Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what was the outturn spending by the department on communications, marketing and advertising in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
| 24–25 | 25–26 |
Total | £1,759,440 | £1,179,377 |
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, in relation to higher-risk buildings as defined by the Building Safety Act 2022, what assessment her Department has made to identify systemic hazards linked to the risk of structural failure and the potential impact on different structural typologies of higher-risk buildings.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Building Safety Act 2022 introduced a new regime for occupied higher-risk buildings, overseen by the Building Safety Regulator (BSR). Accountable Persons are required to assess, manage and report building safety risks, including those relating to structural failure.
The BSR, keeps the safety of buildings under review in accordance with its statutory duty set out in Section 5 of the Building Safety Act 2022. As part of this work, BSR assesses emerging evidence relating to potential structural safety risks. The BSR works with the sector to understand the extent and implications of these risks.
There is no comprehensive data set to inform assessment of severity of structural safety risks in buildings. The BSR is undertaking research to better understand how to strengthen the collection and use of structural safety data in the future. BSR is alert to the risk of deterioration in structural condition posed by our ageing building stock. The BSR and MHCLG are working together to determine if more needs to be done to ensure building structures are appropriately reviewed, maintained and managed throughout their lifecycle.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what was the total cost of facility time to (1) Cabinet Office and (2) the Office of the Prime Minister in (a) 2023-24, (b) 2024-25 and (c) 2025-26; and what was the headcount number of facility time staff in each; how many were 100% facility time; and whether funding was provided for trade union activities in each of those years.
Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office and the Office of the Prime Minister are managed as a single entity for staffing purposes; therefore, facility time costs and staffing figures are not separated. The total cost of facility time and the number of trade union representatives for the Cabinet Office (including the Prime Minister’s Office) for 2023-24 and 2024-25 can be found published online at the following website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/public-sector-trade-union-facility-time-data
Facility time for 2025-26 was not reported, as it is no longer a requirement following the repeal of the Trade Union (Facility Time Publication Requirements) Regulations 2017 in February 2026. The Cabinet Office published facility time data for the last time in 2024-25. There were 0 employees with 100% facility time. Funding was not provided for trade union activities.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 5 June 2026 to Question 3763 and with reference to the Answer of of 19 January 2026 to Question 104195 on Government Communication Service: Staff, how many headcount staff in the (a) Department and (b) each of its Arm’s Length Bodies are (i) members of the Government Communication Network and (ii) embedded communicators who are not counted as members of the Government Communication Network.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The headcount for staff working in the Communications profession in DCMS as at 31 March 2026 can be found at table 8 in the statistical tables published on gov.uk as part of the Civil Service Statistics 2026:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/civil-service-statistics-2026
This data covers the Department for Culture, Media and Sport before the Machinery of Government changes. We do not hold records of the number of GCS members employed by our ALBs.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many departmental Senior Civil Service away days have taken place in calendar year 2026 to date; in what specific venues; at what cost; and if there was any associated social or team-building activity at public expense.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
Between 1 January 2026 and 1 October 2026, DCMS held two Senior Civil Service (SCS) away days, each for half a day.
An SCS away day took place at the British Museum on 18 March 2026. No costs were involved for hiring the venue. The cost involved was £1,996.80.
On 14 July 2026, an SCS away day took place at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester. No costs were involved for hiring the venue. We have not yet received an invoice for any other costs but expect one for refreshments.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the answer of 4 June 2026, to Question 4161, on Government departments: marketing, how much has been spent on branded goods and merchandise by each of the department’s Arm’s Length Bodies since the Government Chief Commercial Officer letter was sent; on what items, and at what cost.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not hold central financial or commercial reporting lines specifically on expenditure for branded goods and merchandise across its Arm's Length Bodies.
However, DCMS Commercial regularly engages with commercial / procurement teams within our ALBs to share commercial policies, best practice, and guidance. We have an assurance process by which ALBs seek DCMS approval for any spend above delegated authority limits, inc. any spend which is novel, contentious, or repercussive.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the outturn spending was by (a) the Valuation Office Agency and (b) HMRC on communications, marketing and advertising in (i) 2024-25 and (ii) 2025-26.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
HMRC spent £5.5 million in 2024-25 and £15.2 million in 2025-26 on activities that were subject to the Government Communication Service's Advertising, Marketing and Communications (AMC) spending controls process. The additional investment in 2025-26 has been used to help increase the use of digital services and to help taxpayers prepare for the introduction of Making Tax Digital for Income Tax.
The Valuation Office Agency did not have any communications, marketing or advertising activity that was subject to the AMC spending controls process during this period.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, further to the answer of 3 June 2026, to Question 3339, on Special Advisers: Public Appointments, how many delivery advisers have been appointed to date, broken down by (a) special advisers, (b) Direct Ministerial Appointments, (c) civil servants appointed by exception, and (d) permanent civil servants appointed through open competition.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The department has not appointed any Delivery Advisers through either a (a) special adviser, (b) Direct Ministerial Appointments, (c) Civil Servants appointed by exception, and (d) permanent Civil Servants appointed through open competition in the time since the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister address to the FDA Union of 15 May 2026.
A list of special advisers is published each year in the Annual Report on Special Advisers.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many departmental Senior Civil Service away days have taken place in calendar year 2026 to date; in what specific venues; at what cost; and if there was any associated social or team-building activity at public expense.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
There have been no departmental Senior Civil Service away days in 2026 to date. The Department has held one off-site one day conference focused on placed-based delivery and strengthening our performance. A suitable free government building was not available at the time. There was no associated social or team-building activity at public expense at the event.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if she will list each industrial dispute live within her Department, including the nature of the dispute and level of industrial action.
Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office currently has one registered formal trade dispute regarding pay, raised by Unite the Union on behalf of its members who work in the Government Car Service. Unite the Union has not yet balloted its members for industrial action.