Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential for accelerating asylum hotel closures in the nations and regions of the United Kingdom that will be hosting large military site accommodation for Asylum seekers.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Hotel closure will be prioritised based on a wide range of criteria. The hotel exit plan will continue to be carefully managed to ensure that all supported asylum seekers are accommodated in suitable alternative accommodation, including large sites, elsewhere in the estate.

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.

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.

Found: representations: • Edward Morello and Lloyd Hatton: Independent Water Commission Final Report • Euan Stainbank