Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 20 March 2026, to Question 119894, on Gambling Commission: Managers, which specific public sector regulators (a) are and (b) are not subject to the Business Appointments Applications process.

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

The Business Appointment Rules (BARs) apply to various individuals through specific codes of conduct. For instance, civil servants are subject to them via the Civil Servant Management Code, ministers through the Ministerial Code, and Special Advisers via their Code of Conduct.

Where a public sector organisation, such as an Executive Agency or an Advisory Non-Departmental Public Body, is staffed by civil servants, those individuals will be subject to the BARs.

Even though some individuals operating within the broader government sphere may not fall directly under the BARs, public bodies operating at arm’s length from government are still expected to implement their own equivalent processes to manage potential conflicts of interest, with these being tailored to their specific organisational context.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether all communications on Morgan McSweeney’s mobile phone were uploaded to Government servers.

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

There is established guidance on the management and recording of electronic communications on non-corporate channels. We keep all guidance around the use of non-corporate communications under review to ensure it remains fit for purpose.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Metropolitan Police has asked the Government to not publish any communication between Morgan McSweeney and Peter Mandelson.

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

I refer you to the remarks the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister made to the house in response to the urgent question about the Humble Address on 16 March.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has issued guidance on whether a Minister can be suspended.

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

The Cabinet Office has not issued such guidance.

The Ministerial Code sets out the standards of conduct expected of ministers and how they discharge their duties. As the Code sets out, the Prime Minister is the ultimate judge of the standards of behaviour expected of a minister and the appropriate consequences of a breach of those standards.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 19 March 2026, to Question 116505, on Disinformation, if he will set out what public narratives have been monitored using the tool in the last month.

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

Storyzy's platform empowers users to detect information manipulation and understand the information environment by analysing large quantities of data points to understand public narratives.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 23 March 2026 to Question 120836 on Prime Minister: Ministerial Boxes, whether there is guidance on how (a) oral, (b) written and (c) electronic responses by Ministers to formal advice and submissions should be recorded on the official record.

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

Yes there is. The Guidance for the management of Private Office information and records has been published and can be found on gov.uk.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the written statement of 17 March 2026, HCWS1407, on Online Advertising Taskforce Progress Report 2025, whether the adherence to the Influencer Marketing Code of Conduct will be embedded in to the Government's contracts with creative agencies and social media influencers.

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

Government procedure and contracts with creative agencies and social media influencers align to requirements set out in the ISBA Influencer Marketing Code of Conduct.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 4 September 2025, to Question 70519, on Public Inquiries, what has been the total public cost to date of the Jalal Uddin Inquiry.

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

The Jalal Uddin Inquiry reported on 10 July 2025, and it is now closed. The Inquiry's costs are £1,095,614.

Question to the Leader of the House:

To ask the Leader of the House, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help reduce the number of Impact Assessments for Bills that were published late in the process.

Answered by Alan Campbell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons

The Guide to Making Legislation makes clear that, when they are required, impact assessments should be published alongside bills. Government departments are responsible for publication of any required impact assessments.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the oral contribution by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office of 12 February 2026, Official Report, Column 925, on Lord Mandelson: Government Response to Humble Address Motion, if he will publish the letter on Palantir when sent.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

I wrote to the Rt Hon Member for Skipton and Rippon on 25 February 2026.

I also wrote to the Hon Member for Brentwood and Ongar on 25 February 2026, noting he will already be familiar with the Enterprise Agreement given he personally signed off the original spending approval for the contract during his time at the Cabinet Office under the previous Conservative government.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 16 March 2026 to Question 119901 on Lobbying: Finance, whether he holds information on grant funding for lobbying activity in relation to grants from 2024-25 onwards.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Grants statistics for 2024/25 were published on GOV.UK on 24 March 2026.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what data relating to (a) children and (b) schools will be integrated into the Digital ID database.

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

We will design the digital ID system to be secure, with only the minimum amount of data collected and stored. There will be no new single central database storing all government data on a person in one place. Data will primarily remain securely in the parts of the system where it already exists.

Through the public consultation that is now live, we are asking the public what age they think is appropriate to have the digital ID. Whatever the minimum age for eligibility, the system will be designed to operate to international best practice standards for data security and privacy and in line with UK Data Protection Law, to help ensure data is kept safe.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether electronic communications between Lord Mandelson and Morgan McSweeney have been copied to the official record and retained for the Humble Address.

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

I refer you to the Government's statement and release of information on 11th March, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The Government is working to ensure that Parliament’s instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.

All government departments, ministers and relevant individuals have been instructed to retain and provide to the Cabinet Office all information they hold that falls in scope of the Humble Address motion.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on what date the Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary sent guidance on the transfer of group electronic messages to the Cabinet Office division handling the Humble Address.

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

I refer you to the Government's response to the Urgent Question tabled on 12th February, the Written Ministerial Statement in the name of the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister that same day, and the Oral Statement on the 23rd February, in the name of the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, which set out an update on the Government's process and that Departments have been instructed to retain material that may be relevant to the motion.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what is the status of the Cabinet Office fact-finding investigation into Labour Together, separate to the report by the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The fact-finding exercise has concluded. The Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards wrote to the Prime Minister on this issue on 27 February. His letter is available online: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69a32870f534e7e99adaeaf8/Letter_from_the_Independent_Adviser_to_the_Prime_Minister.pdf

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the Insolvency Service and its nominated receiver are taking to ensure the retention of emails held by Global Counsel.

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

When a company enters administration, independent Insolvency Practitioners take control of its business and property. Administrators are responsible for securing and reviewing company records to understand the company’s affairs and carry out the administration. Within three months, administrators must submit a directors’ conduct report to the Insolvency Service. If an investigation is warranted, the Insolvency Service will obtain records from the administrators.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department considers that electronic messages held on non-corporate devices relating to official government business held by (a) Ministers and (b) Special Advisers are owned by the Government.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Official information, wherever stored, is considered to be held by the Crown.

I refer the Member for Kingswinford and South Staffordshire to the Government’s 2023 ‘Guidance on Using Non-Corporate Communication Channels for Government Business’ for further detail that was produced and published under by the previous Government.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps did Darren Tierney, then the head of the Propriety and Constitution Group, take to ensure that Lord Mandelson was personally interviewed before his appointment as Ambassador.

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

No such interview took place. It is not unusual for political appointments to take place without direct conversations with the Cabinet Office. I refer the Hon Member to the Government's statement and release of information on 11th March which sets out the process of appointment and the steps the Government is taking to strengthen the process going forwards.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Whatsapps messages on 10 Downing Street official iPhones are automatically backed up to a cloud or central server.

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

There is established guidance on the management and recording of electronic communications on non-corporate channels. We keep all guidance around the use of non-corporate communications under review to ensure it remains fit for purpose.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Morgan McSweeney, since departing Crown employment, has passed information held on his non-corporate communication devices relating to official government business to the Cabinet Office or the Prime Minister’s Office.

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

There is an established system for special advisers in place for the management of official government information held on non-corporate devices during the departure process. The policy covering non-corporate communication channels is published on gov.uk.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Downing Street staff are required to inform the No10 Security Team if their (a) official or (b) personal phone has been stolen.

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

It would not be appropriate to detail internal security matters. There are long established and robust processes to manage information security following the theft of No10 work devices

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 18 March 2026, to Question HL15004, on Government Departments: Communication, whether the Prime Minister approved the new guidance on UK/HM Government branding, or whether it was approved by an official or special adviser.

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

Relevant officials and special advisers reviewed the branding guidance.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Government phones were (a) lost and (b) stolen in the Prime Minister’s Office since 4 July 2024.

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

It would not be appropriate to detail internal security matters. There are long established and robust processes to manage information security following the theft of No10 work devices

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has made a comparative assessment of the salary outcomes, promotion rates and role progression of (a) participants in the Future Leaders Scheme and (b) civil servants who did not participate; and whether his Department has undertaken cost benefit analysis of that scheme including average time to promotion, changes in performance markings, retention rates and the financial return on investment.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

A comprehensive assessment of salary outcomes, promotion rates, and role progression for Future Leaders Scheme (FLS) participants against a control group (or formal cost-benefit analysis) is not currently feasible.

Two separate evaluations are underway for the FLS: an implementation and process evaluation, and an impact evaluation. Both are due to complete in Autumn 2026.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Prime Minister's Ministerial direction of 16 February 2026, what the value of the special severance payment was.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Details of any payments made to the previous Cabinet Secretary will be published in the Cabinet Office Annual report and Accounts for 2025-26.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 9 December 2025 to Question 95641 on Permanent Secretaries: Contracts, if he will publish the model Permanent Secretary contract in operation in 2012.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Individual permanent secretary contracts were based on the SCS model contract up until 2013. In relation to answer 88716, the permanent secretary model contract placed in the House Library has been in force since July 2013.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to uprate Freedom of Information Act cost thresholds.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The cost thresholds above which public authorities are not obliged to comply with a Freedom of Information request are set out in secondary legislation. Any changes to FOI legislation will be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 19 March 2026, to Question 120612, on Government Departments: Vetting, whether individuals joining the Civil Service are advised on giving false or misleading information in any other part of their application and vetting process.

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

Civil Servants applying for NSV Security Vetting (NSV) are advised of their responsibilities throughout the process and through the guidance published on gov.uk. This includes the need for full and complete disclosure.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has issued guidance to special advisers on speaking to the police about stolen Government property.

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

Cabinet Office's Security Breach Policy requires individuals, including SpAds, to follow directions from Cabinet Office Security when there is a security breach, such as theft of Government property. As part of its standard operating procedures Cabinet Office Security will direct individuals to report any stolen Government property to the police and request a crime reference number.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Freedom of Information policy team has given guidance to departments on the use of the mosaic justification.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office has not issued Freedom of Information guidance to government departments on the ‘mosaic effect’.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2026, to Question 119062, on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, what were the specific (a) Freedom of Information Act and (b) UK GDPR exemptions that were applied to exempt the information from publication.

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

Minor redactions were made to the temporarily withdrawn file, which contained references to a number of individuals, to comply with the following Freedom of Information Act exemptions: section 37(1)(a); section 37(1)(aa); section 37(1)(ab); section 40(2) and section 41.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 19 March 2026 to Question 121096 on Cabinet Office: Email, whether Lord Mandelson was copied into any of those emails.

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

Lord Mandelson was a copy recipient of some of the emails, one of a number of officials and advisers copied into the emails.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 18 March 2026, to Question 119321, on Cabinet Office: Freedom of Information, what is the timetable of the revisions to the Honours Handbook to be completed.

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

The handbook is currently being updated. An updated version with relevant redactions will be laid in the House Library as soon as is practicable.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much his Department has spent on locksmiths in each of the last five years.

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

The GPA note that for Cabinet Office sites (where the GPA provides services) across the years noted locksmith services cost £58.41.

The GPA does not hold information in respect of Cabinet Office locations that are contained within HMRC Hubs.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Morgan McSweeney has been paid a severance payment, or payment in lieu of notice, following his departure as a special adviser.

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

It is a longstanding policy not to comment on individuals. The Model Contract for Special Advisers is published online and details the specific circumstances in which payments are payable.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's policy paper, EM on Level Playing Field for Open Competition (COM(2026)89), published on 24 March 2026, how will the UK panellists be selected; and whether they will be regulated public appointments.

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

The UK panellists were selected via a public expression of interest campaign, with applications scrutinised against criteria set out in [Article 409 of] the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The panellists are not public appointments, but the process for their selection was conducted in line with the same proprietary and ethics standards.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has had recent discussions with the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament on providing independent resourcing to the Committee, separate from the Cabinet Office.

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

Cabinet Office officials engage routinely and constructively with the Committee and will continue to do so. The Cabinet Office has agreed to the Committee’s requested uplift on budgeting and resourcing, which should help it to continue to undertake its critical role effectively. Cabinet Office officials are also working with the ISC to identify the best operating model for the future.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the UK Government will be required to contribute to EU Cohesion Funds as a consequence of the UK/EU reset.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The UK is not currently contributing to EU Cohesion Funds as a consequence of the UK/EU reset. Whilst the EU is seeking to establish a mechanism for a UK financial contribution towards reducing economic and social disparities between the regions of the Union as part of participation in the Internal Electricity Market, any UK financial contribution would be subject to negotiations with the EU, and no contributions have yet been made or agreed upon. The Prime Minister and Chancellor are clear that agreements made with the EU must be in the national interest, and that whilst trade-offs will be required, these are worth making where the economic gains to the UK exceed the costs.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the the State Council of the People's Republic of China's press release entitled, China's top diplomat holds talks with British prime minister's national security adviser, published on 15 July 2025, whether Jonathan Powell discussed the Chagos Islands with the Chinese Government at this meeting.

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

The National Security Adviser meets with a range of individuals and organisations as part of his role providing advice to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet on national security matters. Such meetings are often sensitive in nature, and the Government does not routinely comment on them or their content.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2026, to Question 116771, on Vetting, whether Lord Mandelson’s Developed Vetting considered his links to Jeffery Epstein.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the government's statement and release of information on 11th March, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The government is working to ensure that Parliament’s instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 2 December 2025, to Question 94697, on House of Commons Director General: Public Appointments, whether the permanent Director General of the Propriety, Ethics and Constitution Group will be publicly advertised on the public version of the Civil Service Jobs website.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The recruitment campaign is still currently in planning stages and details will be released in due course.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answers of 18 March 2026 to Question 119321 and of 2 June 2025 to Question 54277 on Cabinet Office: Freedom of Information, if he will place in the Library the version of the handbook released under Freedom of Information Act request reference FOI2025/05759, dated 16 May 2025.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

As stated in the response to PQ 116510, the Honours Committee handbook released through this request is a version from January 2023 which is no longer accurate. The current handbook is currently being updated. An updated version with relevant redactions will be laid in the House Library as soon as is practicable.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance his Department has issued on whether party political events held in Ministerial diaries are held for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office has not issued guidance on whether party political events held in Ministerial diaries are held for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the answer of 1 April 2026, to Question 123211, on Gambling Commission: Managers, how many members of Gambling Commission staff have left to take up employment in or related to the gambling industry in the last 12 months.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Three members of Gambling Commission staff have left the Commission in the last twelve months (up to 31 March 2026) to take up employment in or related to the gambling industry.

All Gambling Commission employees are subject to strict rules of conduct when applying for or taking up roles in the gambling sector after leaving the Commission. The Commission’s Corporate Governance Framework requires former employees to maintain safeguards against conflicts of interest for six months after their departure. This Framework is publicly available on the Gambling Commission’s website: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/policy/corporate-governance-framework/code-of-conduct-for-employees.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the written statement, HCWS1456, on UK Government Response to Covid-19 Inquiry Module 2 Report, of 25 March 2026, what his planned timetable is for the proposed commencement of the socio-economic duty; and whether he plans to respond to the Equality law call for evidence, published on 7 April 2025.

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

This Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, no matter their background, can thrive. Therefore, as set out in our response to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry’s Module 2 report, we agree with the recommendation that commencement of the socio-economic duty could drive the routine consideration of the impact decisions might have on those most at risk in an emergency.

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

The socio-economic duty will require specified public bodies to actively consider how their strategic decisions might help to reduce the inequalities of outcome associated with socio-economic disadvantage.

We are now taking forward work to make sure that commencement of the duty in England is as effective as possible.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she plans to publish a (a) summary of responses and (b) response to the Equality law call for evidence, published on 7 April 2025, for the measures not covered by the Consultation on mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting: government response, of 25 March 2026; and what the status is of the socio-economic duty proposal.

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

This Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, no matter their background, can thrive. Therefore, as set out in our response to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry’s Module 2 report, we agree with the recommendation that commencement of the socio-economic duty could drive the routine consideration of the impact decisions might have on those most at risk in an emergency.

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

The socio-economic duty will require specified public bodies to actively consider how their strategic decisions might help to reduce the inequalities of outcome associated with socio-economic disadvantage.

We are now taking forward work to make sure that commencement of the duty in England is as effective as possible.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 4 September 2025, to Question 70519 on Public Inquiries, what is the status of Independent Commission on Grooming Gangs.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Written Ministerial Statement entitled 'Commencement of the Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs, was issued on 13 April 2026.

This sets out that the Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs has been formally established. The final Terms of Reference for the Inquiry were published on 31 March 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 4 September 2025 to Question 70519 on Public Inquiries, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of the Nottingham Inquiry.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

In fulfilment of the PM’s commitment, this Government established a statutory Inquiry into the horrific attacks that took place in Nottingham in 2023. The Inquiry was formally announced by the previous Lord Chancellor to Parliament on 22 April.

The total cost of the Nottingham Inquiry from its commencement up to 31/03/26 is £10.9 million.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason Simon Case and Alex Chisholm were given differing exit payments.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

I refer to my answer to 108238, as set out in the Cabinet Office accounts (page 86), the payment for the former Cabinet Secretary, Simon Case, was a severance payment, with the value calculated using the Civil Service Compensation Scheme tariff.

In answer to the second part of your question, I refer to my answer to 112182. The Business Appointment Rules for Crown Servants set out that Permanent Secretaries are required to observe a three month waiting period, and the Rules set out that it may be appropriate to pay former civil servants who are required to observe a waiting period before taking up an external role.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Dame Antonia Romeo appointed as first female Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service to drive change and implement the government’s agenda, of 19 February 2026, if he will publish the guidance on the new enhanced due diligence process.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

There are no plans to publish the guidance on the due diligence process followed during the appointment of the Cabinet Secretary.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the (a) No10 security team and (b) Government Security Group contacted the Metropolitan Police over the theft of the phone of the Prime Minister's chief of staff on 20 October 2025.

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

There are long established and robust processes to manage information security following the theft of No10 work devices and those processes were followed.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department took to track Morgan McSweeney’s lost Government phone, including the use of cell site analysis data.

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

There are long established and robust processes to manage information security following the theft of No10 work devices and those processes were followed.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2026 to Question HL15096 on Labour Together, whether the Cabinet Office has a policy of non-engagement with Labour Together.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided for HL15096 which details the Government's policy on engagement with external stakeholders.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2026 to Question 117004, whether those provisions applied to the recent Cabinet Secretary recruitment process.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

I refer to my answer 115556, the Cabinet Manual sets out that the Cabinet Secretary is appointed directly by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister receives advice from the First Civil Service Commissioner, but is the final decision maker.

The announcement (here) explained that “this appointment was made following a full fair and open external competition, chaired by the First Civil Service Commissioner.”

The announcement of the current Cabinet Secretary (here) explained that “the Prime Minister and the First Civil Service Commissioner agreed a process to appoint a new Cabinet Secretary. Once this process was complete, the First Civil Service Commissioner confirmed that Dame Antonia Romeo is an exceptional candidate of the highest calibre, having run two of the largest operational departments in Government, and confirmed her track record makes her the right candidate for the role.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish his Department's guidance on Mutually Agreed Exits.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Guidance on the use of Mutually Agreed Exits is available on the Civil Service Pensions website. This is applicable to all employers who use the Civil Service Compensation Scheme.

This document, and others, are included in the CSCS Employers page on the Civil Service Pensions Scheme website here https://www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/employerhub/employer-responsibilities/member-support/civil-service-compensation-scheme-cscs/

The Annex 6F document is published on the CSPS website here https://www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/annex-6f

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether there have been any (a) disciplinary actions and (b) dismissals of (i) DWP and (ii) executive agency officials for unauthorised access to personal data since July 2024.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

DWP takes its responsibility to safeguard personal data extremely seriously. All staff have an obligation to report suspected breaches; security responsibilities are covered in mandatory security training, undertaken annually.

As of 28 February 2026, we have 94,876 employees in the Department, of which, there are 227 individuals who have a disciplinary case currently open or closed within the last 12 months relating to ‘Unauthorised Access’, of which 7 individuals were dismissed. These figures cover both paid and unpaid Department for Work and Pensions staff only.

Information on the other parts of the question would only be available at disproportionate cost as data is not held on central DWP systems.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans he has to make (a) primary legislative, (b) secondary legislative, (c) statutory guidance or (d) non-statutory guidance changes to activity under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

I refer the Hon Member to my previous answer (UIN122783).

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2026 to Question 114881 on Jonathan Powell, if he will place a copy of the Envoy declaration in the Library.

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

The Special Envoy submitted a Declaration of Interests Form as per the long-standing procedures for an appointment of that kind. In line with the same procedures, such forms are not routinely published.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether Liz Chinchen made a declaration of political activity.

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

Liz Chinchen declared membership of the Labour Party as part of the declaration of interests process to approve the direct ministerial appointment.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what guidance her Department has issued on whether a civil servant should be dismissed for dishonesty (a) on their job application and (b) in their (i) job interview and (ii) vetting processes.

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

Conduct during recruitment, interview and vetting is governed by the Civil Service Code and Civil Service Management Code, both of which are available online at GOV.UK.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 16 March 2026, to Question 119056, on Government Departments: Public Expenditure, what is the total cost of the commitments made in those 10-year settlements for the period beyond the Spending Review 2025 plan period.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The cost of commitments made in 10-year settlements can be found in the 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy. Further detail can also be found in the UK Infrastructure Pipeline.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2026 to Question 121770 on Government Departments: Facilities Agreements, whether Departments will be required to continue to collate internal figures on the cost of facility time.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Government Departments are recommended to continue to collate their facility time data. However, publication is no longer centrally mandated or collated, and there is no statutory requirement for Government Departments to collect or publish this data.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 44475 on Cabinet Office: Civil Servants, whether such groups are represented by any civil service diversity network.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

There is no specific Civil Service network for asexual or aromantic people. The Civil Service has an LGBT+ network. The network is inclusive of people who identify as other sexual orientations or gender identities.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what is his policy on (a) full-time staff working a four-day week on full-pay and (b) full-time staff working compressed hours on a four-day week.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

1. A four-day work week on full pay is not a civil service policy or something that is being considered.

2. The Civil Service is committed to flexible working, recognising the benefits it brings to delivering its priorities. While departments are responsible for determining specific terms and conditions, full-time Civil Service employees typically work 42 gross hours (37 net hours) across a five-day week. Some departments offer flexible working policies such as compressed hours, which allow the same number of hours to be worked over a shorter period with no impact on pay. There are no flexible working options that would permit reduced or part-time hours while maintaining full-time pay.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Cabinet Secretary's objectives 2026-27, published on 7 April 2026, what is the timetable for the publication of the strategic workforce plan.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Civil Service is committed to publishing a Civil Service Strategic Workforce Plan this year, following departments having finalised their own workforce plans, as per the financial settlements that were agreed with HMT in the Spending Review, and the priorities set by Ministers, including those set out in the Autumn Budget.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance the Civil Service People Group has given to Departments on whether civil servants can claim expenses for travelling to work.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Civil Service Management Code (chapter 8) specifies the regulations for the reimbursement of expenses and details the conditions under which such expenses can be made. Departments must not reimburse the costs of home to office travel, unless explicitly permitted elsewhere within the Code.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Collection entitled Areas of Research interest of June 2017, whether there are plans to update the Government Office for Science's area of research interests.

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

The Government Office for Science does not publish its own Areas of Research Interests (ARIs). It instead provides advice and input to Departments, who are each responsible for developing and updating their own ARI. The latest version of each Department’s ARI is then made available on the gov.uk collection page.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Department's publications FCDO Services spend over £25,000, October 2025 and FCDO Services spend over £25,000, November 2025, published on 5 January 2026, for what reason the October and November payments to Inter Mediate listed on the FCDO Development Tracker website are not reported in the FCDO transparency spending data.

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

The payments the Hon Member refers to were made by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), not FCDO Services. FCDO spending transparency data for the relevant period will be published in due course.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 25 February 2026 to Question 114438 on Clean Energy: China, how many (a) Memorandums of Understanding and (b) non-legally binding agreements have been agreed between HM Government and the People's Republic of China since 4 July 2024 that have not been published on gov.uk.

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

There is no consolidated list on the number of Memorandums of Understanding and other non-legally binding instruments across government and there is no central requirement to routinely publish or collate this information.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2026 to Question 119894 on Gambling Commission: Managers, what the status is of employees of the Gambling Commission.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Gambling Commission is an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Employees of the Gambling Commission are considered to be public servants.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the answer of 19 March 2026, to Question 118010, on FCDO: Artworks, if she will publish information on artworks installed at her Department’s headquarters in London since 4 July 2024.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government Art Collection is a working collection, used across government buildings in the UK and the global estate, which means that artworks may change their display location from time to time. Current locations of artworks in the collection can be found on their website.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, with reference to the Government press release entitled Ministers rip up consultation culture, published on 26 March 2026, whether the Attorney General intends to amend the Legal Risk Guidance to facilitate the removal of consultation requirements; and what assessment has been made of the new approach on consultation with the Gunning Principles on consultation.

Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

The Government is committed to identifying existing disproportionate reporting and consultation duties that are slowing down delivery. All options are currently being considered to facilitate the removal of unnecessary consultation requirements.

The new approach has taken account of existing legal principles, as will any future changes. Parliament will have the opportunity to scrutinise and challenge any changes to consultation requirements where they are legislative.

The Attorney General’s Guidance on legal risk neither precludes nor requires consultation. Its role is to assist lawyers and others advising on lawfulness and legal risk in government, by setting out a common framework to assess risk.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the UK-EU Summit - Common Understanding on linking the Emission Trading Systems of the European Union and the United Kingdom, of December 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the proposed reform of the EU Emissions Trading System.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The UK and EU agreed to work towards linking their respective emissions trading schemes at the May 2025 Summit and linking negotiations to that end are underway.

The EU Emissions Trading System is undergoing review currently and proposals emanating from that review are expected to be issued this summer.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the answer of 4 September 2025, to Question 70519, on Public Inquiries, what has been the public cost to date of the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry.

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

The annual financial reports for the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry are available on their website: https://www.postofficehorizoninquiry.org.uk. The total spend outlined in these reports up to 31^st March 2025, plus recent spend for 2025/26 (subject to final financial year closure), is £80 million. Updated costs for 2025/26 will be published in due course.

In addition, DBT funds Post Office’s costs of engaging with activities necessary of a core participant of the statutory Inquiry, such as legal representation and disclosure costs. As of 31^st March 2026 the total spend for this is £134m, subject to final financial year closure. While the Department can clearly identify these direct costs of running the Inquiry, it is not possible to separately quantify the cost of departmental participation. Related expenditure, including staff time and legal support, sits within wider departmental budgets and is not recorded on a stand‑alone basis.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 27 February 2026 to Question 113713 on Defence: Finance, what proportion of his Department's budget did not count towards the NATO percentage defence spending in 2024-25; and whether there were any funding streams outside the MOD budget which were counted.

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

Around 4% of the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) budget did not count towards NATO qualifying spend in 2024-25. This is to ensure that items such as accountancy treatments are not included in the UK's return.

In line with NATO guidance and previous returns, we have included spend that sits outside the MOD budget provided it met the definition of NATO qualifying spend. This is a common approach used by this and the previous Government.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what dates the An NHS Fit for the Future Mission Board met since it ceased to be a Cabinet committee in November 2025.

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

Mission Boards ceased to be Cabinet Office committees at the end of last year. Since then, my ministerial colleagues and I have continued to engage stakeholders through a variety of fora to take forward the 10-Year Health Plan, through which we are delivering our Health Mission. Oversight is maintained by the Departmental Board, chaired by My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, details of which can be found on the GOV.UK website.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2026 to Question 110806 on Palantir, whether the Office of the UK Defence Attaché had any discussions with Global Counsel in relation to the visit.

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

The Defence Attache has not corresponded or met with representatives of Global Counsel in relation to the visit.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2026 to Question 110806 on Palantir, whether the Defence Attaché to the United States has corresponded with, or met, representatives of Global Counsel since July 2024.

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

The Defence Attache has not corresponded or met with representatives of Global Counsel since July 2024.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the (a) key performance indicators and (b) social value requirements for Palantir’s contracts with his Department.

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

The Ministry of Defence’s contracts with Palantir are managed in line with standard government commercial practices, including performance management and social value obligations. Performance is monitored through proportionate contractual measures such as delivery, service performance, security compliance and value for money, while social value requirements reflect government policy, including support for UK skills, innovation and the defence technology sector. For reasons of commercial confidentiality and security, it would not be appropriate to publish detailed contractual performance indicators.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential risks of the public availability of geolocated fitness data on national security, including the potential identification and tracking of (a) UK Armed Forces personnel, (b) deployments, and (c) sensitive military sites; and what guidance, policies or restrictions are in place governing the use of such applications by service personnel and contractors.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

Defence takes the security of its personnel, operations and sites extremely seriously. The Department has long recognised the potential risks associated with the public sharing of geolocated data through fitness and other digital applications. Defence personnel are required to comply with departmental security policies and locally issued direction, and to manage their personal data responsibly to reduce the risk of inadvertent disclosure that could compromise personal or operational security.

While it would be inappropriate to comment on specific security arrangements, Defence routinely monitors risks arising from emerging technologies and online behaviours, and issues guidance to personnel where such risks are identified. This guidance is kept under review and reinforced as necessary.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has issued guidance on whether accountable grant agreements should be (a) published and (b) subject to (i) tendering and (ii) open competition.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office has published guidance on GOV.UK covering the administration of general grants and the requirement to award funding via a competitive process.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Cabinet Office news story published on 26 March 2026, Modernising public procurement: backing British businesses and building a fairer economy, if he will publish his new definition of social value.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

On 26 March, the government announced plans for a new definition of social value that will strengthen the importance of community impact, putting it at the heart of future buying decisions. The Cabinet Office is developing this definition with input from businesses, trade unions, community groups and civil society organisations. We plan to publish this new definition shortly.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 115553 on APCO Worldwide and Labour Together, what was the specific allegation and breach of the Ministerial Code that the Independent Adviser was asked by the Prime Minister to consider.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the response to the Urgent Question on 23 February, Labour Together and APCO Worldwide: Cabinet Office Review (Official Report, Column 27), and also to the Terms of Reference for the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards on gov.uk.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether a Regulatory Impact Assessment has been produced in relation UK membership of the EU Electricity Market and the ETS scheme.

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

We will negotiate an electricity agreement with the EU to cut the cost of trading electricity with European partners, strengthen our energy security, drive investment in the North Sea, and help to achieve our Clean Power 2030 Mission. In parallel, the Government is negotiating the potential for linking the UK and EU Emissions Trading Schemes, which could help UK companies avoid paying taxes on up to £7 billion of exports. The detailed commitments under any such agreement, including any assessment of impacts, will be developed as part of the negotiations.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's news story entitled Modernising public procurement: backing British businesses and building a fairer economy, published 26 March 2026, if he will publish the hyperlinks to the procurement guidance on the (a) new Public Interest Test and (b) publishing insourcing strategies.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

This government is committed to making the biggest wave of insourcing in a generation a reality. To do so, we will introduce a new Public Interest Test, requiring all departments to assess whether a service can be delivered more effectively in-house before any outsourcing decision is made. All departments will be required to also publish insourcing strategies to ensure delivery of this policy is effective.

The Cabinet Office plans to publish detailed guidance on the introduction of this public interest test in the Summer. Guidance on the public interest test and insourcing strategies will be available on gov.uk.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 2 July 2025, to Question 63328, on Intelligence and Security Committee: Press Releases, whether the Cabinet Office has now provided (a) additional and (b) independent resource, to the Intelligence and Security Committee and its secretariat; and what the status is of the updating of the Memorandum of Understanding.

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

Cabinet Office officials engage routinely and constructively with the Committee and will continue to do so. The Cabinet Office has agreed to the Committee’s requested uplift on budgeting and resourcing, which should help it to continue to undertake its critical role effectively. Cabinet Office officials are also working with the ISC to identify the best operating model for the future.

The Prime Minister values the independent and robust oversight which the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) provides. Following discussions with the Committee, the Cabinet Office is conducting a review of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Prime Minister and the Committee. Any changes made to the MOU would need to be agreed by both the Prime Minister and the ISC.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's document entitled MOD Area of Research Interest, published on 15 January 2018, what plans his Department has to update this document.

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

We recognise the importance of the MOD Areas of Research Interest (ARI) in signalling Defence priorities and enabling effective engagement with the UK research community. The Department is therefore updating the MOD ARI to ensure they clearly reflect current Defence and national security priorities, and to strengthen our partnership with academia. This work is being taken forward as part of a renewed focus on closer, more strategic collaboration with the UK academic community, including through the establishment of the Defence Universities Alliance. We expect to publish updated ARI before summer 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2026 to Question 119052 on Chagos Islands: Sovereignty, on what date did his department last report its NATO spending to NATO, and for what financial year was the report.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

In line with NATO's reporting requirements, the UK last provided its defence spending data to NATO in December 2025. These included figures for financial year 2025-26.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 16 March 2026 to Question 908304 on Defence: Small Business, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access of defence industry SMEs to finance; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Environmental, Social, and Governance considerations and climate change requirements on the trends in the level of debanking and reduced access to finance for such SMEs.

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

As set out in the Defence Industrial Strategy, the Defence Finance and Investment Strategy (DFIS) is set to be published in early 2026. The DFIS will address barriers to financing and investment in the sector – including supporting businesses access finance, in partnership with public financial institutions and private capital. To inform the DFIS, we have held working sessions on debanking and on Environmental, Social, and Governance considerations, working with regulators, industry, the financial sector and other government departments.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the answer of 4 September 2025, to Question 70519, on Public Inquiries, what has been the total public cost to date of the Andrew Malkinson Inquiry.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The total cost of the Malkinson Inquiry from its commencement in October 2023, up to the end of the financial year 2025/26 is £2.9 million.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the answer of 26 March 2026, to Question 114747, on Erasmus+ Programme, to whom will schools, and school teacher training organisation, need to apply.

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

For decentralised actions, which make up the majority of the programme, including Key Action 1 (learning mobility) and Key Action 2 (most cooperation partnerships), schools and school teacher training organisations would apply to the UK’s National Agency.

For centralised actions, including certain Key Action 2 partnerships, Key Action 3, and Jean Monnet actions, applications would be made directly to the European Education and Culture Executive Agency.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the current budget is for (a) media advertising, (b) marketing and (c) communications on the new Digital ID; which creative agencies have been selected to undertake the work; and what types of media have been commissioned.

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

There is currently no marketing activity around the digital ID itself. All marketing is focused on public participation in the consultation which closes 5 May.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the government transparency data, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for government’s most important contracts, Data for October to December 2025 for all departments, published on 31 March 2026, for what reasons the Food Standards Agency contract for the Delivery of Official Controls in Approved Establishments in England and Wales with Eville and Jones requires the supplier to ensure that at least 2% of companywide headcount progresses through internal opportunities.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

People and resourcing are central to the successful delivery of the Food Standards Agency Delivered Official Controls contracts and the social value targets for these contracts are:

• recruitment and retention of Supplier Personnel in the Delivery of Meat Official Controls on behalf of the Food Standards Agency (FSA);
• promotion of an inclusive working environment that supports retention; and
• company culture that supports progression of Supplier Personnel.

The purpose of these targets is to support the objective of lower attrition and higher experience levels of the workforce delivering these controls, ultimately improving the service that the FSA delivers for the public.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what are the (a) total budget and (b) expected completion date of the Orgreave Inquiry.

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

On 26 March 2026, the Home Secretary announced the terms of reference and start date for the Orgreave Inquiry. The terms of reference include the aim to publish a final report within 24 months of the start date 26^th March 2026. Decisions about the timetable, process and procedures will be made by the Inquiry’s independent Chair, the Right Revd Dr Bishop Pete Wilcox.

Ministers will discuss budgets with the Chair and the timetable for the Inquiry in more detail now that the terms of reference have been published, as this enables more reliable estimates of the Inquiry’s costs to be made.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 2 April 2025 to Question 41289 on Arms Length Bodies: Parliamentary Scrutiny, what guidance has been given to non-ministerial departments on how they should provide information to departments to facilitate the answering of written parliamentary questions through their sponsor Minister.

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

The Cabinet Office has not issued guidance to non-ministerial departments on how they should provide information to departments to facilitate the answering of written parliamentary questions by their sponsor Minister.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 25 March 2026, to Question 116506, on 9 Downing Street: Repairs and Maintenance, for what reason the OCS invoice paid by the Government Property Agency in 12 November 2025 does not appear in the published Cabinet Office Core spending data for November 2025.

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

The OCS invoice paid by the Government Property Agency dated 6th November 2025 and paid on 12th November 2025 does appear in the November 2025 Cabinet Office spend data as published on https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-spend-data.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the letter included in the Answer of 23 March 2026 to Question 119327 on Census: Gender, what is the timetable for the development of the new harmonised standards by the Government Statistical Service; and whether the standards will relate to (a) sex, (b) sexual orientation, (c) gender reassignment and (d) gender identity.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

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

A response to the Hon. Gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 10th April is attached.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the answer of 25 March 2026, to Question 119897, and of 3 February 2026, to Question 108241, on Mission Boards, on what dates the Make Britain a Clean Energy Superpower Mission Board meet since it ceased to be a Cabinet committee in November 2025.

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

The Clean Energy Superpower Mission remains a key priority across government and is being driven by a number of different groups at Ministerial and official level, including the Clean Power 2030 Advisory Commission itself. As a result of this the Mission Board itself has not met since the change in Cabinet Committee structures.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the government transparency data, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for government’s most important contracts, Data for October to December 2025 for all departments, published on 31 March 2026, for what reason the OCO Global contract for DBT Investment Services requires the supplier to deliver 12+ wellbeing initiatives as a key performance indicator.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Under the 2020 Procurement Policy Note (since updated) departments must explicitly evaluate Social Value (SV) in most procurements above the relevant financial threshold, where it is related and proportionate to the contract. This is to ensure that public spending delivers wider economic, social and environmental benefits alongside the goods or services being purchased. The policy note also mandates an appropriate KPI.

The Government’s SV Model at the time provided a menu of outcomes for selection aligned to government priorities. The outcome selected, focused on wellbeing of the workforce, seeking to address staff turnover challenges experienced in the predecessor contract.

Found: Another example from the same bulletin is a question that our colleague Mike Wood put down at about