Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much the Office for Veterans' Affairs has spent on hospitality in each of the last four financial years.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
In line with Cabinet Office policy, it is permissible for Business Units to provide hospitality for meetings with external partners such as industry or foreign governments.
All Business Units within the Cabinet Office have a responsibility to keep official hospitality costs as low as possible and demonstrate good value for money.
The Cabinet Office’s hospitality spend is published on GOV.UK in the usual way.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 18 May 2023 to Question 184899 on Office for Veterans' Affairs: Civil Servants, how many civil servants worked in the private office of the Minister for Veterans' Affairs as of 15 May 2023; and at what grades..
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
Statistics on the composition of the Civil Service workforce, including regional, diversity and earnings data, are published in the usual way to ensure they meet the highest standards of trustworthiness, quality and public value.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance his Department issues on the use of civil servant-produced digital content on Ministers' personal social media.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Governments and ministers of all political parties have always used a wide variety of media to help inform the public about issues which may affect their lives.
We are now in a digital age, and social media channels are therefore an important part of government, ministers’ and parliamentarians’ communications.
In addition to the Civil Service Code, the Government Communications Service offers propriety in digital and social media guidance .
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 24 May 2023 to Question 185881 on Cabinet Office: Staff, how many engagements Cabinet Office digital media officers attended in the last 12 months; and how many of those were also attended by the Minister for Veterans' Affairs.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Digital officers' work is allocated in discussion between the Cabinet Office Communications team, policy teams and ministerial private offices. Allocation depends on a range of factors including subject, location and staff availability.
As a result, digital media officers attend various events with Ministers as and when needed.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 24 May 2023 to Question 185881 on Cabinet Office: Staff, how is work allocated to digital media officers within the Department; and who determines which events they attend.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Digital officers' work is allocated in discussion between the Cabinet Office Communications team, policy teams and ministerial private offices. Allocation depends on a range of factors including subject, location and staff availability.
As a result, digital media officers attend various events with Ministers as and when needed.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether a Cabinet Office digital media officer accompanied the Minister for Veterans' Affairs to an event in Parliament on 12 June 2023.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Digital officers' work is allocated in discussion between the Cabinet Office Communications team, policy teams and ministerial private offices. Allocation depends on a range of factors including subject, location and staff availability.
As a result, digital media officers attend various events with Ministers as and when needed.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 5 June 2023 to Question 186306 on Office for Veterans' Affairs: Photography, what was the budget for the Cabinet Office Communications team in each of the last five financial years.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Setting out the budget may lead to inaccurate figures due to in-year budget changes. Instead, I can provide the actual spend.
The Cabinet Office Communications team employs two Digital Media Officers who support all Ministers in the Department. This is an essential part of helping to explain the Department's policies and priorities to a wider audience, such budgets have existed under successive administrations.
The budget for Communications team staff, including the two Digital Media Officers, is held by the Director of Communications and is accounted for in line with Cabinet Office personnel budget management processes.
The total actual expenditure for the Cabinet Office Communications cost centre, for the periods in question is as follows:
FY | Total expenditure (£) |
18/19 | 2,105,850.23 |
19/20 | 2,018,372.96 |
20/21 | 2,077,533.20 |
21/22 | 2,124,742.32 |
22/23 | 2,659,096.71 |
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 18 May 2023 to Question 184900 on Office for Veterans' Affairs: Photography and Social Media, how the budget for cross-government photography services is accounted for.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office Communications team employs two Digital Media Officers who support all Ministers in the Department. This is an essential part of helping to explain the Department's policies and priorities to a wider audience.
The budget for Communications team staff, including the two Digital Media Officers, is held by the Director of Communications and is accounted for in line with Cabinet Office personnel budget management processes.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 18 May 2023 to Question 184900 on Office for Veterans' Affairs: Photography and Social Media, who is the budget holder for cross-government photography services.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office Communications team employs two Digital Media Officers who support all Ministers in the Department. This is an essential part of helping to explain the Department's policies and priorities to a wider audience.
The budget for Communications team staff, including the two Digital Media Officers, is held by the Director of Communications and is accounted for in line with Cabinet Office personnel budget management processes.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 18 May 2023 to Question 184900 on Office for Veterans' Affairs: Photography and Social Media, whether the Office for Veterans’ Affairs has a dedicated photographer.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
The Office for Veterans’ Affairs does not have a dedicated photographer and draws on resources from the Cabinet Office Communications team who support all Ministers in the Department.