Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions the Permanent Secretary to her Department has had with Mr David Kogan on his donations to the Labour Party.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Independent Football Regulator Chair process has been run in accordance with the Governance Code on appointments, including the declaration of significant political activity at application and interview.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 41640 on Government Departments: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution, if he will make it his policy to publish all Government Procurement Card transactions above £0 made by his Department.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
All central Government departments are required to publish Government Procurement Card transactions of £500 and over in line with the guidance available to all government departments on gov.uk at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5e8b402686650c18ce2cb541/Procurement_Cards_-_Pan_Government_Policy_V4_06042020.pdf.
The Cabinet Office is compliant with this guidance and there are no current plans to change this approach.
Following tough action from the Cabinet Office, all Government Procurement Cards have been frozen and only been re-issued where it is clear that these are business critical.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will place in the Library a copy of the declaration of interests made by Mr David Kogan in his application for the role of independent football regulator chair.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Mr Kogan’s declaration of interests was provided to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee prior to his pre-appointment scrutiny hearing in May. The Committee published this alongside their report, which endorsed his appointment.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will list all of the (a) special representatives, (b) envoys and (c) special envoys in post on 25 April 2025, broken down by whether they are (i) special advisers, (ii) civil servants, (iii) public appointments and (iv) direct ministerial appointments.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office did not have any special representatives, envoys or special envoys in post on 25 April 2025. Other government departments are responsible for their own appointments and representatives.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the UK Statistics Authority plans to implement recommendation 56 of the Sullivan Review of Data, Statistics and Research on Sex and Gender, published on 19 March 2025.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 22nd April is attached.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 18 November 2024 to Question 13326, on Government Departments: Flags, if he will publish a list of the flags purchased by the Government Property Agency since 4 July 2024; how much each cost; and the purpose for which each flag was bought.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Since 4th July 2024 the Government Property Agency has purchased two flags:
Pride Flag - Darlington - Purchased for flying during events - Cost: £674.17
Flag of Ukraine - London - Purchased to show solidarity with Ukraine - Cost: £104.60
All costs include supplier fees and exclude VAT. There have been no changes to the range of flags held by the department since the election.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2024 to Question 20252 on Universities: China, what the terms of reference are of the audit of the UK’s interests with regards to China; and whether he plans to publish a report at the end of the exercise.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The China Audit will improve the UK's ability to understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities China poses. The widespread consultation process, within and beyond government, has already informed the government's approach to and engagement with China. The audit will set out a long-term, consistent approach to our relationship. Its findings, which will also inform other important developments such as the forthcoming National Security Strategy and Industrial Strategy, will be shared with Parliament and other stakeholders in due course.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many roles in his Department were (a) externally advertised and (b) subject to open competition since 30 May 2024; and how many senior civil servants have been appointed without external advertisement and open competition in that time.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Substantive appointments and promotions to or within Senior Civil Service (SCS) grades at Cabinet Office have to be through fair and open competition. Between 30 May 2024 and 30 April 2025, the Cabinet Office advertised 19 SCS roles through fair and open competition, of which 12 were advertised externally. SCS roles can also be appointed outside of fair and open competition through routes that include temporary promotions, level moves, secondments and identifying roles for returners.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2025 to Question 23482 on 11 Downing Street: Council Tax, whether he pays council tax on his official Ministerial residence in Carlton Gardens as a (a) sole or main residence, (b) single person discount and (c) second homes premium in 2025-26.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary pays the necessary council tax on 1 Carlton Gardens.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Civil Service Commission's publication entitled How Departments are doing on fair and open recruitment: what the Commission’s audits found, published in April 2025, in which departments audits found errors on the management of appointments by exception.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Civil Service Commission is operationally independent of the Government. The Commission reports on its audit activity each year in its Annual Report but does not publish individual departmental audits. The Commission additionally published a review into appointments by exception in November 2024.