Nick Timothy

The Cabinet Office publishes data annually on civil servants’ median pay by department and grade. The relevant data for the years between 2010 and 2024 are available via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/civil-service-statistics

There are currently no ongoing industrial disputes with Cabinet Office employees within the Cabinet Office or any of its arms length bodies. There are, however, ongoing disputes between PCS and G4S Security Company (G4S) and International Services System - Facilities Management Services (ISS) who provide facilities management services to the Cabinet Office.

The hard work of security guards and other staff keeps the government running. As is longstanding practice under successive administrations, the Government does not provide a running commentary on ongoing disputes.

There has been no change in the Cabinet Office’s management of artwork or heritage assets since the previous administration.

As separate entities, the responsibility for creating policy and guidance for artwork sits with each individual Arm’s Length Body, rather than with the Department.

The Government Property Agency does not have a national policy on this topic and will follow any policy and/or guidance provided by relevant client departments.

The Government Art Collection website lists the artworks on display in Downing Street https://artcollection.dcms.gov.uk/?s=&display=artworkonly&search_place=Downing+Street. There are currently no Government Art Collection pieces in the Prime Minister’s official residence.

There have been no changes to displayed artworks owned by the Cabinet Office since July 4, 2024.

I refer the Rt Hon Member and Hon Member to the answer given by the then Prime Minister on 7 February 2017, Official Report, PQ 62542.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and its Arm’s Length Bodies collectively comprises of 9,921 FTE (as of March 2024). There are currently no ongoing industrial disputes with DBT employees within DBT or any of its Arm’s Length Bodies.

There are, however, ongoing disputes between PCS and G4S Security Company (G4S) and International Services System - Facilities Management Services (ISS) who provide facilities management services at some DBT offices and who are contracted by Government Property Agency. These staff are employees of either G4S or ISS, they are not normally employees of the department itself.

Details of Senior Officials’ and Ministers’ meetings with external organisations and individuals are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.

Special Advisers are required to comply with the Special Adviser Code of Conduct at all times and are required to make declarations on meetings with senior media figures in line with published transparency guidance.

Where a Special Adviser accompanies their Minister to an official meeting with a senior media figure, the Special Adviser’s attendance does not need to be separately recorded as the Minister will be the main attendee.

Where an ‘informal’ lobbying approach is granted time or resource by Government, it should result in a diarised engagement and therefore be recorded.

Ofgem’s price control supports network reinforcement to enable Distribution Network Operators to increase network capacity where required. Ofgem has published analysis of current and future capacity constraints in its framework consultation for the next electricity distribution price control period, beginning in 2028.

Ofgem will also promote data sharing and digitisation across DNOs to improve network visibility and reduce constraints.

In 2026, National Energy System Operator will publish Regional Energy Strategic Plans (RESP). RESPs will support coordinated development of the distribution system and enable long-term investment in capacity to be made with confidence and ahead of need.

National Energy System Operator (NESO) is responsible for strategic network planning of transmission infrastructure. NESO considers the network design objectives of economic efficiency, deliverability and operability, environmental impacts, and community impacts when making recommendations for infrastructure. Recommendations were previously based on NESO’s Network Options Assessment which considered network constraints in its analysis. In future recommendations will be based on NESO’s Future Energy Pathways, which includes modelling of energy supply and demand considering network capacity constraints, and the forthcoming Strategic Spatial Energy Plan.

We have important checks and balances in the planning system that require extensive up-front environmental surveying, and for decision makers to ensure statutory environmental and habitats impact assessments are conducted as part of the planning determination.

Current planning policies guide developments away from using Best and Most Versatile agricultural land where possible. Developers will submit information on land use and classification when seeking planning consent, and this information will be taken into account by decision makers. However, Government does not set a prescriptive approach and as such does not hold this information.

The Government has updated Planning Practice Guidance to encourage battery storage developers and local planning authorities to engage with local fire and rescue services, and for local planning authorities to refer to guidance published by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC). The NFCC’s current guidance proposes a minimum distance of 25 metres between grid-scale batteries and occupied buildings.

The Department only considers consenting for solar projects over 50MW, and under this regime no solar PV farm battery has been consented which has been deemed an unsafe distance from a residential dwelling. Projects below 50MW are considered under the local planning regime.

The Government has updated Planning Practice Guidance to encourage battery storage developers and local planning authorities to engage with local fire and rescue services, and for local planning authorities to refer to guidance published by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC). The NFCC’s current guidance proposes a minimum distance of 25 metres between grid-scale batteries and occupied buildings.

The Department only considers consenting for solar projects over 50MW, and under this regime no solar PV farm battery has been consented which has been deemed an unsafe distance from a residential dwelling. Projects below 50MW are considered under the local planning regime.

The Government has updated Planning Practice Guidance to encourage battery storage developers and local planning authorities to engage with local fire and rescue services, and for local planning authorities to refer to guidance published by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC). The NFCC’s current guidance proposes a minimum distance of 25 metres between grid-scale batteries and occupied buildings.

The Department only considers consenting for solar projects over 50MW, and under this regime no solar PV farm battery has been consented which has been deemed an unsafe distance from a residential dwelling. Projects below 50MW are considered under the local planning regime.

The Government has announced funding provided to Sizewell C in the following financial years: £100m in 2021/22, £679m in 2022/23, £1,811m in 2023/24 and £1,200m in 2024/25 to date.

To protect against rising costs for clean energy supply chains the Government is working across the economy on specific clean power policy actions. These include exploring where international collaboration can support supply chains, including via trade agreements and international co-operation. The Government is further determined to work with other countries to diversify supply chains. To match the scale of the deployment challenge the Government will be driving an increase in capacity of our domestic clean energy workforce. As set out in the Clean Power Action Plan, the Government is also minded to implement a package of targeted reforms to the Contracts for Difference scheme, designed to secure the volumes of clean electricity we need at a competitive price.

NESO is operationally independent from Government and decisions relating to modelling assumptions are not made by the Department. Earlier this year the Government commissioned the National Energy System Operator (NESO) to provide independent advice on achieving a zero-carbon electricity system by 2030. NESO consulted publicly in September and October on its approach and assumptions. The Government continues to engage with NESO and other key stakeholders in developing our Clean Power 2030 Action Plan.

NESO’s Clean Power 2030 Report demonstrates that clean power is achievable under a number of pathways. We have now published the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan setting out capacity ranges for different technologies in the government’s indicative 2030 clean power pathway. The Action Plan also highlights a number of actions that government, Ofgem and NESO are taking to support greater energy system flexibility in line with the pathway, including from consumer-led flexibility.

The Transmission Owner National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) is responsible for constructing the electricity transmission network in England and Wales, including for Norfolk and Tilbury. The Government is working with delivery stakeholders, including NGET, to ensure accelerated delivery of the critical grid infrastructure, including both new lines and upgrades to existing lines, needed for a cheaper and secure energy system, in line with our Clean Power 2030 Action Plan. This includes both new infrastructure and upgrades to existing lines.

Accelerating connections is mission-critical for Government as we seek to meet our Clean Power 2030 ambition and drive economic growth. As set out in our Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, Government is working with Ofgem, National Energy System Operator and network companies to reform the connections process to ensure that viable projects, that meet our strategic needs, can connect in time.

As set out in our Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, and in line with the National Energy System Operator’s advice published in November, the Government is working to develop the necessary grid infrastructure and manage the level of constraints to create a cheaper and secure energy system for Britain. The Government is working with Ofgem, the National Energy System Operator, and the transmission owners to ensure accelerated delivery of critical projects, including through reforms to the planning system, unlocking supply chains and mobilising the investment and streamlining regulatory processes.

As set out in our Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, and in line with the National Energy System Operator’s advice published in November, the Government is working to develop the necessary grid infrastructure and manage the level of constraints to create a cheaper and secure energy system for Britain. The Government is working with Ofgem, the National Energy System Operator, and the transmission owners to ensure accelerated delivery of critical projects, including through reforms to the planning system, unlocking supply chains and mobilising the investment and streamlining regulatory processes.

The impact assessment published alongside the laying of the Draft Statutory Instrument for the Clean Heat Market Mechanism estimates the net greenhouse gas emissions savings at the initial target level at 0.03MtCO2e annually in the years 2025 through to 2028 and 0.04MtCO2e in both 2029 and 2030. The majority of emissions savings relating to heat pump deployment over this period are attributed to other policies, such as the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 14 October 2024 to Question UIN 6511.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 14 October 2024 to Question UIN 6511.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 14 October 2024 to Question UIN 6511.

There is an established process in place for the declaration and management of interests held by ministers. This ensures that steps are taken to avoid or mitigate any actual or perceived conflicts of interest.

A statement covering relevant Ministers’ interests is published on a quarterly basis following advice from the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards and the Department’s Permanent Secretary. The most recent list of interests was published in November 2024.

The Clean Heat Market Mechanism is not expected to have an impact on average household income. Estimated costs and benefits associated with the scheme can be found in the impact assessment which was published alongside the laying of a Draft Statutory Instrument for the scheme.