Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to Point 1 of his Department’s Freedom of Information response on 11 September 2023 to the Rt hon. Member for Islington South and Finsbury (reference 2023/09623), what the total spend was on (a) creative development, (b) media buying and (c) other miscellaneous services relating to the Help for Households campaign in the months of (i) April, (ii) May, (iii) June, (iv) July, and (v) August 2023.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office has had no funding allocated to the Help for Households campaign so far in this financial year.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much his Department spent on gym (a) facilities and (b) equipment in each of the last five financial years.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Departmental spend on gym equipment is factored into facilities management. To calculate this spend specifically would incur a disproportionate cost to the department.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to section four, paragraphs (i) to (ii) of the variation made to his Department’s enabling agreement with Corporate Travel Management (North) Ltd. for the provision of public sector air capability on 8 June 2022, reference CCYZ20A01, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the proposed (a) switch of aircraft and (b) livery in which the new aircraft will be provided.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The amendment to the definition of the aircraft covers the switch of airframe from Manufacturer's Serial Number (MSN)10238 to MSN 8830. This switch of airframe is contractually due to take place on or before 30 September 2023.
There is no further cost to the public purse to cover both (a) the switch of aircraft and (b) the livery in which the new aircraft will be provided.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to section four, paragraph (i) of the variation made to his Department’s enabling agreement with Corporate Travel Management (North) Ltd. for the provision of public sector air capability on 8 June 2022, reference CCYZ20A01, what (a) the amendment is to be made to the definition of aircraft in that agreement and (b) the switch of aircraft that is to take place on or before 30 September 2023.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The amendment to the definition of the aircraft covers the switch of airframe from Manufacturer's Serial Number (MSN)10238 to MSN 8830. This switch of airframe is contractually due to take place on or before 30 September 2023.
There is no further cost to the public purse to cover both (a) the switch of aircraft and (b) the livery in which the new aircraft will be provided.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the contract awarded by the Crown Commercial Service to Bramble Hub Ltd on 23 March (procurement reference CCZZ23A03), if he will publish the list of agreed requirements to be delivered by the contractor as set out in Call-Off Schedule 20 of that contract.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The statement of requirements is publicly available on Contracts Finder and can be found at the following link:
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July to Question 191720 on Cabinet Office: OMD Group, what amounts of public money were identified in Paragraph 6.2.5.2 of Call-Off Schedule 20 of Contract Reference CCIT23A11 as (a) the total media spend by the National Security Communications Team in financial year 2022-23 and (b) the potential media spend by that team in financial year 2023-24.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
This information will not be disclosed as it is deemed commercially sensitive. We have taken this approach as disclosing such information may undermine businesses' trust in us as a commercial partner.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July to Question 191720 on Cabinet Office: OMD Group, what amount of public money was identified in Paragraph 6.2.3.4 of Call-Off Schedule 20 of Contract Reference CCIT23A11 as the total media spend on campaigns developed by the Government Communications Service International in financial year 2022-23.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
This information will not be disclosed as it is deemed commercially sensitive. We have taken this approach as disclosing such information may undermine businesses' trust in us as a commercial partner.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July to Question 191720 on Cabinet Office: OMD Group, what amount of public money was identified in Paragraph 6.2.4.2 of Call-Off Schedule 20 of Contract Reference CCIT23A11 as the anticipated total media spend for GREAT campaigns each year over the course of the contract.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
This information will not be disclosed as it is deemed commercially sensitive. We have taken this approach as disclosing such information may undermine businesses' trust in us as a commercial partner.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July to Question 191720 on Cabinet Office: OMD Group, what amounts of public money were identified in Paragraph 6.2.2.1 of Call-Off Schedule 20 of Contract Reference CCIT23A11 as (a) the forecast total spending on the Help for Households campaign up to March 2023 and (b) the current monthly paid media budgets for campaigns developed by the Government Communications Service across broadcast, digital and partnership channels.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
This information will not be disclosed as it is deemed commercially sensitive. We have taken this approach as disclosing such information may undermine businesses' trust in us as a commercial partner.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department’s publication entitled Special adviser data releases: numbers and costs, November 2014, published on 18 December 2014, how much of the £8.4 million pay bill for special advisers was made up of severance payments in the 2013-14 financial year.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
The Cabinet Office publishes an annual report on special advisers, and far more detail is transparently provided than ever issued under the last Labour Government, and far more than is published by the Labour-led Welsh Government.
As set out in the July 2023 annual report, laid in the House today, special advisers represent just 0.02 per cent of the Civil Service workforce.
Special advisers are classed as temporary civil servants. They receive a severance payment if their appointment automatically ends when their appointing Minister ceases to hold ministerial office. This reflects the lack of any formal notice period. The substantive contractual provisions in the Model Contract are the same as under previous Administrations of all political colours, including the last Labour Government. They also reflect the statutory provisions set out in the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, as legislated for under the last Labour Government.
For example, £1 million in then-prices was paid in severance payments in 2007-08 (as per out in 17 November 2008, Official Report, Col. 244W) and £1.8 million in April-May 2010 (as set out in 28 October 2010, Official Report, Col. 18WS).
With regards to the specific questions asked:
The £7.2 million figure in the 2012-13 annual report includes all salary costs, including severance costs, however the amount relating specifically to severance was not reported.
No severance was paid in 2013-14.
The 2015-16 annual report covered the period April 2015 through 13 July 2016, to cover the paybill costs until the end of the David Cameron Administration. The severance figures reported covered this entire period rather than the financial year.
In 2018-19, £208,000 of severance was paid, as per the annual report.
In 2019-20, the £2.7million severance figure stated in the annual report is net of repayments.
Given the Rt Hon Member has such an interest in special adviser severance payments, the Labour Party should state how much Short Money, Cranborne Money and Policy Development Grant has been spent on severance payments following multiple changes to Labour Party leaders and the Shadow Cabinet in this time period.