Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much his Department has spent on special severance payments in each of the last three years.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The total value of severance payments is set out in the department’s Annual Report and Accounts, which are available online for the last three years.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many post office branches have (a) opened and (b) closed in Lincolnshire since 2016.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Rt Hon. gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 23rd March is attached.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his department has paid for followers on social media platforms it uses.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The department has not paid for followers on its social media platforms.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on how many days in 2025 did the Pride Flag fly on the main Whitehall building operated by his Department.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Pride Flag was displayed for the following dates across the following building.
70 Whitehall – 30.06.25 – 05.07.25 (6 Days)
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether any civil servants hired by his Department were recruited over another person on the basis of a protected characteristic in each of the last three years.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Civil Service recruitment is governed by the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaGA) 2010, which requires that all appointments to the Civil Service are made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition.
The Cabinet Office does not recruit candidates on the basis of protected characteristics. All appointments are made on merit, in line with the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. Compliance with these principles is overseen by the independent Civil Service Commission.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether it is his Department policy that (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers use the disappearing messages function on Whatsapp on Government devices.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Ministers, Special Advisers and Civil Service staff are required to follow the Non-Corporate Communication Channels (NCCC) guidance on GOV.UK when using WhatsApp or similar communications tools. This guidance explains ministers’ responsibilities for keeping an accurate official record. Paragraph 24 of this guidance states that ‘disappearing message functions have a role in limiting the build up of messages on devices. You must ensure that any such use does not impact on your recordkeeping or transparency responsibilities’.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many freedom of information requests his Department has responded to in each of the last five years.
Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Freedom of Information statistics for all central government bodies, including the Cabinet Office, are published on a quarterly and annual basis on Gov.UK at www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-foi-statistics.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Ministers and special advisers in his Department have met the Royal Household to discuss the rebranding of UK Government.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
For information relating to stakeholder engagement, I refer the Hon. Member to Question 112168.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether external consultants were hired as part of the process of rebranding from HM Government to UK Government.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
For information relating to the UK Government branding update, I refer the Hon. Member to Questions HL14450, HL14451 and HL14452.
For information relating to stakeholder engagement, I refer the Hon. Member to Question 112168.
Government communications use “UK Government” as the primary identity for public-facing communications. This is not an introduction of a new UK Government brand identity. The Government Communication Service routinely reviews its branding to ensure it remains effective, accessible and fit for purpose across all channels, including digital platforms.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what (a) social media and (b) other media subscriptions his Department has paid for in the last 12 months.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Subscriptions are delegated to team level and not managed departmentally.