Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 2 January 2025, to Question 98109, on Ministry of Defence: public appointments, whether any of those appointments made a declaration of political activity.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

All Direct Ministerial Appointees are required to complete a declaration, and any positive answers to the political question are considered, risk assessed and necessary mitigations put in place if required.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what is the forecast profile of yearly (a) defence and (b) security spending to meet the respective 3.5% and 1.5% GDP NATO targets by 2035.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

NATO qualifying defence spending will increase to 2.6 per cent of GDP by April 2027. The Government’s ambition is to spend 3 per cent of GDP on defence next Parliament, when economic and fiscal conditions allow, and 5 per cent of GDP on national security spending by the Parliament after next.

In 2029, when NATO review capability requirements and this pledge, the UK and Allies will review the trajectory and the balance of spending, which is currently 3.5 per cent on core defence and 1.5 per cent on security and resilience-related spend.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland regarding the Technology Prosperity Deal, published on 18 September 2025, what is the current legal status of the US-UK tech prosperity deal.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The US-UK Technology Prosperity Deal was signed as a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which does not constitute or create any legally binding obligations. The MoU represents a political and policy-level understanding between the two governments.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 5 January 2025, to Question 100331, on Ministers: Official Cars, what is the estimated, non-granular aggregate expenditure by the Government Car Service on official cars for civil servants in the last 12 months.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Government Car Service (GCS) offers vehicles to government departments as a shared resource. Each department independently determines the allocation of these vehicles. GCS does not invoice separately for ministerial or civil servant use.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Our management section of the Cabinet Office website and further to his Department's document entitled Special advisers: code of conduct, updated on 6 November 2024, for what reason Jonathan Powell is listed in the management section.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The National Security Adviser sets direction – on behalf of the Prime Minister – for national security and foreign policy in the National Security Secretariat. Some leadership and corporate responsibilities – such as the line management of civil servants, accounting or matters affecting a civil servant’s career such as recruitment, promotion, reward and discipline – are not carried out by the National Security Adviser.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Integrated Security Fund Annual Report 2024–25, of 30 October 2025, if he will establish a due-diligence process to ensure that ISF programmes scored as principal for gender equality are not used to advance ideological objectives.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Integrated Security Fund delivers programmes which align to UK national security and resilience priorities. Programmes promote gender equality where it is relevant and appropriate.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 2 January 2025 to Question 100332 on Public Appointments: Political Impartiality, what was the source of the political activity data for 2024-25 contained within the 2024-25 annual report of the Commissioner for Public Appointments, page 41, published on 17 December 2025.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Political activity information is collected from candidates as part of the public appointments digital service’s online application process. This was the source of the Commissioner’s data.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the publication entitled Ministers' overseas travel and meetings: Publication Guidance, January 2025, and the paragraph 1(a) guidance on foreign meetings, whether a meeting with a foreign government with an external organisation would require the publication as attendees of (a) the name of the foreign government and the name of the external organisation or (b) just the name of the external organisation.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The same Publication Guidance the Hon Member quotes makes clear that in such scenarios, "the meeting should be declared including the names of these [external] organisations or individuals only”.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 2 January 2026 to Question 99828 on Cabinet Office: Social Media, what is the campaign or topic associated with (a) Government Digital and Data and (b) Great Futures.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Government Digital and Data is related to recruitment, and Great Futures forms part of the wider GREAT campaign which encourages international audiences to visit, study and do business with the UK.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 4 September 2025, to Question 73325, on Armed Forces: Conferences, if he will place in the Library the equivalent Cabinet Office guidance for officials on contact with the media.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

There are currently no plans to publish this guidance as the area remains subject to ongoing policy development.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 2 January 2026, to Question 99825, on Tom Kibasi, whether he served the full two month secondment in Downing Street.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 2 January 2026, Official Report, PQ 99825.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 2 December 2025, to Question 93747, on Cabinet Office: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution, what the date, title, location and purpose of the cross-government event related to the public expenditure on TasteThatLove are.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

See answer to WPQ 93747. The purpose of the event was to encourage collaboration between government departments, academia and the private sector.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 20 November 2025, to Question 90240, on Cabinet Office: Secondment, if he will list the names of the organisations that have had Civil Servants seconded to them since July 2024, according to records centrally held through the secondments data commission.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The Civil Service has seconded staff in from private, public and voluntary sector organisations and has also seconded staff out. Secondments remain a key route to utilising essential skills and experience into the right roles and teams, enabling talented individuals from within and outside the Civil Service to share critical capabilities and innovative thinking for a set period of time.

The secondments data commission provides insight on inward and outward secondments taking place across government. The Cabinet Office has worked closely with departments to improve the amount, detail and quality of the data available including names of organisations individuals have been seconded from or to, where this information is available. The limited number of records/ data sets can impact third party organisations and makes the data personally identifiable information, and therefore it will not be possible to publish this data.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 20 November 2025, to Question 90240, on Cabinet Office: Secondment, if he will list the names of the organisations that have seconded staff into central government since July 2024, according to records centrally held through the secondments data commission.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The Civil Service has seconded staff in from private, public and voluntary sector organisations and has also seconded staff out. Secondments remain a key route to utilising essential skills and experience into the right roles and teams, enabling talented individuals from within and outside the Civil Service to share critical capabilities and innovative thinking for a set period of time.

The secondments data commission provides insight on inward and outward secondments taking place across government. The Cabinet Office has worked closely with departments to improve the amount, detail and quality of the data available including names of organisations individuals have been seconded from or to, where this information is available. The limited number of records/ data sets can impact third party organisations and makes the data personally identifiable information, and therefore it will not be possible to publish this data.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 21 July 2025, to Question 65368, on Empty Property, how many dwellings are owned or managed by the Government Property Agency which are currently empty.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

There are currently 13 vacant properties within the Government Property Agency’s managed portfolio. This total includes sites that are in the process of being disposed of or have been vacated to facilitate ongoing refurbishment work with the aim to improve the overall condition and efficiency of the managed estate.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 20 November 2025, to Question 90245, on Admiralty House: Official Residences, which civil servants, and from which business unit, are allowed to stay in the Admiralty House official residences.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

I refer the Hon Member to my answer of 20 November 2025, Official Report, PQ 90245.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what consideration has been made of requiring Digital ID to sign into social media accounts.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

We are inviting the public to have their say in the upcoming consultation as we develop a safe, secure, and inclusive system for the UK, including on the possible range of uses of the digital credential.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2025, to Question, 90238, on Government Communications Service: Staff, if he will publish the number of (a) headcount and (b) FTE Government Communication Service staff in each government department, central public body and Arm’s Length Body, including NHS, according to information collated in the most recent Government Communications Service audit; and what are the aggregate figures.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Please see the table below that contains the full-time equivalent figures for departments. These figures incorporate the ALBs, which are grouped under their respective sponsoring organisations.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 2 January 2025 to Question 100334 on Public Appointments: Social Class, and the Commissioner for Public Appointment’s annual report of 2024-25 published in December 2025, on what date in 2024-25 did the Cabinet Office start to ask applicants for public appointments of their social class; and his Department provides guidance; and whether it is compulsory for applicants to provide this data.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Socio-economic background questions were added to the application process on the public appointments digital service in May 2024. All candidates are required to provide a response to these questions as part of their application, but they can state ‘prefer not to say’ if they wish. Guidance on completing diversity questions, including socio-economic background, is provided to candidates via the digital service.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 2 January 2026 to Question 99528 on Ministers: Corporate Hospitality and Official Gifts, whether Ministers are required to inform the Cabinet Office where a gift or hospitality is accepted by a Minister and the gift is subsequently returned, refunded or repaid.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Annex A, Paragraph 8 of the Ministers' Gifts and Hospitality: Publication Guidance, available on GOV.UK, outlines the process to be followed if the status of a gift changes at a later date.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 21 July 2025, to Question 66951, on Environment Protection: Public Bodies, and with reference to paragraphs 211, 233 and 234 of the Cabinet Office's Guide to Parliamentary Work, if he will publish the disclosed information or provide a relevant hyperlink to the information.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 66951 on 21 July 2025.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, further to the Commissioner for Public Appointment’s annual report 2024-25, published December 2025, page 17, what is the timetable for the Cabinet Office publishing a Senior Independent Panel Member list.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Senior Independent Panel Member list referred to in the Commissioner for Public Appointment’s annual report 2024-25 is not intended for public disclosure. The list, which is under development, will be an internal register available for departmental officials to access in the public appointments digital service, to support the efficient and effective running of public appointment campaigns.

The composition of an advisory assessment panel is provided in the advertisement for each campaign, including the Senior Independent Panel Member.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 2 January 2026 to Question 99536 on Ministers: Public Appointments, what is an internal desk note; and what legal or constitutional status do they hold.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

There is no formal definition of what constitutes an internal desk note, but it is generally considered to mean a document containing internal procedural advice on the technical and policy considerations that should be taken into account by officials when implementing an area of policy. Such documents offer guidance on good practice, sometimes in interpreting legislative responsibilities, but do not in themselves hold any legal status.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 2 January 2026, to Question 99531, on Government Departments: Advertising, how much has been spent on (a) digital, (b) out of home, (c) press, (d) radio and (e) television since July 2024.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The total spend figures across central departments since July 2024 is £214,900,056.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 21 July 2025, to Question 65368, on Empty Property, what records does the Office of Government Property’s Insite database hold on the number of (a) residential and (b) non-residential public sector properties which are vacant or empty.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The Office of Government Property’s InSite database brings together property information provided by central government departments to support oversight of the government estate.

(a) Residential properties

InSite does not hold centrally validated records on the number of residential public sector properties that are vacant or empty. Responsibility for managing residential properties, including determining and recording vacancy status, rests with the individual owning departments. The Cabinet Office therefore does not hold a central record of vacant or empty residential public sector properties.

(b) Non-residential properties

InSite holds information on non-residential public sector properties that are vacant or surplus, based on information provided by departments to support cross-government estate oversight, with coverage continuing to develop as the system matures. This includes:

• Operational use; and

• a Vacant Space dataset, which records vacant spaces within non-residential buildings that remain in operational use.

Data drawn from InSite is also published on gov.uk at https://www.data.gov. uk/dataset/a3ad62cf-d8a2-4d3b-b3c6-24c35c5e0f71/the-government-property-estate-including-buildings-and-land to ensure continued transparency. These datasets relate to non-residential property only and reflect the information provided by departments at the time of publication.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 2 January 2026, to Question 99822, on Publications: Gender, on how many occasions since July 2024 has a publication or publisher failed a SAFE assessment.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

There are currently 67 publishers who have been assessed but not included in the inclusion list. It is important to note that this may not completely prohibit use for government communications. A publisher may still be utilised for relevant campaigns, provided appropriate campaign-specific guardrails are implemented to mitigate potential risks.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Commission for Public Appointments, Annual Report, 2024-25, p.41, if he will place in the Library a copy of the full dataset on the 67 individuals who declared political activity that is held by the Cabinet Office.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

As was the case under previous governments, and in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments, the political activity of successful candidates is published by government departments as part of the public announcement regarding the appointment.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2025, to Question 99534, on Census: Costs, and the letter from the Permanent Secretary of 17 December 2025, whether there is a working estimate of the potential total cost of the 2031 Census programme in England and Wales; and what statistics UKSA or ONS hold on the outturn total cost of the 2021 Census in (a) England and Wales and (b) the United Kingdom, including the delayed Scottish Census.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 6th of January is attached.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 10 April 2025, to Question HL6032, on Arms Length Bodies, whether there is an updated list of the new Arms Length bodies that have been announced since July 2024.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

Since July 2024, 10 Arms Length Bodies have been announced to deliver the manifesto the Government was elected on.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what requirements Ministers have to declare details of overseas visits in government transparency returns, when meeting external organisations which are not foreign governments, when undertaking official travel overseas.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Ministers' Overseas Travel and Meetings: Publication Guidance, is available on GOV.UK

It states that departments should include official meetings with external organisations held by ministers in the course of visits, including visits overseas (generally visits on their own are not included).

Such guidance has been in place for successive administrations.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the policy paper entitled Outcome of the exploratory discussions on the possible participation of the United Kingdom in the European Union’s internal electricity market, published on 22 December 2025, whether he has made an estimate of the cost of the UK being a member of the EU electricity market.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

An electricity agreement with the EU will cut the cost of trading electricity with the EU - this means lower wholesale costs and ultimately lower bills. To unlock these benefits, we are prepared to make an appropriate and proportionate financial contribution to support relevant costs, such as accessing specific agencies or databases required for market participation. Nothing has been agreed yet and we will work through the specific details in negotiations to ensure any contribution represents value for money for the UK taxpayer.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, further to the policy paper, Outcome of the exploratory discussions on the possible participation of the United Kingdom in the European Union’s internal electricity market, published on 22 December 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of dynamic alignment on the ability of the UK Government to deregulate.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

An electricity agreement with the EU will cut the cost of trading electricity with the EU - this means lower wholesale costs and ultimately lower bills. To unlock these benefits we are prepared to take the pragmatic decision to align with EU rules in the national interest. The outcome from exploratory talks is clear that where we align with EU rules as part of any future electricity agreement there would be adaptations and phasing-in periods to ensure the rules work for the UKelectricity sector, as well as decision-shaping rights when new EU policies are made.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, further to the Cabinet Office, Government Procurement Card spend over £500 - September 2025, published 30 October 2025, what was the conference or event relating to the transactions (a) "MRS" for £696 and (b) FOAM CONVERSATION for £897.60.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The two transactions are (a) a payment to the Market Research Society in relation to the Behavioural Science Summit 2025, and (b) the procurement of audio equipment for the New Media Unit.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Cabinet Office uses the Global Disinformation Index service.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Government Communication Service in the Cabinet Office does not use this service.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's document entitled Political Peerages - Citations, published on 10 December 2025, if he will publish Dame Ann Limb's curriculum vitae given to the House of Lords Appointments Commission for her appointment.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

As a matter of policy we do not publish information relating to individuals' peerage nominations.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps to reduce the number of government policy announcements.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Government is committed to communicating clearly and effectively with the public about policies that affect their lives.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Agenda for the Specialised Committee on Citizens’ Rights meeting on 18 December 2025, if he will place in the Library a copy of the presentation by the3million and British in Europe.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Information on matters discussed at the Specialised Committee on Citizens’ Rights is available here: Citizens’ Rights Specialised Committee meeting, 18 December 2025: joint statement - GOV.UK. As is stipulated by Rule 13 of Annex VIII of the Withdrawal Agreement, meetings of the Specialised Committee are confidential. The3million and British in Europe can be contacted directly to request any material shared at the meeting. The UK and the EU are committed to working cooperatively to ensure full and faithful implementation of the citizens’ rights part of the Withdrawal Agreement.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps are being taken by the Cabinet Office public appointments unit to improve processes on regulated public appointments following recent findings of breaches by the Governance Code by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Commissioner for Public Appointments’ 2024-25 Annual Report praised overall departmental compliance with the Governance Code. Out of 449 new regulated appointments made by UK government ministers in 2024-25, the Commissioner reported that five breaches of the Code were identified.

The Cabinet Office provides a range of training, support and guidance for departments to ensure compliance with the Code.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has had discussions with the European Commission on the EU's Buy European policy.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Government routinely engages with the EU across a whole range of issues. Given the UK is one of Europe’s largest economies, and an integral part of existing supply chains, we have been clear with EU counterparts that the UK and EU should be working together to tackle the challenges we all face in terms of promoting economic security as well as boosting growth and productivity.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Ministers in his Department authorised the recall of National Archives papers due for release in December 2025 in relation to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

As a matter of routine and under the terms of the Public Records Act redactions are made to government documents where FOI exemptions that persist for historic records apply. Closures are approved by the Advisory Council on National Records and Archives before transfer to The National Archives. Any release is subject to an extensive review process, including engaging expert stakeholders and no list should be considered final until it is released to the public.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish FOI response FOI2025/18072, of 5 December 2025.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given in UIN 99528.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's press release entitled WPP appointed to be UK Government’s lead media agency, published on 22 December 2025, whether the framework in the press release is Crown Commercial Services RM6364 framework, Lot 1: Media Strategy, Planning and Buying.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Yes, the referenced press release is in relation to Crown Commercial Services RM6364 framework, Lot 1: Media Strategy, Planning and Buying.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 2 January 2026, to Question 99838, on Senior Civil Servants: Redundancy Pay, what was the business case for making an exit payment greater than that permitted in the model contract.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The severance payment was made in accordance with paragraph 18.1 in the Permanent Secretary model contract. The business case was made on the basis that the Cabinet Secretary departed the Civil Service, and it was calculated on the basis of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme i.e. 1 month’s pay (capped at £149,820 salary) for each year of service.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2025 to Question 90737 on Cabinet Office: Remote Working, if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of the last meeting for which minutes are held.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The Minister for the Cabinet Office does not intend to place a copy of the minutes of the last Cross Government Working Flexibly Group Meeting Minutes in the library as these are considered confidential.

We are unable to disclose membership of the Group on the grounds of data protection, however, the group meets on an ad hoc basis only and does so in a hybrid manner.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2025 to Question 90737 on Cabinet Office: Remote Working, if he will publish the members of the Cross-Government Group on Working Flexibly; and whether it meets remotely, in hybrid manner or in person.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The Minister for the Cabinet Office does not intend to place a copy of the minutes of the last Cross Government Working Flexibly Group Meeting Minutes in the library as these are considered confidential.

We are unable to disclose membership of the Group on the grounds of data protection, however, the group meets on an ad hoc basis only and does so in a hybrid manner.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 1 December 2025 to Question 93376 on Civil Service: Unpaid Work, how the civil service verify self-declarations of the occupation of main household owners when the applicant was 14 years old.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

In line with other schemes of this nature across the public and private sector, The Cabinet Office uses self-certification for the socio-economic data of applicants and does not seek further validation. This is the same approach taken under its predecessor, the Summer Diversity Internship Programme, from 2010 to 2023.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 4 September 2025 to Question 73727 on Civil Servants: Personnel Management, whether that guidance has been published.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

Guidance on Mutually Agreed Exits is published on the Civil Service Pension Scheme Administrators website. We have no plans to publish any further guidance.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the First Division Association (FDA) has been involved in negotiations on special advisers' salaries; and whether special advisers have collectively had an increase in their salaries since July 2024.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

Special advisers have received two annual pay awards since July 2024, one in 2024/25 and one in 2025/26. The FDA has not been involved in negotiations on special advisers' salaries.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 23 December 2025 to Question 99838 on Senior Civil Servants: Redundancy Pay, what was the (a) policy basis and (b) business case for the previous Cabinet Secretary being given an exit payment greater than that set out in the model Permanent Secretary contract.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The severance payment was made in accordance with paragraph 18.1 in the Permanent Secretary model contract. The business case was made on the basis that the Cabinet Secretary departed the Civil Service, and it was calculated on the basis of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme i.e. 1 month’s pay (capped at £149,820 salary) for each year of service.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 2 January 2026 to Question 100340 on Senior Civil Servants: Recruitment, how many senior civil servants have been recruited to posts not advertised externally in the last 12 months.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

Between 1 January 2025 and 31 December 2025, there were 90 provisional offers made for Senior Civil Service (SCS) posts (permanent and temporary) that were advertised across government but not advertised externally. This is data obtained from Civil Service Jobs and does not include internal recruitment, which might have been conducted within a department. As per our External by Default policy, SCS vacancies which are not advertised externally must be approved by a Minister or Permanent Secretary equivalent in non-Ministerial departments.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the cost is of developing, operating and maintaining the Internal Coaching Service digital platform.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The Internal Coaching Service digital platform cost a one-off setup fee of £1,000 (excluding VAT).

The ongoing cost is an annual licence fee of £7,500 (excluding VAT). This fee covers maintenance, unlimited change requests, and support for the internal coaching team.

There is no upper limit to the number of coaches and coaches that can use the platform.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Cabinet Office Government Procurement Card spend over £500 data for October 2025, published on 27 November 2025, what was the purpose of the expenditure for a photography course in London; which officials attended; and what was the full name of the specific supplier.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

This transaction was used for specialist digital training for four members of staff at a cost of £170 each. This was provided at a discounted rate following a search for the cheapest available supplier.

With the move to digital communications, it is important that we produce usable images from relevant government events and announcements.

Training existing staff to take photographs presents a cost saving compared to the use of external photographers.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, further to the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for government’s most important contracts, data for July to September 2025, published on 25 December 2025, how the publication timetable was determined.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The timetable for publishing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) is set by the Government Commercial Function (GCF). The data for July to September 2025 was published on time, and in the usual way.

Since this Government has come into office, the GCF has shortened the overall publication timeline of KPIs from approximately 16 to 12 weeks. This allows for the performance data to be published closer to the reporting period, thereby improving the transparency of government contract performance for the public.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, further to the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for government’s most important contracts, Data for July to September 2025, published on 25 December 2025, for what reason the Government People Group PeopleScout Ltd contract has a KPI where the Supplier will only accept work commissions directly from the customer, and not from VH or depts.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The process was designed and implemented to improve operational efficiency. Through streamlining our commissioning and invoicing approach we have demonstrated our continuous improvement ambition for effective contract management.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 9 December 2025 to Question 94708 on Senior Civil Servants: Training, what the syllabus is for the training; and whether it includes equality, diversity and inclusion training.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The Senior Leaders Scheme (SLS) is a 12 month leadership programme aimed at SCS1 Deputy Directors which focuses on creating a diverse and robust pipeline through to the most senior roles in government. The curriculum consists of four core modules:

1. Development

2. Collaboration

3. Futures

4. Transformation

These modules are supported by executive coaching, action learning sets and elective masterclasses; ‘Futures Capability’ and ‘Practical Networking’

There is no specific module or training on equality, diversity and inclusion within SLS, although inclusive leadership is inherently part of the programme.

The Directors Leadership Programme is a 12 month leadership programme aimed at high performing SCS2 Directors which focuses on systems leadership, biases and power, public interest, building cultures of respect, as well as leading at scale.

This is done through a selection of residential modules, action learning sets, frontline experiences as well as workshops involving communicating including storytelling.

Although the topics look at inclusion in leadership, there is no specific EDI content or module.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to set targets for the number of civil servants appointed based on their socio-economic background.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

As set out in the Civil Service People Plan 2024-2027, we are committed to ensuring we attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds to create a modern Civil Service, now and for the future. There are no plans to set targets for the recruitment of civil servants based on their socio-economic background.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment the Department has made of the salary outcomes, promotion rates and role progression of participants in the Directors Leadership Programme compared to a control group of comparable civil servants who did not participate; and what cost benefit analysis the Department has undertaken on expenditure on the programme including any assessment of average time to promotion, changes in performance markings, retention rates and the financial return on investment to the public purse.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

A comprehensive assessment of salary outcomes, promotion rates, and role progression for Directors Leadership Programme participants against a control group (or formal cost-benefit analysis) is not currently feasible. A feasibility assessment for management evaluations showed that the required workforce data for rigorous evaluation on these issues are either not easily available or not held centrally; or sufficient time has not passed for enough participants to provide robust data on these measures. An implementation and process evaluation of DLP is in progress, with a public-facing report expected around Summer 2026. A public-facing report is also planned at the same time on the lessons learned (and guidance) on sharing workforce data to facilitate analysis in future on similar issues.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people applied and were appointed to the Public Leaders Programme; and what is the expected cost to the public purse of the programme, including staffing, delivery, administration and digital support.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

79 people applied to the Public Leaders Programme for the 2026 cohort, with 61 joining the programme successfully. Some of the costs for delivery in the later stages of the year are still to be confirmed, so the current estimated overall cost to the public purse of the programme is £625,889.09.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the annual cost has been of the META programme in the past financial year, including the development centre, executive coaching, workshops, senior mentorship and all administration, and how many individuals participated in the past year.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The total expenditure for the delivery of the META Leadership Programme in the last financial year (20024/25) totalled to £534,225. This figure incorporates £355,782 in resourcing/administration, allocated to delivery of META and an additional programme conducted during this timeframe, as well as alumni activities. Over this period, 133 core participants took part over two intakes.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on what evidential basis his Department has estimated the number of officials who plan to leave through the voluntary exit scheme; and how many plan to leave by Department and public body.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office collects some data on projected exits through its management of the Redundancy and Compensation control, based on departmental returns.

In terms of exits, I refer you to my previous answer PQ 82675. The most accurate data is held by individual departments, and will be reported in their Annual Report and Accounts.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many full time equivalent staff support Civil Service Coffee Connect.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

We have been unable to identify any such central Civil Service initiative.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 23 September 2025, to Question 70484, on Government Departments: Training, who was on the evaluation panel for Project 7114, whether it included officials who had previously worked with Public Digital Ltd; and if he will publish the conflict-of-interest declarations made in connection with that procurement.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Test, Learn & Grow programme is being delivered jointly by the Cabinet Office, MHCLG and local authority partners, complemented by a support partner, the Test, Learn & Grow Partnership.

Due to the nature of personal data, we are precluded from publishing information on the evaluation panel. The procurement followed standard best practice in line with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR15), and the contract is being managed proactively with use of benchmarking and performance data.

Two quarterly statements of work have been agreed under the Work Order. Due to commercial sensitivities, we cannot publish the statements nor can we disclose the key performance indicators.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 23 September 2025, to Question 70484, on Government Departments: Training, how many quarterly Statements of Work have been agreed to date under the Work Order for Project 7114; and if he will publish those statements.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Test, Learn & Grow programme is being delivered jointly by the Cabinet Office, MHCLG and local authority partners, complemented by a support partner, the Test, Learn & Grow Partnership.

Due to the nature of personal data, we are precluded from publishing information on the evaluation panel. The procurement followed standard best practice in line with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR15), and the contract is being managed proactively with use of benchmarking and performance data.

Two quarterly statements of work have been agreed under the Work Order. Due to commercial sensitivities, we cannot publish the statements nor can we disclose the key performance indicators.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what key performance indicators have been set for the Public Sector Reform Test, Learn and Grow Strategic Delivery Partner contract; and whether financial penalties apply for non-performance.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Test, Learn & Grow programme is being delivered jointly by the Cabinet Office, MHCLG and local authority partners, complemented by a support partner, the Test, Learn & Grow Partnership.

Due to the nature of personal data, we are precluded from publishing information on the evaluation panel. The procurement followed standard best practice in line with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR15), and the contract is being managed proactively with use of benchmarking and performance data.

Two quarterly statements of work have been agreed under the Work Order. Due to commercial sensitivities, we cannot publish the statements nor can we disclose the key performance indicators.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the Deputy Prime Minister’s official residence in Carlton Gardens is registered with Westminster City Council as a second home.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Deputy Prime Minister’s residence at Carlton Gardens is his primary residence.

Council tax for 1 Carlton Gardens is paid for personally by its occupant, in line with long-standing government policy.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he uses external disinformation (a) indexes and (b) metrics when making SAFE framework assessments.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

SAFE assessments examine whether the publishers have a history of publishing or broadcasting disinformation, with the intent to deceive. There is no predefined list of sources we rely upon.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, pursuant to the answer of 10 November 2025 to Question 85184 on Office for Equality and Opportunity: Finance, whether the office plans to make efficiency savings; and what the change in staff headcount was from 2024-25 to 2025-26.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Office for Equality and Opportunity (OEO) is committed to ensuring that Britain’s equality framework remains robust and fit for the future. OEO’s budget and resource allocation are subject to rigorous business planning and governance to ensure delivery of maximum value for the taxpayer.

For the current financial year (2025/26), as part of a wider Cabinet Office exercise, we identified and committed to an in-year programme budget reduction. These savings are being realised through operational streamlining and a focus on cost-effective delivery.

OEO’s staff headcount has increased from 142.5 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) in 2024-25 to up to 184 FTE staff in the current year. This increase, agreed by Ministers, ensures OEO is properly resourced to manage a substantial and long-term programme of work in line with the Government’s manifesto commitments, missions and other priorities.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, when she plans to respond to the consultation on Equity law, which closed on 30 June 2025.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We published a call for evidence on equality law which considered areas of existing equality legislation and possible equality law reform.

We are giving the responses careful consideration as we consider next steps. We will publish the Government response in due course on: https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/equality-law-call-for-evidence.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, further to the Ofcom "Call for input: Review of postal regulation – pricing and affordability", of 4 November 2025, whether stamp prices for ordinary customers will have to cross-subsided the proposed reduction in stamp prices for those on the social tariffs.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

As the independent regulator for postal services, Ofcom is responsible for decisions on price controls. The government does not have a role in Ofcom’s regulatory decisions.

Affordability is at the heart of Ofcom's regulatory framework. Ofcom will consult on any proposals, ahead of the expiry of the current control on Second Class letter prices in early 2027.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2025 to Question 88693 on Stamp Advisory Committee, if he will list the dates that officials have attended meetings of the Stamp Advisory Committee since July 2024.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Stamp Advisory Committee meetings are confidential and a matter for Royal Mail. However, our records show that, since July 2024, a government official attended five meetings.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions he has had with the Office for National Statistics to (a) remove and (b) amend questions on gender identity in the next Census.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 14th January is attached.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an estimate of the yearly number of (a) EU students who will study in the UK and (b) UK students who will study in the EU when the Erasmus+ is fully operational.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

In 2018/19, there were approximately 31,000 inbound higher education student mobilities via the Erasmus+ programme. There were approximately 16,000 outbound higher education student mobilities in the same year. The department expects there will be a greater number of higher education mobilities on reassociation, given the expansion of the programme. We expect that over 100,000 people could benefit from mobility and partnership opportunities from participation in 2027 across all sectors.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, further to the Cabinet Office press release, Young people from all backgrounds to get opportunity to study abroad as UK-EU deal unlocks Erasmus+, of 17 December 2025, whether the Turing scheme will be continued, and whether she plans any changes to the Turing scheme’s funding or scope.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government remains committed to international mobility. That’s why we have announced the UK has agreed to join the Erasmus+ programme in 2027. The Turing Scheme continues to deliver these opportunities and is confirmed for the 2026/27 academic year.

Guidance on the Turing Scheme for the 2026/27 academic year has been published on GOV.UK, with applications for funding opening at 12:00 on Tuesday 20 January and closing at 16:00 on Monday 16 March.

The aims of the Turing Scheme for the 2026/27 academic year are to enhance transferable skills, widen opportunity and drive value for money.

We are continuing to focus the scheme’s funding on students from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds and those with special educational needs and disabilities.

Further details, including guidance for providers and application information, are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/turing-scheme-international-placements-2026-to-2027.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 2 January 2026, to Question 99839, on Trade Unions: Facilities Agreements, and with reference to paragraph 233 of the Cabinet Office Guide to Parliamentary Work, if he will provide an overall figure for the (i) percentage and (ii) absolute number of public bodies required to submit facility time data under Schedule 1 but which did not do so, in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2023-24, broken down by type of public body.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

Other than what is publicly available under Schedule 1 of the Trade Union (Facility Time Publication Requirements) Regulations 2017, Cabinet Office does not have a list of public bodies that were required to submit facility time data in 2024-25 or 2023-24, and therefore does not hold a list of public bodies who did not submit facility time data.