Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Autumn Budget 2025 made changes to efficiency savings required of departments in (a) 2025-26, (b) 2026-27 and (c) 2027-28.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

No changes were made to efficiency targets in 2025-26, 2026-27 or 2027-28.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 16 December 2025 to Question 98122, on Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Public Appointments, if she will list the annual remuneration of each of the current Direct Ministerial Appointments in post.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The names of special representatives, envoys and direct ministerial appointments are published on gov.uk at the time of their appointment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Government's transparency data entitled Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for government’s most important contracts: Data for July to September 2025 for all departments, published on 25 December 2025, for what reason Tackling Economic Inequality is a Key Performance Indicator for the contract entitled NHSmail Collaboration Licensing Platform that is supplied by Accenture (UK) Limited.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The inclusion of Tackling Economic Inequality as a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for NHS England’s NHSmail Collaboration Licensing Platform contract reflects the Government’s Social Value Model, introduced to ensure that public procurement delivers wider economic and social benefits alongside core contractual outcomes. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-policy-note-0620-taking-account-of-social-value-in-the-award-of-central-government-contracts

As for every procurement, NHS England selected the most appropriate Social Value Theme from those set out in the above guidance, based on the subject matter of the contract. In this case, Tackling Economic Inequality was chosen. This theme encompasses measures that promote economic opportunity, support skills and employment, and encourage innovation and productivity across supply chains.

Each Social Value Theme in turn contains detailed Model Award Criteria, and for this contract NHS England applied:

• Innovation and Disruptive Technologies, to support innovation and disruptive technologies throughout the supply chain to deliver lower cost and/or higher quality goods and services; and
• Modernising Delivery and Increasing Productivity, to support the development of scalable and future-proofed new methods to modernise delivery and increase productivity.

The KPI was included to ensure those commitments are monitored transparently. This is consistent with the Government’s requirement to publish KPIs for its most important contracts, as part of strengthening accountability and transparency in public procurement.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2025 to Question 86060 on NHS: Recruitment, what guidance has been provided to NHS bodies on the (a) length and (b) type of criminal conviction that would prevent a person from being employed in the NHS under the Widening Access Demonstrator programme.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department commissions NHS Employers to issue employer guidance under the NHS Employment Check Standards, which includes the criminal record check requirements in the National Health Service in England. The standards direct employers in the NHS to use Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) guidance to understand which offences are disclosed or filtered, depending on age, sentence length, and offence type. The DBS applies statutory filtering rules to decide which convictions are shown on DBS certificates in England and Wales. DBS rules apply across all sectors for roles needing criminal record checks. Charities like Unlock and NACRO offer extra advice and guidance for individuals with criminal records and employers hiring them.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2025 to Question 71247 on Military Aircraft: Ministers, which Senior Ministers have been authorised to have occasional use of RAF CSAT aircraft.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The following Senior Ministers have been authorised to have occasional use of RAF CSAT aircraft:

• The Prime Minister
• Secretary of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
• Chancellor of the Exchequer

This is consistent with policies to CSAT travel from previous Governments.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the policy paper entitled Outcome of the exploratory discussions on the possible participation of the United Kingdom in the European Union’s internal electricity market, published on 22 December 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of dynamic alignment on the Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce: interim report of 24 November 2025.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The detail of commitments for a future agreement for the UK’s participation in the EU’s internal electricity market is a matter for negotiations.

As the Chancellor set out at Budget, the government will present a full response to the Nuclear Regulatory Review within three months, taking account of our international obligations, national security considerations, and planning, environmental and court processes.

The government will complete implementation of the Nuclear Regulatory Review within two years, subject to legislative timelines on elements requiring primary legislation.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2025 to Question 75027 on Military Aircraft: Ministers, how many of the 44 tasks were (a) domestic and (b) overseas.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

It has been the practice of successive administrations not to publish granular information relating to the official movements of Ministers and those accompanying them within the United Kingdom. Information about official overseas Ministerial travel is published as part of the Cabinet Office transparency returns and made available on the GOV.UK website.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether any of the members of the Clean Power 2030 Advisory Commission have made a declaration of political activity; and where their declarations of interest are published.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Members of the Clean Power 2030 Advisory Commission were asked to declare political activity during the application process and none were declared. We do not publish their conflicts of interest.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the answer of 16 December 2025 to Question 98794 on Mission Boards, who the internal and external members are of the Clean Energy Superpower Mission Board.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Clean Energy Superpower Mission Board is chaired by the DESNZ Secretary of State, the Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP. The board does not have a fixed list of internal or external members, rather we engage with other government departments, external organisations and industry experts depending on the issues for discussion.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether (a) he and (b) his Permanent Secretary approved the use of paid facility time for trade union activities outlined in the 2024-25 departmental annual report and accounts.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The departmental Trade Union Facility Time Guidance sets out a provision for paid activity time to be requested and approved, by exception. This is managed/agreed locally by management from a day to day perspective. The overall levels of activity time are monitored by HR and any concerns are dealt with on behalf of the Secretary of State/Permanent Secretary.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the answer of 10 September 2025 to Question 74317 on DESNZ: Social Media, which social media influencers have been paid to undertake advertising for his Department since July 2024.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Due to commercial confidentiality, we are unable to release this information.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the policy paper entitled Outcome of the exploratory discussions on the possible participation of the United Kingdom in the European Union’s internal electricity market, published on 22 December 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive on (a) consumers, (b) business and (c) the economy.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

An electricity agreement with the EU will cut the cost of trading electricity with the EU - this means lower wholesale costs and ultimately lower bills. Any agreement will naturally involve a balance of rights and obligations to ensure a level playing field in the trade of electricity between the Parties.

In line with the outcome of exploratory discussions, we will discuss the relevant rules on the promotion of renewables. The detail of commitments in this area, as with other areas, is a matter for negotiations.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is his policy on members of the Armed Forces (a) being members of single-sex private members’ clubs in a personal capacity and (b) participating in such clubs in a professional capacity.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Defence does not hold a specific central policy on individual membership of single-sex private members’ clubs. Participation with external organisations in a professional capacity is subject to formal approval through the Chain of Command.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled New Ministry of Defence Permanent Secretary announced, published on 31 October 2025, whether the outgoing Permanent Secretary will receive any (a) exit and (b) severance payment.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

It is anticipated that any severance payments received, would be published in the Ministry of Defence annual report and accounts for 2025 to 2026.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2025 to Question 98107 on Department for Business and Trade: Public Appointments, whether any of those direct ministerial appointees have made a declaration of political activity.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Of the 30 direct ministerial appointees, 6 have declared political activity.

Due diligence is conducted and individuals are required to complete a formal declaration of interests, in line with Cabinet Office guidance. These appointees deliver vital expertise to government and there is no bar to political activity for these roles.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for government’s most important contracts, Data for July to September 2025, published on 25 December 2025, how customer satisfaction with cultural sensitivity is monitored for the Security Guarding Services contract with MITIE SECURITY LIMITED.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Security Guarding Services contract KPI relating to cultural sensitivity is a qualitative KPI and is measured through a Customer Satisfaction evaluation survey completed on a quarterly basis. The KPI is monitored and reported through the contract management meetings held with Mitie Security Limited.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the International Journal of Wildland Fire's article entitled Assessing soil heating beneath prescribed burns, published on 15 January 2026.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The date and title of the citation provided does not correspond to any article published by the International Journal of Wildland Fire, but research on this topic is reviewed and taken into account in our policy development.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for government’s most important contracts, Data for July to September 2025, published on 25 December 2025, what the Key Performance Indicators are for the (a) Digitise Delivery Support contract with DELOITTE MCS LTD and (b) QAT74 End to End Testing contract with LA International Computer Consultants Limited.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

For Digitise Delivery Support contract with DELOITTE MCS LTD performance is managed through Balanced score card performance process by the Migration Border Tech Portfolio business. Performance assessed the supplier against themes :

- Performance to pay process

- Service requests and onboarding

- Delivery of the outcome of the various roles; project management, partnering behaviours and value add services and social value.

For QAT74 End to End Testing contract with LA International Computer Consultants Limited, the KPIs are :

- Partnering Behaviours

- Delivery

- Value Add

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Mr Alistair Carmichael (Chair); Charlie Dewhirst; Sarah Dyke; Terry