Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what advice the Civil Service Commission provides on departures and appointments of Cabinet Secretaries.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Manual, sets out that the Cabinet Secretary is appointed by the Prime Minister on the advice of the First Civil Service Commissioner.
In the Government response to the House of Lords Constitution Committee report into the appointment and removal of Permanent Secretaries, the First Civil Service Commissioner confirmed that the Civil Service Commission does not play a role in Permanent Secretary departures.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has changed the name, remit or structure of its facility time reporting division.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The team whose responsibilities previously included amongst other duties, collecting, collating and publishing public sector facility time data sits within a wider Civil Service Reward and Employment division. This division has existed for a number of years. The removal of the requirement for public sector organisations to report their facility time data to Cabinet Office has resulted in these specific responsibilities no longer forming part of this team’s remit.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, further to the answer by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office of 29 October 2025, to Question 83801, on Peers and Members: Social Class, and to the answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent of 5 February 2026, to Question HL13977, on Civil Service: Unpaid Work, how should the children of peers self-certify their social class if they apply to the Civil Service Internship Scheme in the absence of a classification by the Office for National Statistics.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
All candidates are required to complete the questions set by ONS for determining socio-economic background based on their individual circumstances. For parental occupation this is at the age the candidate was 14. This allows the Civil Service to make a determination on their eligibility based on their answers. This is the same approach as was used for Fast Stream Internships under the previous administration.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 20 January 2026 to Question 104805 on Senior Civil Servants: Redundancy Pay, whether (a) Cabinet and (b) Permanent Secretaries asked to leave posts will be given Civil Service Compensation Scheme terms as severance payments in future.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
I refer to Minister Turley’s answer for 88716 and 95640. The Permanent Secretary model contract sets out the contractual detail on compensation payments for all Permanent Secretaries.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish (a) Government People Group and (b) his Department's guidance on staff working compressed hours.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The government does not publish internal documents.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what role the Cabinet Office had in relation to the investigation into the then Consul General in New York in 2017.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The allegations were dismissed 9 years ago on the basis that there was no case to answer.
These allegations were considered by the Cabinet Office as the individual was a permanent member of staff of that Department.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the investigation in the then Consul General in New York in 2017.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The allegations were dismissed 9 years ago on the basis that there was no case to answer.
We do not release confidential documents relating to internal HR processes.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 2 March 2026 to Question 108235 on Senior Civil Servants: Recruitment, what the (a) departments and (b) job titles are of the 90 senior civil servants recruited internally.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
I refer to my answer to UIN 108235 from 2 March 2026.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2026 to Question 105252 on Government People Group: Contract, which public body and business unit is the customer under the KPI.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
With regard to the PeopleScout Ltd contract referenced in question 105252, Cabinet Office awarded the contract and the Government Recruitment Service within Cabinet Office is the responsible Customer. Consequently, the Customer referenced within the KPI is Government Recruitment Service, and the Supplier will only accept commissions directly from this entity.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish a register of senior civil servants' secondary paid employment for 2024 to 2025.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Departments are responsible for publishing the detail of any paid or otherwise remunerated outside employment, held by members of their SCS, annually.