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.
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 civil servants in their Department were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
There were
(a) Five or fewer* civil servants were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in 2024.
(b) Eight civil servants were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in 2025.
*Volumes which are five or fewer have been redacted to avoid potential 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 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 Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many departmental employees were on performance management plans in (a) 2023, (b) 2024 and (c) 2025.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Performance Action Plans are an informal tool managed within the line management chain. Department for Transport therefore does not hold any central data on how many civil servants have a performance management plan in place.
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 Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many civil servants in their Department were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
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.
We can confirm that the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and UK Export Finance (UKEF) hold the following information:
DBT
Year | No. Employees broke CS Code |
2024 | 7 |
2025 | <5* |
UKEF
Year | No. Employees broke CS Code |
2024 | 0 |
2025 | <5* |
*5 or less instances have been suppressed to ensure anonymity.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many civil servants in their Department were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
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.
In 2024 and 2025, a total of nine civil servants were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants in their Department were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office is committed to the highest standards of integrity. Allegations of breaches of the Civil Service Code are investigated thoroughly in line with our departmental disciplinary procedures.
The Department’s systems are not configured to aggregate this data in the specific format requested. Extracting this information would require an extensive manual auditing exercise of personnel records, which cannot be completed within the required timeframe.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many civil servants in their Department were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
There were no civil servants in the Northern Ireland Office who were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in 2024 or 2025.
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.