Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.43 of the Spring Statement of 26 March 2025, what the £150 million provided for government employee exit schemes will be spent on; and how much and what proportion of this is for redundancy payments.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
As announced at Spring Statement the government has allocated £150 million for government employee exit schemes. Information can be found in the Spring Statement supporting documentation here:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67e3ec2df356a2dc0e39b488/E03274109_HMT_Spring_Statement_Mar_25_Web_Accessible_.pdf. This will be match-funded by a further £150 million from Departments.
Exit schemes will enable delivery of leaner, smarter, more efficient government, whilst delivering savings over the medium term.
Departments will bid for funding from this central pot in order to run exit schemes, and therefore the exact details of how this will be spent is not yet known.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what consideration she has given to providing financial support to Bedford Borough Council for extraordinary expenses arising from the Cleat Hill gas explosion.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Bedford Borough Council submitted a formal request on 27th March 2025 for Bellwin Scheme financial support for their immediate response costs arising from the Cleat Hill gas explosion that occurred in October 2024. We will now review the information provided by the Council and then decide what if any financial assistance may be provided through the Bellwin Scheme for the Council’s eligible costs in respect of this tragic incident.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many Government Procurement cards have been issued to staff in her private office.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
2 Government Procurement cards have been issued to Private Office staff.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which government departments have undergone efficiency assessments by the Office for Value for Money.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Office for Value for Money is working with departments to root out waste and inefficiency. It will do this by working with departments to agree stretching and realistic technical efficiency targets, underpinned by robust delivery plans.
All departments and their arm's-length bodies are in scope for this piece of work.
The Office will target areas where it can have the most impact, rather than duplicating the work of others. It is the role of the Crown Commercial Service to review framework agreements.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what role the Office for Value for Money plays in assessing the efficiency of government procurement processes; and whether it has been involved in reviewing framework agreements.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Office for Value for Money is working with departments to root out waste and inefficiency. It will do this by working with departments to agree stretching and realistic technical efficiency targets, underpinned by robust delivery plans.
All departments and their arm's-length bodies are in scope for this piece of work.
The Office will target areas where it can have the most impact, rather than duplicating the work of others. It is the role of the Crown Commercial Service to review framework agreements.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing structural changes to efficiency oversight as part of the 2025 Spending Review.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
This government is committed to spending taxpayers’ money efficiently. At the first phase of the Spending Review for 2025-26 it set a 2% target for efficiency, productivity and savings for all departments.
Phase 2 of the Spending Review (2026-2029) goes further with departments undertaking a line-by-line review of existing day-to-day budgets for the first time in 17 years. Departments are expected to identify a minimum of 5% savings and efficiencies against their current budgets freeing up funding to achieve the government’s priorities.
The Office for Value for Money is also advising the Chancellor and me on decisions for the Spending Review, which will include conducting an assessment of where and how to root out waste and inefficiency.
The government will set out its plans on efficiencies at the conclusion of the Spending Review.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government has plans to introduce a Minister for Government Efficiency in the Cabinet Office to oversee cross-departmental efficiency initiatives.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office is driving reform to deliver cross-departmental efficiencies, including through better use of data and technology.
I have ministerial responsibility for public sector reform, which includes driving cross-departmental work to improve efficiency in government.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has made an assessment of the suitability of adopting similar international government models including the (a) US Office of Management and Budget and (b) Department for Government Efficiency in the UK.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Departments have agreed a 2% productivity, efficiency and savings target in the first phase of the Spending Review and have been set a stretching 5% target in the second phase. This target is to be delivered via efficiencies and savings from innovative technology-driven approaches, such as Artificial Intelligence; more effectively joining up services; and a more strategic approach to government processes, including procurement.
The Chief Secretary to the Treasury has also asked each department to carry out a line-by-line review of existing day-to-day budgets to identify where spending is no longer aligned with this government’s priorities or is poor value for money.
The Office for Value for Money, led by an independent Chair, will work with departments to assess where and how to root out waste and inefficiency, including agreeing plans to deliver technical efficiencies through the Spending Review period. It will also develop recommendations for system reform, informed by lessons learned from the past, international best practice, and the views of external organisations. This will underpin a ruthless focus within government on realising benefits from every pound of public spending.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) inheritance tax payments on Defined Contribution pensions and (b) the loss of the Residence Nil Rate Band on marginal tax rates.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government considers inheritance tax policy carefully and has due regard to several factors, including marginal inheritance tax rates.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed discontinuous electrification of East West Rail on (a) capital costs and (b) operating costs of the railway.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The cost of discontinuous electrification is already included in the publicised capital cost range of the project and the option of full electrification is still under consideration. However, electrification (discontinuous or full) is expected to significantly reduce operating costs for the line over its whole life.