James McMurdock

Cyber attacks against the UK are increasing in scale and impact. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) categorises cyber incidents that have a substantial impact on the national security, the economy, or critical infrastructure as ‘nationally significant incidents’. In the 12 months to August 2023, 62 nationally significant incidents were recorded. This increased to 89 in 2024, and further rose to 204 in 2025. NCSC’s Annual Review provides further information on cyber incidents and trends.

On improving the cyber security of national infrastructure, I refer to my answer for UIN 906730, debated on 4 December 2025. The Government is committed to strengthening cyber security across the UK. The recently introduced Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will strengthen the UK’s cyber defences and ensure that critical infrastructure and the digital services on which companies rely are secure.

The Crown Commercial Service reviews framework-level performance on a quarterly basis, including pricing commitments, financial transparency, social value delivery, and client satisfaction.

Individual departments are responsible for managing day-to-day performance and specific service-level agreements for their own call-off contracts.

WPP Media has been awarded a place on Lot 1 of the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) RM6364 Media and Creative Services agreement.

The agreement, managed by CCS, will play an important role in ensuring that the UK public receives clear, accurate, and authoritative information from the government. By uniting media planning and buying under a single agency, the government will streamline its work to reach target audiences more effectively across diverse platforms. This consolidation is designed to drive value, improve operational efficiency, and ensure more effective media buying for every pound of public money spent.

Spend and related savings will be determined by individual public sector bodies based on their specific requirements.

The Government publishes data on grant funding annually in the Government grants register on gov.uk.

Grant funding for the period 2023/24 is publicly available. Grants funding data for 2024/25 will be published in March 2026. Grants funding data for 2025/26 is scheduled for publication in March 2027.

The scope of the digital ID scheme is still in development and we are inviting the public to have their say in the upcoming consultation as we develop an inclusive, secure, and useful system.

Digital identity schemes differ around the world depending on sovereign decisions taken by other governments.

The UK is keen to learn from international examples of where digital identity schemes are already delivering benefits for the public, and we are engaging actively with other countries for this purpose.

The scope of the digital ID scheme is still in development. The new scheme will be inclusive, secure and useful. It will give people more control over their data than they have now, and it will help to make public services easier to access.

The digital ID scheme will be underpinned with the principle that no one should be left behind. Making this system work for everyone will be a top priority, including those who don't have smartphones, are elderly, or are less digitally confident, so everyone will benefit from simpler, safer access to services.

We recognise that not everyone has the same level of digital access or confidence, and that’s why the scheme will be accompanied by a major government digital inclusion drive.

The Government intends to work closely with each of the Devolved Governments.

My colleague, the Minister for Digital Government and Data, Rt Hon Ian Murray MP, was in Northern Ireland on 7 October 2025. He had meetings with representatives across parties in the Northern Ireland Executive, where the issue of the Government's proposed digital ID scheme was discussed.

The Government has made a commitment that the new government-issued digital ID will respect the Good Friday Agreement and the Common Travel Area.

The National Cyber Security Centre is advising on how the new credential is built to the highest standard. Ensuring that security arrangements keep pace with the changing threat landscape will be central to the scheme.

I refer the honourable Member to my answer to PQ93098.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 11th of December is attached.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 8th of December is attached.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question's of 21st November is attached.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question's of 21st November is attached.

The cumulative total spend of the Covid-19 Inquiry up to 30 June 2025 has been published in the latest financial report on their website. The next report is due in November.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 10th October is attached.

MyCSP is required to provide updates on profit as part of the gainshare provisions within the contract. MyCSP continues to provide this to the Cabinet Office on a six monthly basis. This information is financially sensitive and is not currently reported in the public domain.

The government has taken specific steps to ensure that changes to (a) staffing levels and (b) other matters within the Capita contract are effectively monitored. Key measures include setting contractual expectations for sufficient resourcing and establishing robust governance structures and reporting requirements to oversee delivery and continuous improvement.

The government has taken significant steps to ensure the Cabinet Office has sufficient commercial levers to influence Capita's administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme. The new contract provides a more robust and strengthened position that includes a number of levers to address any aspects of under performance by the supplier.

Steps have been built into the new contract primarily through enhanced enforcement mechanisms, new key performance indicators, and financial penalties.

Alongside this we have increased development within the contract management functions to ensure that the overall delivery continues to meet the requirements for the scheme.

The Cabinet Office expects the ‘Track My Case’ function to be available for members of the Civil Service Pension Scheme after the full service transition to Capita in March 2026.

The government expects fixed (a) innovation and (b) digitalisation targets to be provided when Capita submits its continuous improvement strategy and, for each contract year, an annual continuous improvement plan, once the services have gone live (post December 2025).

We refer the hon member to the answer given to question 36860 which can be found here https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-03-10/36860

The Supreme Court’s ruling makes clear that for the purposes of the Equality Act, the term ‘woman’ refers to a biological woman. The ruling has provided clarity for women and service providers such as hospitals, refuges and sports clubs. This Government will continue to protect single-sex spaces based on biological sex.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has already committed to supporting service providers with updated guidance; they will consult widely as they develop this. All government departments should follow the clarity the ruling provides.

The Government regularly publishes the cost to government in responding to the Inquiry. Most recently, costs for Quarter 3 2024/25 were published on 3 March 2025.

It is important that lessons are learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic. The UK Covid-19 Inquiry is independent of government and it is right that we allow the Chair to continue her important work. The Chair is under a statutory obligation to avoid unnecessary costs in the Inquiry’s work, and she has been clear in her intention to complete her work as quickly and efficiently as possible.

The Cabinet Office regularly publishes government costs, including legal costs, in responding to the Inquiry. These publications show that from the start of the 2023/24 financial year to the end of Q3 2024/25, the government has spent approximately £42.3m on legal costs.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 13th February is attached.

The Government is committed to Freedom of Information and will keep the coverage of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 under consideration.

The Government is committed to Freedom of Information and will keep the coverage of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 under consideration.

Currently, a member of the House of Lords automatically ceases to be a member if they are convicted of a criminal offence and given a custodial sentence of more than one year. Additionally, the House may expel members who have breached the Code of Conduct by approving such a sanction as may be recommended by the House of Lords Conduct Committee.

Revoking peerages requires bespoke primary legislation. The Government is focused on delivering its manifesto commitments on House of Lords reform, including strengthening the circumstances in which disgraced members can be removed from the House.

The manifesto was clear that, as an immediate reform, it would introduce legislation to remove the right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords. The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill has now completed its passage through the House of Commons and will soon enter Committee stage in the House of Lords.

Currently, a member of the House of Lords automatically ceases to be a member if they are convicted of a criminal offence and given a custodial sentence of more than one year. Additionally, the House may expel members who have breached the Code of Conduct by approving such a sanction as may be recommended by the House of Lords Conduct Committee.

Revoking peerages requires bespoke primary legislation. The Government is focused on delivering its manifesto commitments on House of Lords reform, including strengthening the circumstances in which disgraced members can be removed from the House.

The manifesto was clear that, as an immediate reform, it would introduce legislation to remove the right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords. The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill has now completed its passage through the House of Commons and will soon enter Committee stage in the House of Lords.

Currently, a member of the House of Lords automatically ceases to be a member if they are convicted of a criminal offence and given a custodial sentence of more than one year. Additionally, the House may expel members who have breached the Code of Conduct by approving such a sanction as may be recommended by the House of Lords Conduct Committee.

Revoking peerages requires bespoke primary legislation. The Government is focused on delivering its manifesto commitments on House of Lords reform, including strengthening the circumstances in which disgraced members can be removed from the House.

The manifesto was clear that, as an immediate reform, it would introduce legislation to remove the right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords. The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill has now completed its passage through the House of Commons and will soon enter Committee stage in the House of Lords.