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 14 January 2025 to Question 22185, Prime Minister: Furniture, what information his Department holds on the number and proportion of attendees at the Plan for Change launch event on 5 December 2024 who were members of the Labour Party but were neither MPs or Ministers.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
This was an official government event, with attendees and an audience that included members of the public, business people, and public sector workers. Some members of the Labour party attended.
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 29 January 2025 to Question 25454 on 9 Downing Street: Media, what advice the (a) Cabinet Secretary and (b) Cabinet Office Propriety and Ethics Team provided on whether the colours (i) red and (ii) blue are party political.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
As has been the case under successive administrations, it is a long-standing principle that Civil Service advice is given and treated in confidence. This includes detailing whether or not advice has been given and by whom.
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 29 January 2025 to Question 25454 on 9 Downing Street: Media, if he will place a copy of the OCS invoice in the Library of the House.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The cost of these works will be published in due course in Cabinet Office transparency returns.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference the guidance entitled Ministers’ Gifts and Hospitality: Publication Guidance, published on 30 January 2025, whether hospitality from senior media executives, provided in a political or social context, must be declared through Ministerial returns.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The guidance on the publication of Ministers’ Gifts and Hospitality states that ministers should declare details of all hospitality received “in a ministerial capacity”. Hospitality received in a political or social context is not generally considered to be ministerial business and therefore does not need to be declared on the hospitality register.
However, the guidance further states that, in the course of any exempted hospitality (such as hospitality provided in a social context), “if…a minister entered into substantive discussions with a senior media figure, this should be considered under the guidance for meetings”. The guidance for meetings is available on GOV.uk at the following link:
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 28 January 2025 to Question 25863 on Military Aircraft: Helicopters, whether (a) the Prime Minister or (b) other senior Ministers will have access to the helicopter transport under the new Ministerial Air Transport Office managed Commercial Air Transport Contract.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Under the Commercial Air Transport Contract, CTM provides a service to source various Air Charter solutions when required. The Prime Minister and other senior ministers have access to this contract when required.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2025to Question 25863 on Military Aircraft: Helicopters, what is the name of the company now providing the helicopter transport through the Cabinet Office framework.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Cabinet Office has a cross-Government contract in place with Corporate Travel Management (North) Limited (CTM). CTM provides a travel booking service for Cabinet Office staff, Ministers and Ministry of Defence senior officials when travel is permitted for business and operational reasons. Information on this contract can be found at the following Contracts Finder link:https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/da014209-47d7-4805-8097-e191d7d1077f?origin=SearchResults&p=1
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2025 to Question 25862 on Military Aircraft: Helicopters, whether his assessment of the cost has included the additional costs of (a) Royal Household helicopter provision and (b) non-Defence Ministerial travel; and what the estimated total annual cost is .
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Provision of Royal Household and non-Defence Ministerial helicopter travel is not a Ministry of Defence responsibility. Therefore, the cost assessment for Ministry of Defence senior leader and official future helicopter transport did not include Royal Household or non-Defence Ministerial travel requirements. Before deletion of Rotary Wing Command Support Air Transport in December 2024, Royal Household and wider Government usage had been on an ‘as available’ basis, when the aircraft was not in use for Ministry of Defence activity.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 18 November 2024, to Question 1248 on Military Aircraft: Helicopter, where the Ministerial Transport Office is based; how many staff work in it; and what its budget is .
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The helicopter arrangements are managed by the Cabinet Office Commercial team and form part of the Central Departmental Travel contracts which are in place with Corporate Travel Management (North) Limited (CTM). There is one dedicated Full Time official with other resources being used as and when required. CTM provides a travel booking service for Cabinet Office staff, Ministers and Ministry of Defence senior officials when travel is permitted for business and operational reasons. Costs are paid from the end user budget.
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 5 February 2025 to Question 26823 on Military Aircraft: Helicopters, whether the contract Corporate Travel Management (North) Limited is the commercial transport contract referred to by the Ministry of Defence in the Answer of 18 December 2024 to Question 21064; and what the name is of the company providing the helicopter service.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Corporate Travel Management is the commercial transport contract referred to. No single company provides all helicopter transport, with a range of providers employed under the Commercial Air Transport Contract. This contract uses Central Travel Management to identify the most cost-effective commercially available helicopter travel for Ministry of Defence Ministers, senior Department officials and senior officers, alongside Cabinet Office and wider Government Ministers. Detail of the Cabinet Office Corporate Travel Management (North) Limited (CTM can be found at the following Contracts Finder link:
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 28 January 2025 to Question 25863 on Military Aircraft: Helicopters, whether the Royal Household helicopter new transport is being arranged through a Cabinet Office framework.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
No. The Royal Household makes independent arrangements for Royal Helicopter transport.