Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to reduce spending on the Civil Service.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
This Government is relentlessly targeting waste and driving efficiencies to deliver a leaner Civil Service. At the Autumn Budget the Government announced that back-office administration costs will be reduced by 16% by 2029-30, to save money and focus resources on frontline services.
Examples of these departmental savings include DSIT’s use of AI and automation to free up staff from administrative tasks, which will deliver £7m of efficiencies by 2028-29. Additionally, the MOD will deliver £905m of technical efficiencies by 2028-29 through digitisation and modernisation, acquisition reform, and sustainability initiatives.
Additional, cross-government examples include cutting government credit card spending by £25 million in the first four months since new rules were introduced by the Cabinet Office in March. In addition, the Plan for London, part of the Places for Growth programme, was launched in May this year and will involve the closure of no fewer than 11 buildings by 2030, delivering annual savings of £94 million. Most notably, 102 Petty France, Caxton House and 39 Victoria Street will all be closed during the programme, as it consolidates the central London estate.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of prioritising cyber security in public procurement contracts for national infrastructure projects.
Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
This Government recognises that cyber crime is a significant threat to our economy, to our businesses, and to the livelihoods of our workers.
As set out in the National Procurement Policy Statement, contracting authorities are required to identify the cyber and other security risks associated with their procurements and take appropriate action to mitigate them.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Office for the Impact Economy is taking with social investors to increase funding for communities.
Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Social investors and philanthropists across the country are already working in partnership with local community organisations to improve people’s daily lives.
The Office for the Impact Economy will act as the front door to social investors who want to partner with the government to unlock funding for local communities. The Office will create partnerships, including investment opportunities, to scale up the impact of public investment and develop opportunities for communities across the UK.
This includes opportunities to make government spending go further on priority programmes such as Pride in Place and Neighbourhood Health Services.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the maximum amount of money is the Scottish Government can spend through the Crown Commercial Service on a single contract.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) provides public sector organisations with a range of commercial agreements, through which they can procure common goods and services, as well as offering commercial advice and procurement services. CCS does not set a limit on the amount that an individual organisation can spend on a single contract procured using CCS commercial agreements or services. It is the responsibility of each organisation, including the Scottish Government, to determine its own level of spend on each contract.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Thousands of Civil Service roles moved out of London in latest reform to the state, published on 14 May 2025, what assessment his Department has made of the economic impact of relocating civil service jobs from London to (a) Glasgow, (b) Edinburgh, and (c) Aberdeen on Scottish cities.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Places for Growth published a formative evaluation report in October 2024, which outlined that the programme is on track to deliver an estimated £729m in local economic benefits to cross Government locations between 2024 and 2030. Further details on the programme will be set out in the Spending Review after which an assessment will be undertaken. Places for Growth is committed to ongoing programme evaluation.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the National Procurement Policy Statement on the domestic bus manufacturing industry.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government is committed to supporting the UK’s domestic bus manufacturing industry and ensuring a fair, competitive procurement process. The new National Procurement Policy Statement will be focused on our missions, growing the economy, creating high-quality local jobs, driving innovation and opening up opportunities to small businesses and social enterprises. Contracting authorities are encouraged to consider how their procurement strategies can support domestic supply chains, including the bus manufacturing sector.