CSPL.
As an Arm's Length Body of the Cabinet Office, appointments to the Ethics and Integrity Commission will be the responsibility of Cabinet Office Ministers.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority's Annual Report 2024–25, published on 11 August 2025, for what reason no evaluation was completed for the Rosa renewal project.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare
The Rosa Renewal Project was subject to the appropriate National Infrastructure Service Transformation Authority oversight, with the project coming to a formal close in March 2025. The project achieved a GREEN Delivery Confidence Assessment as part of its final Gate 5 assessment. Delivery of the specific products set out in the business case was achieved and, therefore, has now formally closed but evaluation and lessons learned activity continue under the Rosa Service Organisation’s business as usual governance.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether (a) the National Security Adviser and (b) his Department has had meetings with Inter Mediate since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare
The National Security Adviser meets with a range of individuals and organisations as part of his role providing advice to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet on national security matters. Such meetings are often sensitive in nature, and the Government does not routinely comment on them or their content.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of the Review of the Arms Length Body Landscape; and if he will provide an update.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government is undertaking a comprehensive review of the entire Arm's Length Body (ALB) landscape, as announced on 6 April 2025, and is a core part of creating a productive and agile state. The review is ongoing, and outcomes will be communicated in due course.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's news story entitled Appointment to Cabinet Office Board, published on 19 August 2025, for what reason Greg Jackson’s appointment was announced after his term started.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Greg Jackson was appointed before the Summer Recess on 21 July to allow for the onboarding process, including conducting security checks, to be completed over the recess period. The announcement was made on 19 August, following fact checking and clearances as part of the onboarding process.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the FOI disclosure reference (a) IC-390141-T8J5 and (b) FOI2025/01532.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare
I refer the honourable member to PQ 69874 where the FOI information sought is disclosed.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 54826 on Senior Civil Servants: Training, whether external venues have been booked for away days since 6 April 2025.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
On 4 April, guidance was issued on restrictions to booking external venues. Departments were asked to put appropriate approval mechanisms in place. The guidance was clear that external venues for awaydays and events should only be used when space in government buildings is unavailable. When it is absolutely necessary to use an external venue, they should be procured through established procurement routes where available.
The Cabinet Office issued instructions on its intranet on 30 April 2025 that prior to booking any external venues approval must be obtained from the relevant Budget Holder and Finance Business Partner. Prior to this period, bookings may have been made which would have proved more costly to cancel, therefore some pre-booked events may still take place. However, this guidance is now live across the Department and is being implemented accordingly.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Cabinet Office: Government Procurement Card spend over £500 - March 2025, published on 24 April 2025, what the spending to Berry Bros Rudd Limited was for.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare
The referenced entry relates to wine purchased for official business. The Government regularly hosts events and diplomatic occasions to bring together world leaders and other dignitaries, strengthen international relationships and deliver for the UK public.
Any hospitality purchases for these occasions are made with value-for-money for the taxpayer as a priority.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his planned timetable is for responding to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee's report entitled Lobbying and Influence HC 203, published on 2 May 2024.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare
In addition to steps this Government has already taken to improve transparency, in particular through the introduction of the monthly register of ministers' gifts and hospitality, the Government continues to develop its broader work on ethics and standards and will update the Committee on the outcome of that work in due course.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to Box 1.D of the Spending Review 2025, CP1336, published on 11 June 2025, whether she has made an estimate of the number of civil servants funded to exit the civil service in (a) 2025-26 and (b) 2026-27.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The cost of paid exits in the Civil Service varies significantly as the terms of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme, which sets the terms for paid exits in the Civil Service, is based on length of service and salary. However, we expect the transformation fund for employee exit schemes, matched by departments themselves, to enable a reformed Civil Service that is focussed on delivery, through an efficient and cost-effective workforce.