Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many civil servants in their Department were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The following table shows recorded disciplinary cases which were upheld and included breaches of the Civil Service Code, for 2024 and 2025:
Year of outcome | Number of these cases where the allegation included “Breaches of the Civil Service Code” |
2024 | <5 |
2025 | 6 |
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to levy VAT on cosmetic surgical procedures.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services.
VAT is charged at the standard rate on all cosmetic procedures unless they are carried out by a health professional to protect, maintain or restore an individual’s health.
Cosmetic procedures to enhance a person’s appearance are subject to the standard rate of VAT. The VAT charged by the supplier can be reclaimed by the individual concerned if the services are for a business need, subject to the normal rules.
Therefore, most cosmetic procedures already attract standard rate VAT and no additional levy is needed.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many departmental employees were on performance management plans in (a) 2023, (b) 2024 and (c) 2025.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Department for Business and Trade (DBT) 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. Those who cannot improve their performance, despite this additional support, may be dismissed.
Following a Machinery of Government Change on 1st July 2023, the Department of International Trade (DIT) became the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), alongside parts of the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). As a result, DBT only holds information from 1st July 2023 onwards, with earlier data held by the former DIT. This response covers information held by DBT and UK Export Finance (UKEF), within these parameters.
DBT employees placed on a Performance Management Plan:
20 in 2023/24*, 27 in 2024/25, and 22 in 2025/26.
*2023 refers to from July 2023 onwards at the start of the performance year.
UKEF employees placed on a Performance Management Plan:
Between 1 and 5 in 2023/24,
Between 1 and 5 in 2024/25, and
Between 1 and 5 in 2025/26.
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 holds an internal estimate of the number of illegal migrant absconders in the UK.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The information requested is not currently available from published statistics.
Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the code of practice for statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data.
Whilst local management information is held on absconder numbers and updated in line with operational need, this is used only for local management purposes. This data has not been verified or checked for accuracy to a standard that would make it suitable for publication, or to be provided to Members of Parliament.
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 consider the potential merits of collating and publishing the 2025 asylum claim acceptance rate for cases decided by immigration caseworkers that are foreign nationals.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data. These reviews allow us to balance the production of our regular statistics whilst developing new statistics for future release.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many departmental employees were on performance management plans in (a) 2023, (b) 2024 and (c) 2025.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
MHCLG 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:
70 employees who have been placed on a Development Support Plan between 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024, 110 between 1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025, and 61 between 1st April 2025- 31st March 2026.
Those who cannot improve their performance, despite this additional support, may be dismissed.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many departmental employees were on performance management plans in (a) 2023, (b) 2024 and (c) 2025.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology 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:
Less than 10 employees have been placed on a formal performance improvement plan in 2023/24, 16 in 2024/25, and 17 in 2025/26.
Those who cannot improve their performance, despite this additional support, may be dismissed.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many civil servants in their Department were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In 2024 there were 8 disciplinary cases in the central Government Department that closed in that year and where the reason for the case was categorised specifically as ‘Breaches of the Civil Service Code’. Of these 8 cases, less than 5 resulted in Final Written warnings or First Written Warnings.
In 2025 there were 6 disciplinary cases in the central Government Department that closed in that year and where the reason for the case was categorised specifically as ‘Breaches of the Civil Service Code’. Of these 6 cases, less than 5 resulted in Dismissal or First Written Warnings.
Due to the small number of cases which have been identified in some outcomes, a further breakdown is withheld as it could lead to identification of individuals.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many departmental employees were on performance management plans in (a) 2023, (b) 2024 and (c) 2025.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Numbers on Performance Management Plans:
• 2024: Managing Poor Performance = 28, Performance Management = 2
• 2025: Managing Poor Performance = 20, Performance Management = 0
DESNZ was not created until February 2023, so figures are not available before this time.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many civil servants in their Department were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Case numbers for individuals breaking the civil service code in 2024 were below 5. In line with section 40(2) of the FOI Act this figure is deemed too low to release due to risks of individuals being identified.
There were no cases in which DCMS civil servants had breached the civil service code in 2025.