Asked by: Katie Lam (Conservative - Weald of Kent)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, from which countries the Prime Minister sources (a) pulp and (b) finished paper for (i) official stationery and (ii) other printed materials.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government is committed to supporting British businesses and the products they produce, ensuring they have the best opportunities to win UK public contracts and deliver high-quality goods and services.
Cabinet Office are consulting on a package of further reforms to public procurement to support the Government’s Industrial Strategy.
The government maintains robust standards across a range of categories of spend, these are set out by the Government Buying Standards, including for Paper & paper products. Furthermore, Government has also implemented a Timber Procurement Policy to ensure that only timber and wood-derived products (including paper) originating from an independently verifiable Legal and Sustainable source will be used on the government estate.
Asked by: Katie Lam (Conservative - Weald of Kent)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many (a) arm’s-length bodies, (b) Government Departments, (c) agencies and (d) public bodies (i) have been assessed as redundant and (ii) are being prioritised for (A) merging and (B) closure.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster announced a full review of all UK government ALBs on April 6, 2025. This review is ongoing, with outcomes to be announced in due course.
The UK government announced on 21st July 2025 that Ofwat would be abolished and replaced by a new, single, more powerful regulator, combining the water-related functions of several agencies. Additionally, on 20th August 2025, the UK government announced that the UK Space Agency will be absorbed into the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology by April 2026.
Asked by: Katie Lam (Conservative - Weald of Kent)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many open (a) processes and (b) applications there are for the creation of new (i) arm’s-length bodies, (ii) Government Departments, (iii) agencies and (iv) public bodies.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
On 6 April, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster announced a full review of all UK government arm’s length bodies, and proposals for new bodies, in order to return policy decisions to Ministers, reduce duplication and improve efficiency and transparency. The review is ongoing and outcomes will be announced in due course.
Information about the creation of other types of public bodies is not held centrally.
The decision to create or close Government Departments is the responsibility of the Prime Minister. There are no active processes underway to create or close any departments.
Asked by: Katie Lam (Conservative - Weald of Kent)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the published list of (a) arm’s-length bodies, (b) Government departments, (c) agencies, (d) public bodies, and (e) other related entities for which a Minister or Department is responsible is complete and does not omit any relevant bodies.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Cabinet Office publishes a list of Departments, agencies and public bodies which can be accessed on gov.uk. Individual government departments are responsible for ensuring their portfolio of organisations is accurately listed and kept up-to-date.
The Government also publishes a consolidated dataset on arm’s-length bodies annually. The latest version can be found here and provides landscape data for 2024.
Asked by: Katie Lam (Conservative - Weald of Kent)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many open (a) processes and (b) applications there are for the closure of (i) arm’s-length bodies, (ii) Government Departments, (iii) agencies and (iv) public bodies.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
On 6 April, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster announced a full review of all UK government arm’s length bodies, and proposals for new bodies, in order to return policy decisions to Ministers, reduce duplication and improve efficiency and transparency. The review is ongoing and outcomes will be announced in due course.
Information about the closures of other types of public bodies is not held centrally.
The decision to create or close Government Departments is the responsibility of the Prime Minister. There are no active processes underway to create or close any departments.