Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his department has made of the adequacy of Capita’s progress towards meeting the June 2026 deadline for clearing the Civil Service Pension Scheme backlog; and whether his Department has contingency plans.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.
The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.
Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already been applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
Capita prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. The same position was reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March.
Capita has made lump sum payments to 9,873 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.
To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, including those who have been dismissed with compensation, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.
The Cabinet Office has mandated Capita that they must restore service levels by the end of June 2026. We are using every commercial lever at our disposal, including withholding payments for deliverables that have not been met. We also reserve the right to take further formal action to ensure the service returns to the required standards.
The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance his Department issues to (a) university staff and (b) student support services on the rights of Irish citizens under the Common Travel Area.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Information for Irish Students accessing higher education in the UK is available at https://www.ucas.com/international/international-students/support-for-international-students/students-from-ireland.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) digital identity systems and (b) online application platforms on access to public services by Irish citizens living in the UK.
Answered by Josh Simons
The government will launch a public consultation on the design of the new digital ID, and has already started to engage with a range of expert organisations. Stakeholder and public views, including those in response to the future consultation, will inform ongoing policy development and assessments of impacts.
We have been in touch with our counterparts in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and will continue to engage with them to ensure systems work for people on both sides of the border, as committed to in the Good Friday Agreement and the Common Travel Area.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government plans to (a) update or (b) consolidate the legal framework governing the rights of Irish citizens in the UK, including the (i) Ireland Act 1949 and (ii) post-Brexit guidance.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
We remain firmly committed to both the Good Friday Agreement and protecting the integrity and security of the Common Travel Area, which provides reciprocal rights for Irish citizens in the UK and UK citizens in Ireland. The UK Government and Irish Government work closely together to ensure that the rights continue to operate fully and correctly.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has made a recent assessment of the level of efficiency across government in answering correspondence from members of the public.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Cabinet Office works with Government departments and agencies to monitor the quality and timeliness of correspondence, providing support and guidance as necessary.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the (a) transparency, (b) impartiality and (c) equality of the public procurement process for government contracts.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The Government has recently implemented the Procurement Act 2023 which has introduced significantly enhanced transparency throughout the commercial lifecycle. Alongside this, a new Central Digital Platform has been rolled out and captures this data in the public domain- from publishing tender notices to contractual key performance indicators. Other measures introduced include requiring conflicts of interest assessments to ensure impartiality and equal treatment obligations that require suppliers participating in the procurement to be treated the same. A new Procurement Review Unit will additionally provide oversight for the regime and ensure it is functioning well. The Government is considering new legislation and has launched a consultation that is currently seeking views.