Rupert Lowe

Language service needs and spend are assessed to ensure these services offer good value for money for taxpayers while maintaining high standards of service delivery.

Regarding services provided by my department in particular, the Attorney General’s Office does not provide (a) translation and (b) interpretation for speakers of non-UK languages.

The Supreme Court ruling made it clear that the provision of single-sex spaces is on the basis of biological sex. Providers should note and follow the ruling.

It is important that we ensure dignity and respect for all. Trans people should have access to services they need but in keeping with the ruling.

The Equality & Human Rights Commission, as Britain’s Equalities watchdog, is developing updated guidance to support service providers. Ministers will consider the EHRC’s updated draft once they have submitted it following further work in light of this ruling.

The Government is considering the implications of the Court’s judgment, including what this means for Government buildings.

The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) remains committed to making the step changes required to create a more inclusive environment, enabling all staff, irrespective of background, to deliver high quality work at the Department.

Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in learning and development training is understood to refer to anything with the objective of improving EDI in the AGO, regardless of whether it is called EDI or not.

The AGO conducted a training course on bullying, discrimination and harassment in August 2024. Nine members of staff attended, and the cost of the course was £2,475.98. It referred to types of discrimination related to protected characteristics under the Equalities Act 2010 and employers’ responsibilities.

The Government will provide support for departments and other public sector employers for additional Employer National Insurance Contributions costs only. This funding will be allocated to departments in the usual way, in line with the approach taken under the previous Government’s Health and Social Care Levy.

The Government is committed to tackling all forms of hate crime, and ensuring that police and prosecutors can spend their time dealing with the issues that matter most to our communities.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has existing guidance on communications offences. As with all guidance, they keep that guidance under regular review. This guidance explains the relevant law and how the CPS applies that law, including to offences committed online which constitute hate crime. It includes clear protections and provisions for the fundamental right of freedom of speech.

This information is not held by the Cabinet Office.

Pay for consultants is managed by each department individually, as they are accountable for their own consultancy pay details. Average rates may differ due to the type of consultancy and commercial structure around individual customer contracts. The Government is committed to stopping all non-essential expenditure on consultants, and reducing the reliance on contingent labour.

Management Information on Average Working Days Lost due to mental ill-health, which includes stress-related illness, is published at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sickness-absence

This information is not held centrally. Decisions on terms and conditions of employment, including flexible working arrangements, are made by the employing department. Heads of departments have agreed that 60% minimum office attendance for most staff continues to be the best balance of working for the Civil Service.

Data on Civil Service Headquarters (HQ) occupancy is collected and published quarterly on GOV.UK for all HQ buildings of Whitehall Departments, Office for Scotland, Office for Wales and Northern Ireland Office. Data for the latest period for which data is available can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-hq-occupancy-data

Departments have delegated responsibility for decisions relating to dismissal of an employee.

Civil Service statistics on the composition of the Civil Service workforce, including data on those leaving the Civil Service due to dismissals, are available on GOV.UK.

Departments have delegated responsibility for managing poor performance.

This information is not held centrally. Individual departments are responsible for any task forces they establish.

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

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 11th June is attached.

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

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 13th May is attached.

Days of cultural and religious significance are frequently marked by the Prime Minister. Please see the @10DowningStreet X account for regular updates.

Departments are responsible for administering any in year and end of year performance bonuses to their staff. The majority of departments are in the process of finalising performance markings for the 2024/25 performance year, which will determine who will be eligible for an end of year performance bonus. Departments should therefore hold the information requested by Autumn 2025.

Individual departments are responsible for their own discipline policies and guidance in place, which include details of formal processes and procedures. These will be aligned to the Civil Service Code and the Civil Service Management Code which set out the standards and behaviour expected from all employees. Departments will collect information as required in their own department in accordance with GDPR.

Departments have delegated responsibility for monitoring and reporting on civil servants performance ratings via their internal governance arrangements.

Information on how many civil servants in departments have received formal performance ratings of underperforming is therefore not held centrally.

Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on gov.uk as part of the government’s transparency agenda. For actions this Government is taking to help victims, I refer the Hon. Member to the oral statement made by Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department [my Hon. Friend, the Member for Birmingham Yardley] on the 8 April 2025.

The Cabinet Office provides advice and guidance to Ministers and officials on statutory and non statutory public inquiries.

The Supreme Court’s ruling has brought clarity and confidence for women and single-sex services providers. The Government will work closely with the EHRC as they develop definitive guidance. All government departments should follow the clarity the ruling provides.

The Cabinet Office review and update policy where necessary to ensure it complies with the latest legal requirements, including the UK Supreme Court Judgment in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers.

The Supreme Court’s ruling makes clear that for the purposes of the Equality Act, the term ‘woman’ refers to a biological woman. The ruling has provided clarity for women and service providers such as hospitals, refuges and sports clubs. This Government will continue to protect single-sex spaces based on biological sex.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has already committed to supporting service providers with updated guidance; they will consult widely as they develop this. All government departments should follow the clarity the ruling provides.

The Supreme Court’s ruling makes clear that for the purposes of the Equality Act, the term ‘woman’ refers to a biological woman. The ruling has provided clarity for women and service providers such as hospitals, refuges and sports clubs. This Government will continue to protect single-sex spaces based on biological sex.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has already committed to supporting service providers with updated guidance; they will consult widely as they develop this. All government departments should follow the clarity the ruling provides.

We will review and update policy wherever necessary to ensure it complies with the latest legal requirements.

We will consult with our Government Legal Department and Kings Counsel Lawyers who specialise in employment law.

The Office for National Statistics collects and publishes just under 50% of our national statistics. The rest of our national statistics are collected and published by each relevant department.

There are no plans to change the current requirements for departments.

As a UK Civil Service department, the Cabinet Office only formally observes the government-set bank holidays.

The Cabinet Office provides advice and guidance to Ministers and officials on statutory and non statutory public inquiries.

In response to the House of Lords Statutory Inquiries Committee’s Report on “Public Inquiries: Enhancing Public Trust”, the Government has committed to publishing the Cabinet Office Public Inquiries Practitioners Handbook. We will publish this in due course.

Data on ministers’ travel is published on a quarterly basis. This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-overseas-travel-and-meetings-july-to-september-2024.

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

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 13th February is attached.

The total cost to the public purse for the provision of diversity, equality and inclusion courses for staff in Cabinet Office in 2024 was £0.

The Government will provide support for departments and other public sector employers for additional Employer National Insurance Contributions costs only. This funding will be allocated to departments in the usual way, in line with the approach taken under the previous Government’s Health and Social Care Levy.

Data from the Equality, Diversity and Expenditure Review will be published in due course.

All ministers receive tailored inductions upon appointment to support them in their ministerial duties.

The Government does not have plans to introduce a work experience scheme for ministers in addition to the inductions already provided.

Cabinet Office recruitment policy and practice is conducted in accordance with UK law, including the Equality Act 2010, as well as the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles and the Civil Service Nationality rules (available on GOV.UK).

Non-Ministerial departments and Executive Agencies are responsible for managing their own recruitment processes and ensuring they are also compliant with UK law.

We are currently collecting financial data from arms lengths bodies, which includes non-departmental public bodies, for 2023/24 and will publish it in due course.

Financial data for arm’s length bodies, including non-departmental public bodies, in 2022/23 is published on GOV.UK.

The Travel, Transport, Accommodation & Venue Solutions (RM6342) is not a contract but a commercial agreement. There is no guaranteed spend associated with this agreement, as it is designed to provide a solution for potential procurement needs. As such, there is no specific spend or proportion of the agreement value allocated to the provision of services for asylum seekers, refugees, or migrants.