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.
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 list of special advisers in post as at 21 December 2016, published 21 December 2016, what amount of the (a) pay bill and (b) severance payments was spent in the 2015-16 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.
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, October 2013, published on 25 October 2013, how much of the total pay bill for special advisers in the 2012-13 period was made up of severance payments.
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.
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 page 4 of the Annual Report on Special Advisers 2020, published on 15 December 2020, how much of the £2.7 million in severance payments paid to special advisers between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2020 was repaid by individuals who were reappointed after the election.
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.
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 Annual Report on Special Advisers 2018, published on 19 December 2018, what was the cost of severance payments made to special advisers in the 2018-19 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.
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 of the numbers and costs of special advisers on 19 December 2018, what the net costs were of severance payments to special advisers in financial year 2017/18.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
This information is not held centrally.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much was spent from the public purse on the (a) design and (b) production of the lectern used by the Prime Minister at his press conference at the NATO summit in Lithuania on 12 July; which company was responsible for its (i) design and (ii) production, and how many models of the lectern have been purchased.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
This lectern is owned by the British Embassy in Vilnius and I understand was purchased prior to 2010, and at least 20 years ago. The Cabinet Office would not hold procurement details regarding production and design from that time.
As previously stated, lecterns are used and repurposed across government buildings.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the statement of requirements for the provision of advertising, media-buying and creative services to be delivered under the terms of the contract CCCS22A10 agreed between his Department and Peoplescout Ltd on 15 May 2023.
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: