Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the effectiveness of the welfare system in Scotland.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
I meet regularly with Cabinet colleagues to discuss matters of government policy. This Government is committed to fixing our broken welfare system, ensuring that it is pro-work and provides strong support for disabled claimants to start or stay in work.
We are working in partnership with the Scottish Government, through forums such as the Joint Ministerial Working Group for Welfare, to help more people into work, to grow our economy, and raise living standards for all.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department considers a person's potential impact on social cohesion and their likelihood of integration when assessing their asylum claim or visa application.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Every asylum claim is considered on its individual merits by assessing all the evidence provided by the claimant in light of published country information guidance.
Refugee status is granted when someone has a well-founded fear of persecution under the Refugee Convention for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion. They must show that they cannot seek protection from the authorities in their country and cannot reasonably move to another part of their country to avoid persecution. However, we can deny protection to those who commit serious crimes or represent a threat to national security. Article 1F of the Refugee Convention allows signatory states to exclude those who would otherwise be refugees where there are serious reasons for considering they are guilty of war crimes, crimes against humanity, serious non-political crimes or acts contrary to the purpose and principles of the United Nations.
This Government has published an asylum policy statement, setting out a fair and firm approach to restoring order to the system, which is essential for building community cohesion. By increasing public confidence in the integrity of the asylum system, the reforms will help build trust and reduce tensions within communities. At the same time, they support successful integration for those granted protection, enabling them to contribute positively to society. Integration brings significant benefits for individuals, taxpayers, and communities. These measures will encourage and enable people granted protection to become self-sufficient, law-abiding members of UK society.
For visa applications, decisions are made against the specific suitability and eligibility requirements set out in the Immigration Rules for the relevant route.
In all cases, decisions are made on the basis of the law and published policy, ensuring that applications are considered fairly, consistently, and without discrimination.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many civil servants in their Department were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Civil Servants are appointed on merit on the basis of fair and open competition and are expected to carry out their role with dedication and a commitment to the Civil Service and its core values: integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.
HM Treasury holds a central record of disciplinary sanctions issued including dismissals, but this record is not broken down by whether there was a breach of the Civil Service code. It is therefore not possible to provide this data.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the suitability of foreign nationals being employed as immigration caseworkers in her department.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Civil Service Nationality Rules (CSNR), available on Gov.uk, govern eligibility for employment in the Civil Service on the grounds of nationality and must be followed by government departments. The CSNR allow for certain posts to be reserved for UK nationals only, which is considered where it is deemed necessary and in accordance with the published criteria. These rules have been in place since 2014.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many departmental employees were on performance management plans in (a) 2023, (b) 2024 and (c) 2025.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Northern Ireland Office is committed to thorough performance management and has in place robust processes to ensure that those who fall below the expected standards are supported to improve in a timely manner. To this end, there have been no employees on a formal performance development plan in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many civils servants were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office does not hold Civil Service‑wide data on findings of breaches of the Civil Service Code. Oversight of the Civil Service Code, including centrally held information on its application across government departments, sits with the Cabinet Office.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many departmental employees were on performance management plans in (a) 2023, (b) 2024 and (c) 2025.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 18 November 2025 in response to Question 89585.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many civil servants in their Department were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Civil Servants are appointed on merit on the basis of fair and open competition and are expected to carry out their role with dedication and a commitment to the Civil Service and its core values: integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.
The department does not hold centrally collated data on the number of breaches of the Civil Service Code.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, how many departmental employees were on performance management plans in (a) 2023, (b) 2024 and (c) 2025.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The AGO is committed to thorough performance management and has in place robust processes to ensure that those who fall below the expected standards are supported to improve in a timely manner.
Data has been withheld where disclosure could risk identifying individuals, and rigorous suppression rules have been applied to each year’s figures, including suppressing any proportions based on fewer than five employees. As a result, no disclosable proportions can be published for these years.
The AGO places strong emphasis on early intervention, regular feedback and development, with formal performance management processes used only where necessary and, on a case ‑by ‑case basis.
Where performance does not improve despite this additional support, dismissal may ultimately be considered.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, how many civil servants in their Department were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
No civil servant in the AGO was found to have broken the Civil Service Code in 2024 or 2025.