Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many agency staff were employed by his Department in each of the last three years.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) does not directly employ agency staff.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, other than special advisers if her Department has appointed anyone from outside the civil service since July 2024.

Answered by Seema Malhotra

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has conducted open recruitment exercises for a large number of posts at all levels since July 2024, which has often meant appointing individuals from outside the civil service.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many agency staff were employed by her Department in each of the last five years.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The information requested is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dft-workforce-management-information.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, other than special advisers if his Department has appointed anyone from outside the civil service since July 2024.

Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)

Since July 2024, the Ministry of Defence has made 178 Public Appointments and 61 Direct Ministerial Appointments. These figures represent appointments made during the period and includes individuals whose appointments have subsequently ended following the expiry of their term, resignation or other departure from office.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, other than special advisers, whether her Department has appointed anyone from outside the civil service since July 2024.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department has made appointments since July 2024. Candidates that have been successfully appointed to a public appointment (whether regulated or unregulated) are generally announced on the Public Appointments Service announcements page. Candidates that have been successfully appointed to a direct ministerial appointment are generally announced on the Direct Ministerial Appointments Announcement portal.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers in her Department have had discussions with Inter Mediate on the British Indian Ocean Territory since July 2024.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answers provided on 15 September 2025 in response to Question 69770, and on 5 February 2026 in response to Question 108231.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost was to the public purse of upgrading Britain's air defence radar network due to interference from offshore wind farms.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Government has signed a £95 million contract with BAE Systems to deliver technologically advanced radar that secures the coexistence of air defence and offshore wind, enabling the government to protect both national and energy security, while promoting good jobs and growth across the country.

The Ministry of Defence has agreed to fund this contract, with financial support from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. Funding was allocated at the Spending Review 2025 and has not been diverted from wider RAF or Air Defence budgets.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department uses numerical reasoning tests as part of the recruitment process for its graduate recruitment scheme.

Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

DWP uses the Cabinet Office run Fast-stream but does not have its own graduate recruitment scheme.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he had made of the potential impact of introducing digital ID on remote communities in rural areas.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Inclusion is one of the core principles of the proposed national, free Digital ID.

The Government held a public consultation from 10 March - 5 May and convened the People’s Panel, which brought together a diverse group of people - selected to be broadly representative of the whole British public - to consider different perspectives and debate trade-offs.

This was supplemented with an inclusive engagement programme, including targeted conversations with representatives of rural communities, and Ministerial engagements across the UK. Taken together, this will ensure that the Government hears from as many people as possible, including the perspectives of rural communities.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which schools in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire will begin offering free breakfast clubs from September 2026.

Answered by Olivia Bailey

More than 1,400 schools will join the free breakfast club programme from September, offering a free breakfast club to all pupils from reception to year 6. This brings the total number of schools on the programme to more than 2,700 from September. This includes 56 schools within Lincolnshire and 3 schools in South Holland and the Deepings:

• Holbeach Bank Primary Academy.
• The Donington Cowley Endowed Primary School.
• Springwell Alternative Academy Spalding.

For this first year of national rollout, places on the free breakfast club programme were offered to schools with primary provision who have higher levels of disadvantage, and to schools on the food-only national school breakfast programme. The full list of more than 2,700 schools on the programme is available on GOV.UK.

New schools will be onboarded in stages throughout 2027/28 to ensure we can continue to provide appropriate support to ensure successful delivery.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, other than special advisers if his Department has appointed anyone from outside the civil service since July 2024.

Answered by Samantha Dixon

Since July 2024, the Department has appointed individuals from outside the Civil Service. Information on these appointments is published through the Public Appointments Service page and Direct Ministerial Appointments announcement portal, as appropriate.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce cardiology waiting lists in Lincolnshire.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are committed to returning by March 2029 to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment across all specialties, including cardiology. As a first step towards achieving this, we delivered on our interim target that 65% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks by March 2026.

Since coming into office, the Government has improved cardiology waiting times nationally, with a waiting list reduction of almost 31,000 and an 8.1% improvement in the proportion of waits below 18 weeks. The Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board has 70.5% of its cardiology waiting list below 18 weeks, over 2% better than the national average.

As set out in the Elective Reform Plan we are investing in modernisation, reforming and simplifying pathways, increasing surgical and diagnostic capacity, and empowering patients with faster and more convenient access to care. These actions will improve waiting times for all patients, and specifically cardiology as a priority speciality.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to support arable farmers in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is supporting arable farmers in South Holland and the Deepings and across Lincolnshire through a record £11.8 billion commitment to sustainable farming and food production over this Parliament. This year, eligible farmers can apply for new funding through the £240 million Sustainable Farming Incentive, at least £50 million for new Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier agreements, £225 million in Capital Grants and £123 million through the Farming Innovation Programme, which supports productivity, innovation and resilience on farms.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many agency staff were employed by his Department in each of the last five years.

Answered by Hilary Benn

There were no agency staff employed by the Northern Ireland Office in the last five years.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to monitor water usage nationally from the growth of data centres.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra is working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the Environment Agency and water companies to improve understanding of data centre water demand. We are building the evidence base on water use, considering its implications through national water resources planning, and supporting efficient, sustainable water use by the sector.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department uses numerical reasoning tests as part of the recruitment process for its graduate recruitment scheme.

Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)

The Ministry of Defence employs a range of assessment methods across its recruitment programmes, including numerical reasoning as part of the recruitment process for the Defence Commercial Graduate Programme.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, other than special advisers if her Department has appointed anyone from outside the civil service since July 2024.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Candidates that have been successfully appointed to a public appointment (whether regulated or unregulated) are generally announced on the Public Appointments Service announcements page. Candidates that have been successfully appointed to a direct ministerial appointment are generally announced on the Direct Ministerial Appointments Announcement portal.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, other than special advisers if his Department has appointed anyone from outside the civil service since July 2024.

Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

Since 1 July 2024, Ministers in the Ministry of Justice have made around 800 public appointments and 35 direct ministerial appointments. Recruitment processes for public appointment roles complied with the Government’s Governance Code on Public Appointments.

Appointments, save for certain roles which are not announced for security reasons, are announced on Gov.UK for public appointments or on a dedicated Cabinet Office portal for direct ministerial appointments.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many agency staff were employed by his Department in each of the last five years.

Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The requested information is available in the Annual Report and Accounts.

Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22 (p. 172)

Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 (p. 212)

Annual Report and Accounts 2023-24 (p. 223)

Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25 (p. 237)

Annual Report and Accounts 2025-26 (p. 253)

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many agency staff were employed by her Department in each of the last three years.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The Department employed 71 agency staff in 2024, 59 in 2025 and 38 so far in 2026

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether her Department has appointed anyone from outside the civil service other than special advisers since July 2024.

Answered by Jo Stevens

Since July 2024, my Department has made one public appointment to a Non-Executive Director role.

Candidates that have been successfully appointed to a public appointment (whether regulated or unregulated) are generally announced on the Public Appointments Service announcements page. Candidates that have been successfully appointed to a direct ministerial appointment are generally announced on the Direct Ministerial Appointments Announcement portal.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has appointed anyone from outside the civil service other than special advisers since July 2024.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Since July 2024, the Department has appointed individuals from outside the Civil Service through established public appointments processes and direct ministerial appointments. In accordance with the Government's transparency requirements, details of candidates appointed to regulated and unregulated public appointments are published on the Public Appointments website, while direct ministerial appointment announcements are published on the Government's Direct Ministerial Appointments portal.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many agency staff were employed by her Department in each of the last five years.

Answered by Jo Stevens

In the last five years, my Department has employed seven agency staff. The annual breakdown is set out below.

2025: 0

2024: 0

2023: 2

2022: 0

2021: 5

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to guarantee access to Whole Genome Sequencing for all brain cancer patients.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill

NHS England is responsible for commissioning the NHS Genomic Medicine Service (GMS) in England. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is available through the NHS GMS for all brain cancer patients where expert review indicates genomic testing is needed to support diagnosis, treatment decisions, or clinical trial access. The number of brain cancer patients receiving WGS has increased over the past 12 months.

NHS England is also exploring alternative technological approaches to brain cancer genomic testing, in order to support more timely and scalable genomic testing.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will take steps to introduce a single framework to regulate data centres.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

The Government is working closely with regulators and industry to ensure that regulatory requirements are proportionate, coordinated and minimise unnecessary duplication.

Through the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, the Government is bringing data centres within the Network and Information Systems framework and placing them under the oversight of Ofcom. This will create consistent minimum security and resilience requirements across the sector. Other regulatory frameworks will continue to apply where appropriate, including relevant planning, energy, and environmental requirements.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many agency staff were employed by his Department in each of the last five years.

Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

This data is published monthly and can be found here: Workforce management information: MOJ - GOV.UK.

The data used to answer this request is taken from year end data, but headcount fluctuates significantly throughout the year.

March 2021- 3942

March 2022- 3852

March 2023- 4410

March 2024- 3904

March 2025- 3837

March 2026- 3853

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has appointed anyone from outside the civil service other than special advisers since July 2024.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

Other than civil servants, special advisers and ministers, the other appointment routes into government are public appointments and direct ministerial appointments, which are announced on: Public Appointments Service announcements page and Direct Ministerial Appointments Announcements Portal.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many agency staff were employed by his Department in each of the last five years.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales

Information on the Department’s workforce is published monthly on the GOV.UK website, and can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dhsc-workforce-management-information

The following table shows the number of non-payroll staff recorded in the relevant Monthly Workforce Management Information categories for the Department, in line with published Monthly Workforce Management Information and excluding agencies, at the end of March in each of the last five years:

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many agency staff were employed by her Department in each of the last five years.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office publishes Staff numbers including agency staff in its Annual report as exampled by the 2024-2025 Annual report, pages 165-166 inclusive at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/688c9785a34b939141463e37/HO_ARA_2024-25_Book_WEB_Final_v3+CorrSlip.pdf.

Prior reports are available at Home Office annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many agency staff were employed by her Department in each of the last five years.

Answered by Rachel Blake

Please see the table below for the number of agency staff at HM Treasury over the past five financial years. These figures represent year-end headcount, defined as the number of agency workers in post during March of each financial year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the volume of preventable deaths in the UK due to respiratory diseases.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson

Data held for England shows that in 2024 there were 9,609 deaths in people aged under 75 years old where the death was due to respiratory disease and considered preventable. This data is available at the following link:

https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/respiratory-disease/data

Smoking remains the leading preventable cause of respiratory disease and respiratory death. The landmark Tobacco and Vapes Act will help deliver our ambition for a smoke-free United Kingdom.

The Government is also improving access to earlier diagnosis of respiratory disease through community diagnostic centres, helping more people to access respiratory testing closer to home.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many agency staff were employed by his Department in each of the last five years.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Information on agency staff hired by the department can be found on gov.uk.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, other than special advisers if her Department has appointed anyone from outside the civil service since July 2024.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Since July 2024, the Department has made appointments from outside the Civil Service through public appointments and direct ministerial appointments. Information on these appointments is publicly available on GOV.UK here and here.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, other than special advisers if his Department has appointed anyone from outside the civil service since July 2024.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland

Other than special advisers, the Scotland Office has made one appointment from outside the civil service since July 2024.

Gillian McGregor has been appointed to the Boundary Commission for Scotland, an advisory non-departmental public body funded by the Scotland Office. The appointment was made on a fixed term basis through open competition using the procedures laid down by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many agency staff were employed by his Department in each of the last three years.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Department employed 99 agency staff in 2024, 85 in 2025 and 59 so far in 2026.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, other than special advisers if her Department has appointed anyone from outside the civil service since July 2024.

Answered by Ellie Reeves - Attorney General

Yes, The Attorney General’s Office has appointed a number of candidates who were external to the Civil Service into roles. This includes candidates who applied through standard recruitment campaigns on Civil Service Jobs and were successful after open and fair competition, as well as those who have joined on secondment and fixed term appointment.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, how many agency staff were employed by her Department in each of the last five years.

Answered by Ellie Reeves - Attorney General

The number of agency staff employed by the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) in each of the last five years is shown in the table below.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has appointed anyone from outside the civil service other than special advisers since July 2024.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Yes, the Cabinet Office has appointed a number of candidates who were external to the Civil Service into roles. This includes candidates who applied through standard recruitment campaigns on Civil Service Jobs and were successful after open and fair competition, as well as those who have joined on secondment.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many immigration enforcement officers have left their roles since July 2024.

Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what is the (a) total and (b) annual cost to the public purse of the Judicial and Legal Diversity Board.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Judicial and Legal Diversity Board does not have a separate budget and there is no identifiable total or annual cost to the public purse attributable to the Board.

The Board is supported by existing Ministry of Justice and Judicial Office staff, and its activities are delivered within existing departmental and Judicial Office resources. No additional annual running costs are currently expected beyond minimal incidental expenses.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made a recent estimate of the number of people in the UK who have dual citizenship.

Answered by Mike Tapp

The data requested is not available from published statistics. Immigration statistics for the last 10 years are published at Migration statistics. While these include statistics for naturalisation/registration as a British Citizen, they do not include those who are deemed automatically a British Citizen without the need to apply.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of how the needs of specialised services for cystic fibrosis will be assessed under the new proposals as set out in the NHS Modernisation Bill.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson

The Government is committed to ensuring that patients who rely on specialised services continue to receive high-quality, equitable care. Under the proposals in the NHS Modernisation Bill, specialised services will continue to be clearly defined within the statutory commissioning framework, with commissioning arrangements informed by clinical evidence, population need, national service specifications, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance, quality standards, and patient outcomes.

We recognise that cystic fibrosis services are specialised in nature and, since April 2025, these services are commissioned by integrated care boards and underpinned by national service specifications, clinical commissioning policies, and NICE technology appraisal guidance.

As part of the wider programme of health and care system reform, we are clear of the need to retain the integrity of specialised services and continue to support high-quality, equitable care for patients with rare and complex conditions such as cystic fibrosis. We recognise the importance of ensuring that clinical networks, service standards, and outcomes are preserved and strengthened through any transition.

Patient and public involvement will also continue to be a core part of specialised commissioning, with the NHS Modernisation Bill strengthening responsibilities at both national and local levels to ensure patient feedback informs decision-making and service planning. Any future commissioning decisions relating to specialised services will continue to be taken with appropriate clinical advice and engagement with patients, charities and other stakeholders, with the aim of maintaining equitable access and improving outcomes for patients with rare and complex conditions.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help improve access to arts and culture for young people in Lincolnshire.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is committed to ensuring that all children and young people can access high-quality arts and culture.

Between 2023/24 and 2025/26, Arts Council England invested over £14.6 million in arts organisations and projects across Lincolnshire, including almost £11 million supporting children and young people. This funding supports organisations such as Zest Theatre, an National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) receiving £192,043 per year, whose work centres around providing youth-led theatre, youth spaces, and public art for young people aged 25 and under; and Box Clever Theatre, another NPO receiving £85,352 per year and specialising in writing and producing theatre for young audiences in schools.

Nationally, the Government is also committed to revitalising arts education through a reformed curriculum and support for teachers, including via the new National Centre for Arts and Music Education, due to be established by September 2026.

To increase access to enrichment opportunities across culture, sport, and wider youth sectors for disadvantaged young people, the Every Child Can programme, backed by £132.5 million in dormant assets through the National Lottery Community Fund, will fund activities within schools and in communities, ensuring enrichment is a common entitlement for all.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, other than special advisers if her Department has appointed anyone from outside the civil service since July 2024.

Answered by Rachel Blake

Candidates that have been successfully appointed to a public appointment (whether regulated or unregulated) are announced on the Public Appointments Service announcements page and HM Treasury News and Communications Page. Candidates that have been successfully appointed to a direct ministerial appointment are announced on the Direct Ministerial Appointments Announcement portal and HM Treasury News and Communications Page.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, other than special advisers if his Department has appointed anyone from outside the civil service since July 2024.

Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Candidates that have been successfully appointed to a public appointment (whether regulated or unregulated) are generally announced on the Public Appointments Service announcements page. Candidates that have been successfully appointed to a direct ministerial appointment are generally announced on the Direct Ministerial Appointments Announcement portal.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has appointed staff from outside the civil service other than special advisers since July 2024.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

Since July 2024, the Department has made appointments from outside the Civil Service in line with guidance on public appointments and Direct Ministerial Appointments (DMA)

Details of public appointments are publicly available on the Public Appointments website and DMA appointments are made via the DMA announcement page on Gov.uk.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, other than special advisers if her Department has appointed anyone from outside the civil service since July 2024.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

Since July 2024, 146 public appointments have been made to DCMS public bodies. All have been announced publicly on the gov.uk website.

In the same time period, 18 direct ministerial appointments have been made, which have been publicly announced, including on gov.uk and the Cabinet Office’s direct ministerial appointments website. There were an additional 25 joint unregulated ministerial appointments made in January 2025 by the Secretary of State for DCMS and the Foreign Secretary.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many agency staff were employed by her Department in each of the last five years.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The table below sets out the number of Core DCMS agency staff employed by DCMS in each of the last five financial years:

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many agency staff were employed by his Department in each of the last five years.

Answered by Samantha Dixon

The Department publishes workforce information on a monthly basis that includes agency headcount. This can be found here for July 2024 onwards and here for the years prior.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many agency staff were employed by her Department in each of the last five years.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The department employed 51 agency staff in the financial year 2025/26, 23 agency staff in 2024/25, 64 agency staff in 2023/24, 35 agency staff in 2022/23, and 52 agency staff in 2021/22. All headcount figures are as of 31 March of the relevant financial year.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many agency staff were employed by her Department in each of the last three years.

Answered by Seema Malhotra

Details of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's expenditure on temporary staff are routinely published in the Department's annual report and accounts.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the volume of Best and Most Versatile land which will be used to host solar panels resulting from Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects approved in the last five years.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The government does not currently hold this information.

However, the Department currently monitors the geographical location of solar developments through the Renewable Energy Planning Database. There are plans to broaden the scope of this database to provide information on the area and types of agricultural land used by solar projects.

Planning policies guide developments away from Best and Most Versatile land where possible. The Solar Roadmap published in June 2025 sets out how much land we expect to be taken up by solar farms. Even in ambitious scenarios, we only expect up to 0.4% of total UK land, and up to 0.6% of total agricultural land, to be occupied by 2030.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has hired external public relations consultants since July 2024.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government has not procured any consultancy relating to public relations since July 2024.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps she has taken to help prevent accidents resulting from drug driving.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Government takes the dangers of drug driving seriously. In January 2026, we published our Road Safety Strategy, which includes robust enforcement to protect all road users as one of its four core themes.

Alongside the Strategy, we consulted on measures including suspending licences for suspected drink or drug drivers while cases progress, the use of alternative samples in drug-driving forensic analysis, vehicle seizure following arrest, and whether existing disqualification periods remain appropriate. The consultation has now closed and responses are being analysed.

We have also relaunched THINK!’s ‘Don’t Put Drugs in the Driving Seat’ campaign to raise awareness of the risks and consequences of drug driving.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many agency staff were employed by his Department in each of the last five years.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland

The number of agency staff employed in the Scotland Office in each of the last five years is as follows:

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, other than special advisers if his Department has appointed anyone from outside the civil service since July 2024.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

Since July 2024, my Department has made several appointments of individuals from outside the civil service to public bodies and advisory roles.

Appointments made by the Northern Ireland Office generally fall within three categories: Public Appointments regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments, Unregulated Public Appointments and Direct Ministerial Appointments.

Regulated appointments follow the strict processes set out in the Governance Code on Public Appointments, while Direct Ministerial Appointments are made to provide short-term advisory functions, bringing specialist external expertise directly to Ministers.

In line with our transparency obligations, all such appointments are factually recorded and announced publicly on the Northern Ireland Office GOV.UK page:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/northern-ireland-office

Appointments made since July 2024 are as follows:

Regulated Public Appointments:

Equality Commission for Northern Ireland

Nazia Latif was appointed as Commissioner on 1 September 2024.

Geraldine McGahey was reappointed as Chief Commissioner from 1 March 2025.

Maureen Brunt, Siobhan Cullen, Ellen Finlay, Monica Fitzpatrick, John McAllister and Preeti Yellamaty were reappointed as Commissioners and Harry Robinson was appointed as Commissioner, with each to commence from 1 June 2025.

Stephen Matthews and Lisa Caldwell were reappointed as Commissioners from 1 March 2026.

A short term extension to the appointment of Neil Anderson as Deputy Chief Commissioner was announced with effect from 1 March 2026.

Kevin Doherty was appointed as a Commissioner with effect from 5 March 2026.

Colin Kennedy was appointed as a Deputy Chief Commissioner with effect from 1 September 2026.

Kristel Miller was appointed as a Commissioner with effect from 1 September 2026.

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

Mairead Holder was appointed as Commissioner on 1 September 2024.

Northern Ireland Office Non-Executive Board Member

Fiona Ross was reappointed as a Non-Executive Director to the Northern Ireland Office on 1 March 2026.

A short term extension to the appointment of Les Philpott as Lead Non-Executive Director to the NIO was announced with effect from 30 September 2026.

Unregulated Public Appointments:

Civil Service Commissioners for Northern Ireland

David MacAnulty and Donald Leeson were appointed as Civil Service Commissioners for Northern Ireland with effect from 1 October 2025.

NI Veterans Commissioner's Office Commissioner Reappointment

David Johnstone was reappointed to a second term with effect from 1 September 2026.

Independent Reporting Commission

John McBurney, Mitchell Reis and Monica McWilliams had their appointments as Commissioners extended with effect from 1 October 2026.

Direct Ministerial Appointments:

Robert Hamill Inquiry

Sir John Evans was appointed as Chair on 7 October 2024.

Intertrade UK

Baroness Arlene Foster was appointed as Chair, and Dr Esmond Birnie, Kirsty McManus, Suzanne Wylie, Roger Pollen and Angela McGowan were appointed as Members on 28 February 2025.

Board of the International Fund for Ireland

Jointly appointed with the Irish Government, Shona McCarthy was appointed as Chair, alongside board members Janet McConkey, Katy Hayward, Angila Chada, and Bill Pauley on 1 March 2025. Anne Conaghan and Anne Carr were also reappointed to the Board on 1 March 2025.

Independent Expert Advisory Panel - Official History of UK Government Policy during the Troubles

Lord Paul Bew, Professor Caoimhe Nic Dháibhéid, Professor Henry Patterson, Professor Richard Bourke, Professor Helen Parr and Professor Ian McBride were appointed the independent expert advisory panel to make recommendations on key details of this project in April 2025.

Patrick Finucane Inquiry

Sir Gary Hickinbottom was appointed as Chair and Baroness Nuala O’Loan and Francesca Del Mese were appointed as Assessors on 13 June 2025.

Independent Expert on Paramilitary Group Transition to Disbandment

Fleur Ravensbergen was appointed on 23 September 2025, in a joint appointment with the Irish Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration.

All appointments listed above have been published on the Northern Ireland Office GOV.UK page. Further details on all public and direct ministerial appointments are regularly published.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has hired external public relations consultants since July 2024.

Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Ministers have not hired external public relations (PR) consultants since July 2024.

The department currently contracts its PR services through agencies. These contracts are procured via commercial routes, with all contracts publicly available and published via Contracts Finder. There have been no new procurements in PR since July 2024.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has appointed anyone from outside the civil service other than special advisers since July 2024.

Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department has appointed 19 individuals, excluding Civil Servants and Special Advisers, through the route of regulated public and unregulated public appointments, and direct ministerial appointments.

All appointees made through these routes into the department are published at: https://apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/announcements and https://apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/direct-ministerial-appointments-announcements.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many agency staff were employed by her Department in each of the last three years.

Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The figures below reflect the number of agency staff, specialist contractors and interim managers (contingent workers) employed by the department in the following financial years:

• 2023-24: 308
• 2024-25: 251
• 2025-26: 236

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has appointed staff from outside the civil service other than special advisers since July 2024.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Both before and after July 2024, the Department has appointed a number of staff from outside the Civil Service, including appointments made through fair and open competition where external candidates were successful.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will act on the recommendations in the Taskforce for Lung Health’s report entitled Breathing Life into the NHS and introduce a respiratory Modern Service Framework.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 17 July by the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Sharon Hodgson MP) in response to Question 17694.

Found: Standards Selection, and Control of Market Power, 73 ANTITRUST L.J. 1 (2005); Joseph Farrell, John Hayes

Found: Standards Selection, and Control of Market Power, 73 ANTITRUST L.J. 1 (2005); Joseph Farrell, John Hayes