Richard Holden

Artworks are removed from offices during dissolution and the General Election to mitigate risk to the collection during this busy period and to ensure availability of suitable works to meet Member requests for office hangs upon their election.

Between June and October 2024, the Heritage Collections team moved over 1100 artworks to facilitate dissolution works and election changes. This included seven portraits of Churchill: four from offices of Members, or their staff, who were not returned at the election; two from Members who were returned at the election; and one for conservation. Those removals were not, therefore, requested by the Members who had previously been allocated those offices. One of those works has subsequently been requested for another Member’s office; the other five remain available for Members to request.

The attached data provides detail of individual artworks falling under the following categories:

iA) artworks installed between dissolution and 4 July 2024 (40 artworks)

iiA) artworks removed between dissolution and 4 July 2024 (80 artworks)

iB) artworks installed since 4 July 2024 (185 artworks)

iiB) artworks removed since 4 July 2024 (375 artworks)

In collating this data, so far as possible we have included neither artworks which were temporarily removed to allow for maintenance works and have since been rehung in the same location, nor artworks which were briefly off display and then moved location with a Member’s office.

The post-implementation review of the Equality Act 2010 (Gender Pay Gap Information) Regulations 2017 was published on 11th April 2023.

The post implementation review and supporting documents can be accessed here.

No public bodies pay a subscription fee to Parliament for a direct television feed.

The House of Commons purchases five copies of the Morning Star each day. These are made available in different locations around the Estate.

On 18 March, I announced our plans to establish a Race Equality Engagement Group to help us develop measures to tackle race inequality. The Group will be chaired by Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon.

We are in the process of appointing the other members of the Group. Members are being recruited to bring a range of expertise from across the public, private and voluntary sectors and from across the country. These are informal ministerial appointments, by invitation, and are not within the scope of the Governance Code for Public Appointments.

This is not a matter for the House of Commons Commission.

The rules are set out in the Code of Conduct and the Guide to the Rules relating to the Conduct of Members, approved by the House on 12 December 2022 (HC 1083).

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmcode/1083/1083-1.pdf

Members seeking advice on the registration of specific interests should contact the Registrar of Members’ Interests.

This is not a matter for the House of Commons Commission.

The rules are set out in the Code of Conduct and the Guide to the Rules relating to the Conduct of Members, approved by the House on 12 December 2022 (HC 1083).

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmcode/1083/1083-1.pdf

Members seeking advice on the registration of specific interests should contact the Registrar of Members’ Interests.

80 artworks moved from display to storage between dissolution (30 May 2024) and 4 July 2024, of which none were portraits. Since 4 July 2024, 405 artworks have moved to store, of which one was a portrait.

These changes have been for a number of reasons: movement of Members’ offices, required conservation work, or temporary storage due to maintenance projects. Many artworks in store are currently under consideration by Members for new office selections.

Other than BBC Parliament, there are no other live television feeds from public bodies to Parliament. Before migration to the internet over five years ago, the following channels from public bodies were available (in addition to BBC Parliament):

• Northern Ireland Assembly
• Scottish Parliament
• Senedd Cymru/Welsh Parliament
• European Parliament

UK Parliament’s sound and vision contractor provisioned the broadcast signals from these public bodies onto the Parliamentary Estate as part of their overall contract. It is not possible to separate out this cost from the overall contract.

Items from the Parliamentary Art Collection are on display in corridors, meeting and Committee rooms as well as private offices. Since 4 July 2024, no changes have been made to the display of busts of Winston Churchill on the Parliamentary estate. In the same timeframe, seven print or photographic portraits of Churchill have been taken off display. Six were taken off display from Members’ offices following changes to office locations and occupancy after the election, and one required conservation work.

The Parliamentary Art Collection contains 33 artworks either by or depicting Winston Churchill. 13 are currently on display in high-profile locations including Members’ Lobby, Committee Corridor and Ministerial offices. None of the works on display in those high-profile locations have been moved since 4 July 2024, other than briefly to facilitate project works.

The Government is committed to commencing the socio-economic duty in the Equality Act 2010. The duty will require specified public bodies, when making strategic decisions, to consider actively how their decisions might help to reduce the inequalities associated with socio-economic disadvantage.

Public authorities will be able to reach their own decisions as to how they wish to approach reducing inequalities associated with socio-economic disadvantage.

We will work in partnership with public authorities, civil society and others in order to ensure that the implementation of the duty is as effective as possible. As part of this, we have included questions in relation to the socio-economic duty in a call for evidence on equality law, which was launched on 7 April and will be open until 30 June. This will enable public authorities and others to input into plans in relation to the socio-economic duty at an early stage. We will also consult on draft statutory guidance in order to ensure it addresses the needs of public bodies and civil society and supports effective implementation.

The Public Sector Equality Duty (the PSED) requires organisations in scope to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between different people.

The scope of the PSED is set out in the Equality Act 2010 (the Act). It extends to all public authorities listed in Schedule 19 of the Act and all parties carrying out public functions. This includes private sector and voluntary organisations when carrying out public functions.

The government expects regulators to ensure organisations comply with their legal requirements. It is not the role of regulators to intervene where legal requirements do not apply and we have no evidence that this is occurring.

Registration requirements are set out in the Code of Conduct together with the Guide to the Rules relating to the Conduct of Members, approved by the House on 12 December 2022. (https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmcode/1083/1083.pdf)

Paragraph 5 of the Code provides that new Members must register all their current financial interests, and any registrable benefits (other than earnings) received in the 12 months before their election within one month of their election, and Members must register any change in those registrable interests within 28 days. Gifts, donations or hospitality are registrable from the day of receipt (whether or not subsequently repaid). The 28-day period is provided to enable time for registration for the purpose of transparency.

Members are encouraged to seek advice from the Registrar of Members’ Financial Interests if they are in any doubt about whether a proposed course of action is in line with the rules.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has issued guidance and codes of practice covering philosophical belief. What is and is not a political belief as opposed to a philosophical belief is a question that is for individuals to consider and, if necessary, the courts to determine, if raised in the context of Equality Act 2010 protections.

The Equality Act 2010 (The Act) provides protections for people from discrimination in the workplace and in society. It makes it unlawful to treat someone unfairly or discriminate against anyone based on certain personal characteristics. This includes race and ethnicity.

The Act also makes it unlawful for recruiters to hire by race, where the person is to be paid under a contract for services. Under certain conditions, a recruiter choosing between candidates of equal merit can hire the candidate from the more disadvantaged or lower-participating race or ethnicity. This is one type of ‘positive action’. Positive action can deliver better outcomes for particular groups in order to overcome or minimise a disadvantage arising from a protected characteristic.

In April 2023, the previous government published guidance to help employers understand the difference between positive action and positive discrimination. The guidance is available on gov.uk at www.gov.uk/government/publications/positive-action-in-the-workplace-guidance-for-employers. Section 9 of this guidance explains the general positive action provision. Section 10.2 explains tie-breaking in more detail. With this considered, there are currently no plans to issue further guidance to public bodies on positive action.

The ‘Table of Kindred and Affinity’ is part of the Book of Common Prayer. The Book of Common Prayer can be changed by a Measure from the General Synod of the Church of England, which would come to Parliament for approval in the usual manner. The Church of England has no plans currently to change the text.

The duration of appointments of office holders in the Church of England is governed by statutory provisions. Under section 3 of the Ecclesiastical Offices (Terms of Service) Measure 2009, the term of office of a person who holds office under Common Tenure (which includes archbishops, bishops and most other clergy) is terminated:
• on the death of the office holder
• by resignation
• on attaining the mandatory retirement age (subject to any extension)
• where the office ceases to exist
• where the office holder is removed from office under the Clergy Discipline Measure 2003
• on the expiry of a fixed term appointment (where applicable)
• under the capability procedures.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukcm/2009/1/contents

It is for the Equality and Human Rights Commission to determine what guidance it issues to political parties. Equalities Ministers will have periodic discussions with their Cabinet Office colleagues on matters of mutual policy interest. 'Belief’ is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, meaning any religious or philosophical belief, rather than political opinion. As such, the issue of guidance on political belief discrimination that purportedly related to the Equality Act’s protected characteristics would be misleading.

The Office for Equality and Opportunity’s role in informing Government policy on marriage relates to equality and discrimination, as it is responsible for the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010, which include marriage and civil partnership.

While the Office for Equality and Opportunity work with the Ministry of Justice on issues relating to equality, the Ministry of Justice is responsible for marriage law.

Minimal costs were incurred in the rebranding of the Equality Hub to the Office of Equality and Opportunity as it was a renaming exercise rather than a Machinery of Government change. Therefore, there has been no programme or digital expenditure to date and only minimal administrative time by current employees.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 10th July is attached.

Information on individual contracts, including any agreed through a Crown Commercial Service framework, are publicly available on Contracts Finder at the following link: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk. Contracts Finder provides information about contracts worth over £12,000 (including VAT) with the government and its agencies.

It is the responsibility of the relevant contracting authority to upload contract information on Contracts Finder.

Salary data for the Civil Service is published annually as part of Civil Service Statistics. This statistical bulletin presents mean and median salary data for Civil Service departments and their Executive Agencies overall. A detailed breakdown for the structure and associated payscales for the European Relations Secretariat is available as part of the Cabinet Office organogram of Staff Roles & Salaries on gov.uk.

The campaign to recruit up to two independent members to the House of Lords Appointments Commission was launched on 3 January 2025. The competition then closed on 5 February 2025. As such, it is no longer open to new applicants.

The advert can be found on the public appointments website: https://apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/roles/8519

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 9th July is attached.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 9th July is attached.

The decision to discontinue unconscious bias training was made in 2020 under the previous administration. No subsequent assessment of the policy has since been made.

I refer the Hon Member for Basildon and Billericay to the answer on 9 June 2025 (PQ54808).

We do not routinely set out what services are provided at official residences, as doing so might compromise their security.

There has not been an Implementation Unit in 10 Downing Street for at least 15 years. It would not be appropriate to comment on the decision made by a previous government to disband the unit. This Government has established the Mission Delivery Unit.

Since assuming the registration G-OATW in October 2023, the aircraft has been chartered under various contracts with other government departments to support their official business. However, this data is not held by the Cabinet Office, as each department is responsible for its own contracting arrangements.

In line with the approach of successive administrations, Government Procurement Card spend data over £500 is declared in relevant transparency publications.

The Q4 mission activity spend formed part of ongoing New Media Unit (NMU) work. The NMU utilises a wide range of digital and social media channels to reach target audiences.

The frameworks used for this spend were Campaign Solutions 2 (RM6125) and Media Services (RM6123).

The Committee on Standards in Public Life is an independent advisory body. It is a matter for the Committee to determine the information it publishes.

The Cabinet Office regularly receives correspondence on a range of policy issues, including on manifesto commitments.

Departments have been commissioned to provide information on their planned use of exits to inform the development of the Civil Service Strategic Workforce Plan, due to be published later this year.