Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether staff are permitted to hold more than one government pass with different (a) names, (b) photographs and (c) genders.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Civil Servants are only allowed to hold 1 Government Pass (Common Civil Service Pass or GovPass) at any time.
In 2020, under the previous administration, an exemption was introduced, which allows for individuals to apply for a second pass to reflect their identity if it is deemed that current arrangements are unsupportive. This arrangement was intended to support gender fluid members of staff or those who are transitioning.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his planned timeline is for the appointment of a new Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The House of Commons leads on the recruitment of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, which is ongoing. We expect that further information will be made available shortly.
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 31 October 2024 to Question 10987 on Public Sector: Pay, if she will list which non-statutory office holders are paid through the Cabinet Office’s HR and payroll department.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
This information is not held centrally.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether information about each Department's (a) spending control data and (b) exemptions is held centrally.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
A Prime-Ministerial directive, issued in 2010, mandated all departments to publish details of all spend approvals from the Advertising, Marketing and Communications, Commercial, Contingent Labour, Digital and Technology, and National Property controls on a quarterly basis. The Cabinet Office’s publications are at this link https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/cabinet-office-spend-data .
HMT Treasury delegates authority to departments to enter into commitments and spend within predefined limits without specific prior approval. Agreements of any exemptions a body holds from the Spend Controls should be recorded in the department’s delegation letter and in the Framework Document, or similar relationship-defining document, between the body and its sponsor department.
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 30 July 2024, to Question 1261, on Senior Civil Servants, if he will publish a breakdown by (a) department and (b) job title of senior civil service jobs (i) offered and (ii) appointed since 30 July 2024, including indicating where a Civil Service recruitment principles exception was applied.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Information on Senior Civil Service appointments is not collated centrally. Departments can run campaigns outside of the central recruitment services through their own Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) or processes, or make appointments from existing reserve lists. Therefore, we are unable to provide a full response.
Appointments by exception at SCS2 or above must be approved by the Civil Service Commission, details of which are published on the commission’s website.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to issue new guidance on the proportion of the civil service jobs advertised to the public.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
In May 2022 the then Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster wrote to cabinet ministers outlining all Senior Civil Service (SCS) jobs must be advertised externally to the public unless an exemption is approved. This continues to be the policy.
As under the previous Government, for appointments below SCS level, departments have the authority to determine how they recruit in line with the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. Again, this continues to be the policy.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons the National Security Technology and Innovation Exchange has been closed.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)
The functions of National Security Technology and Innovation Exchange will be taken forward within other national security teams, building on the capabilities, practices and networks successfully established since it was formed in 2021.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2025 to Question 28586 on HMS Achilles, for what reason the Committee chose to recommend to the Sovereign the name of HMS Achilles.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The name HMS Achilles was considered in light of the forthcoming VE and VJ Day anniversaries and given its WWII battle honours at the River Plate and Okinawa. The name also has a very fine heritage outside of WWII, having been borne by six ships previously and having earned battle honours including Trafalgar.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the contract between OCS and his Department.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
On 22 August 2023, following contract award, the OCS (formerly Atalian Servest Limited) Contract was published on Contracts Finder. It can be accessed using the link below.
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, with reference to the report by the Local News Commission entitled Regenerating Local News in the UK, published in March 2025, whether the recommendations of this report will be included in the Local Media Strategy.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Sustainability of the local media sector across the country is an area of particular concern for this Government. We are developing a Local Media Strategy, in recognition of the importance of this vital sector. Our vision is a thriving local media that can continue to play an invaluable role as a key channel of trustworthy information at local level, reporting on the issues that matter to communities, reflecting their contributions and perspectives, and helping to foster a self-confident nation in which everyone feels that their contribution is part of an inclusive national story.
Officials have met with the Public Interest News Foundation, founders of the Local News Commission, as part of our continued engagement with key external stakeholders. Government welcomes the publication of the Commission’s report and will consider its recommendations as part of our wider work on the Strategy. Our work is also being informed by the range of studies conducted into the state of local journalism in the UK in recent years.