First elected: 12th December 2019
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
Protect Retail Workers from Abuse, Threats and Violence.
Gov Responded - 15 Sep 2020 Debated on - 7 Jun 2021 View Sarah Olney's petition debate contributionsEnact legislation to protect retail workers. This legislation must create a specific offence of abusing, threatening or assaulting a retail worker. The offence must carry a penalty that acts as a deterrent and makes clear that abuse of retail workers is unacceptable.
Allow international travel to visit partners and family
Gov Responded - 20 Apr 2021 Debated on - 24 May 2021 View Sarah Olney's petition debate contributionsThe Government should class in-person interaction with family members and unmarried partners abroad as an essential reason to travel.
Allow teacher predicted grades for BTEC students
Gov Responded - 17 Feb 2021 Debated on - 15 Mar 2021 View Sarah Olney's petition debate contributionsThe government should allow BTEC students to achieve teacher predicted grades rather than being forced into a system that is unethically downgrading thousands of students grades.
Close schools in Tier 4 areas
Gov Responded - 21 Jan 2021 Debated on - 15 Mar 2021 View Sarah Olney's petition debate contributionsSchools can be a breeding ground for the spread of coronavirus. Children are mingling at schools and returning to families who are potentially vulnerable, keeping rates high.
It's only been since schools opened that infection rates have been high in Kent, and keeping them open may keep it high.
Cancel GCSE and A-levels in 2021 replace with Course Work and Teacher Assessment
Gov Responded - 26 Jan 2021 Debated on - 15 Mar 2021 View Sarah Olney's petition debate contributionsCancel all standardise testing for year 11 and year 12 students in 2021. By replacing tests with smaller amounts of course work and teacher assessment, students would have a fair chance at achieving their target grades and it would relieve stress for teachers and students.
Keep schools closed until May
Gov Responded - 15 Mar 2021 Debated on - 15 Mar 2021 View Sarah Olney's petition debate contributionsPlease don’t send students back until we know we have had the priority groups vaccinated such as the elderly, the extremely clinically vulnerable, and those with underlying health conditions.
Scrap removal of free transport for under-18s from TfL bailout
Gov Responded - 10 Aug 2020 Debated on - 30 Nov 2020 View Sarah Olney's petition debate contributionsTo not decide to scrap free travel for those who are under 18. As a teenager who has relied so much on free travel, it has allowed for me to go to school without the worry of an extra expense and explore around the beautiful city of London also. Destroying free travel would hurt so many of us.
Make nurseries exempt from business rates to support the childcare sector
Gov Responded - 2 Apr 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View Sarah Olney's petition debate contributionsAfter owning nurseries for 29 years I have never experienced such damaging times for the sector with rising costs not being met by the funding rates available. Business Rates are a large drain on the sector and can mean the difference between nurseries being able to stay open and having to close.
Government to offer economic assistance to the events industry during COVID-19
Gov Responded - 27 Mar 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View Sarah Olney's petition debate contributionsFor the UK government to provide economic assistance to businesses and staff employed in the events industry, who are suffering unforeseen financial challenges that could have a profound effect on hundreds of thousands of people employed in the sector.
Give UK nurseries emergency funding if they have to close down amid COVID-19
Gov Responded - 14 Apr 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View Sarah Olney's petition debate contributionsIf nurseries are shut down in view of Covid-19, the Government should set up an emergency fund to ensure their survival and ensure that parents are not charged the full fee by the nurseries to keep children's places.
Provide financial support to performers and creators during the COVID-19 crisis
Gov Responded - 22 Jul 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View Sarah Olney's petition debate contributionsThe prospect of widespread cancellations of concerts, theatre productions and exhibitions due to COVID-19 threatens to cause huge financial hardship for Britain's creative community. We ask Parliament to provide a package of emergency financial and practical support during this unpredictable time.
Support the British aviation industry during the COVID-19 outbreak
Gov Responded - 7 May 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View Sarah Olney's petition debate contributionsAs a result of the COVID-19 outbreak there are travel bans imposed by many countries, there is a disastrous potential impact on our Aviation Industry. Without the Government’s help there could be an unprecedented crisis, with thousands of jobs under threat.
Extend grants immediately to small businesses outside of SBRR
Gov Responded - 29 May 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View Sarah Olney's petition debate contributionsThe cash grants proposed by Government are only for businesses in receipt of the Small Business Rates Relief or Rural Relief, or for particular sectors. Many small businesses fall outside these reliefs desperately need cash grants and support now.
Business Rate Relief to be extended to all small businesses in healthcare.
Gov Responded - 5 Jun 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View Sarah Olney's petition debate contributionsTo extend the business rate relief to all dental practices and medical and aesthetics clinics and any small business that’s in healthcare
Provide financial help to zoos, aquariums, & rescue centres during the pandemic.
Gov Responded - 28 Jul 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View Sarah Olney's petition debate contributionsZoos, aquariums, and similar organisations across the country carry out all sorts of conservation work, animal rescue, and public education. At the start of the season most rely on visitors (who now won't come) to cover annual costs, yet those costs do not stop while they are closed. They need help.
Offer more support to the arts (particularly Theatres and Music) amidst COVID-19
Gov Responded - 20 Jul 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View Sarah Olney's petition debate contributionsAs we pass the COVID-19 Peak, the Government should: State where the Theatres and Arts fit in the Coronavrius recovery Roadmap, Create a tailor made financial support mechanism for the Arts sector & Clarify how Social Distancing will affect arts spaces like Theatres and Concert Venues.
These initiatives were driven by Sarah Olney, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
A Bill to make provision to increase the energy performance of buildings; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to require the Secretary of State to review the effectiveness of gender pay gap reporting requirements.
A Bill to prohibit the use of upward-only rent review clauses in commercial rent agreements; to nullify existing such clauses; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to require the Secretary of State to report to Parliament on the merits of prohibiting scheduled flights from landing or taking off between the hours of 11 pm and 6 am.
A Bill to prohibit anti-abortion protests within 150 metres of abortion clinics; and for connected purposes.
Schools (Mental Health Professionals) (No. 2) Bill 2023-24
Sponsor - Munira Wilson (LD)
Kinship Care Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Munira Wilson (LD)
Employee Share Ownership (Reform) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - George Howarth (Lab)
Electricity Supply (Vulnerable Customers) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Sam Tarry (Lab)
Carers and Care Workers Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Helen Morgan (LD)
Fire and Building Safety (Public Inquiry) Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Daisy Cooper (LD)
Seals (Protection) Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Tracey Crouch (Con)
Sewage Discharges Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Tim Farron (LD)
School Toilets (Access During Lessons) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Layla Moran (LD)
Environment (Regulation) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Tim Farron (LD)
Employment (Dismissal and Re-employment) (No. 2) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Gavin Newlands (SNP)
International Development (Women’s Sanitary Products) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Wendy Chamberlain (LD)
Immigration (Health and Social Care Staff) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Christine Jardine (LD)
Demonstrations (Abortion Clinics) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Rupa Huq (Lab)
We do not hold the individual costs for responses to incidents logged via the Maintenance Helpdesk as these works are captured by an overall budget that covers routine maintenance and/or larger refurbishment works. It is not possible to break down this amount according to works repairing pest damage.
In February 2023, the Heritage Collections team treated 17 pieces of the Historic Furniture and Decorative Arts collection for moth infestation at a total cost of £4,512.81+VAT. There has been no other treatment in the last three years.
In the last three years, there have been seven incidents reported to the Maintenance Helpdesk relating to property damage caused by pests:
2021 – 1
2022 – 3
2023 – 3
Separately, through its routine condition surveys of heritage items over the last three years, the Parliamentary Heritage Collections team has identified 43 objects that have pest presence, pest activity, or pest damage.
The table below details how much has been spent on pest control on the Parliamentary Estate in each of the last three financial years.
| 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 (Year to date) |
Total costs | £109,563 | £122,363 | £126,162 | £102,850 |
House of Commons contribution | £65,738 | £73,418 | £75,697 | £71,779 |
House of Lords contribution | £43,825 | £48,945 | £50,465 | £31,071 |
The table below details the high-level categories for pest controls in the past year.
| |
Problem type reported: | Number of cases reported |
Electric fly killers | 33 |
Mouse investigation | 348 |
Moth investigation | 61 |
Other pest investigation | 107 |
Total | 549* |
*The difference in total number of cases from the answer to UIN 7214, tabled on 15 December 2023 results from the answers covering slightly different reporting periods.
The table below details how much has been spent on pest control on the Parliamentary Estate in each of the last three financial years.
| 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 (Year to date) |
Total costs | £109,563 | £122,363 | £126,162 | £102,850 |
House of Commons contribution | £65,738 | £73,418 | £75,697 | £71,779 |
House of Lords contribution | £43,825 | £48,945 | £50,465 | £31,071 |
The table below details the high-level categories for pest controls in the past year.
| |
Problem type reported: | Number of cases reported |
Electric fly killers | 33 |
Mouse investigation | 348 |
Moth investigation | 61 |
Other pest investigation | 107 |
Total | 549* |
*The difference in total number of cases from the answer to UIN 7214, tabled on 15 December 2023 results from the answers covering slightly different reporting periods.
The number of moth infestations reported in each of the last three years is as follows:
2021 – 27
2022 – 44
2023 – 61
All moth related monitoring and required subsequent treatments are included in the annual contract fee with our pest control expert. This is inclusive of any number of visits, monitoring devices, additional treatments, preventative maintenance visits or reactive responses that may be needed to treat a problem. As such, no additional costs are incurred.
It is not possible to calculate how many devices have been installed in each of the last three years. However, a total of 982 monitoring devices have been installed during a permanent moth prevention programme which has been running since 2008.
The current number of devices installed is 751. This current count is subject to constant fluctuation.
The number of moth infestations reported in each of the last three years is as follows:
2021 – 27
2022 – 44
2023 – 61
All moth related monitoring and required subsequent treatments are included in the annual contract fee with our pest control expert. This is inclusive of any number of visits, monitoring devices, additional treatments, preventative maintenance visits or reactive responses that may be needed to treat a problem. As such, no additional costs are incurred.
It is not possible to calculate how many devices have been installed in each of the last three years. However, a total of 982 monitoring devices have been installed during a permanent moth prevention programme which has been running since 2008.
The current number of devices installed is 751. This current count is subject to constant fluctuation.
In the past three years a total of 11,182 plumbing incidents have been reported across the Parliamentary estate:
We have had multiple issues with toilets in Portcullis House due to the quality of the water in the system. To address this, new equipment, including a filtration system, was installed in Autumn 2023. An initial fault with this system was rectified by mid-November. A longer-term solution to improve the water quality is being planned by the Strategic Estates team.
A pest control expert is based on-site. The pest control team monitor and take steps to manage pests on the Parliamentary estate.
In the past three years a total of 1,180 requests for pest control have been made and the number for each year are given below:
In the past three years 2,002 mechanical incidents relating to lifts across the Parliamentary estate have been reported.
A lift refurbishment programme commenced in 2020 which aims to improve reliability and decrease unplanned downtime through mechanical upgrades. More than 60 lifts are being refurbished during a six-year phased approach programme. These lifts are situated within the Palace of Westminster, Portcullis House, and two outbuildings not on the main estate. The programme is due to end in 2026.
For the purposes of this answer, we are interpreting power cuts to mean loss of power.
Our records on power losses on the Estate date from 2019, since when 52 incidents have been recorded. The losses range in scale from loss of power to sockets in an individual room to temporary loss of power to a floor in a building.
These incidents have been recorded in buildings across the Estate; 17 in the Palace of Westminster and 35 spread across the other buildings on the Estate.
The records do not include (a) the loss of power to some buildings the Northern Estate due to flooding in 2021 and (b) planned maintenance or construction work that requires shutdown of power. Planned power shutdowns are scheduled for out of business hours, including nights and weekends.
For management and staffing purposes, the Equality Hub is an integrated part of the Cabinet Office. The Cabinet Office provides laptops and mobile phones to over 10,000 users in 2023-24. The Cabinet Office supplies fully security encrypted mobiles and laptops. We do not issue memory sticks or external drives.
There are occasional incidents where equipment is reported lost or stolen. Staff are required to report such incidents, and cases are investigated. Any loss is unfortunate and should be avoided, but invariably reflects that such devices may be taken out of a workplace environment.
The following table includes the numbers and costs related to the lost/stolen devices for the Cabinet Office as a whole.
| Laptops | Mobile Phones | Memory Sticks | External Data Drives |
Number Lost | 28 | 108 | N/A | N/A |
Cost of Lost Replacement | £23,911.20* | £40,280* | N/A | N/A |
Number Stolen | 21 | 10 | N/A | N/A |
Cost of Stolen Replacement | £23,010.52* | £3,585* | N/A | N/A |
*Some devices not approved for replacement
Given steps taken to secure information, we do not believe there has been any data loss or compromise as a result of these losses.
There were twelve consultations published by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) during the 2022/2023 financial year. Of these, a response is yet to be published for three of these. These are:
Online Advertising Programme. The Government consultation on the Online Advertising Programme launched earlier last year and closed on 8 June 2022. We will be publishing a Government response to the consultation in due course.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites - UK Tentative List Review. The new UK Tentative List is due to be announced in Spring 2023.
Developing a tourist accommodation registration scheme in England. The Call for Evidence was held between June and September 2022 and received almost 4,000 responses. The results of the Call for Evidence will be published shortly.
Under the Equality Act 2010 it is the legal responsibility of businesses, whether as employers or providers of services, to ensure that guide dog owners can access their premises and services where reasonable to do so. This “reasonable adjustments” duty is anticipatory in the provision of services, meaning that businesses should expect that a proportion of their customers will be, for example, visually impaired and put in place measures to accommodate this, before being asked to do so.
If Guide Dogs UK wishes for a meeting, my officials would be happy to accommodate this. However with respect to how the law operates, it is important to be clear that the onus is on businesses to know their responsibilities and a range of guidance and codes of practice is available on this. Where things go wrong, enforcement will fall to the person who considers that they have experienced unlawful discrimination, or a person acting on their behalf.
Before considering any legal action, a disabled person who may have been personally discriminated against because of a disability may contact The Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS), the government helpline established to provide free bespoke advice and in-depth support to individuals with discrimination concerns. The EASS can be contacted via their website - http://www.equalityadvisoryservice.com/, by telephone on 0808 8000082 or text phone on 0808 8000084. The EASS has the ability to intervene on an individual’s behalf with a service provider to help resolve an issue. The EASS can also advise people who wish to take their complaint further on their options.
Between January and December of 2018 there were 370 domestic flights taken by officials within the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, the destinations of these flights are as follows; Aberdeen, Belfast City, Belfast International, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Dundee, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Isle Of Man, Jersey, Leeds Bradford, Liverpool, London City, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, London Stansted, Manchester, Newcastle, Newquay, Shetland Isle and Southampton.
Between January and December of 2019 there were 496 domestic flights taken by officials within the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, the destinations of these flights are as follows; Aberdeen, Belfast City, Belfast International, Birmingham, Cardiff, Dundee, Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow, Inverness, Isle Of Man, Jersey, Kirkwall, Leeds Bradford, Liverpool, London City, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, London Luton, London Stansted, Derry, Manchester, Newcastle, Shetland Isles and Southampton.
Between January and December of 2020 there were 52 domestic flights taken by officials within the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, the destinations of these flights are as follows; Belfast City, Belfast International, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Jersey, Kirkwall, London City, London Heathrow and Newcastle.
Between January and December of 2021 there were 92 domestic flights taken by officials within the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, the destinations of these flights are as follows; Belfast City, Belfast International, Edinburgh, Glasgow International, Liverpool, London City, London Gatwick, London Heathrow and London Luton.
Between January and December of 2022 there were 272 domestic flights taken by officials within the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the destinations of these flights are as follows; Aberdeen Dyce, Belfast City, Belfast International, Dundee, Durham Tees Valley, Edinburgh, Glasgow International, Inverness, London City, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, London Luton, London Stansted, Manchester, Newcastle, Stornoway and Sumburgh.
Between January and February of 2023 there were 96 domestic flights taken by officials within the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the destinations of these flights are as follows; Belfast City, Belfast International, Derry, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow International, London City, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, London Luton, London Stansted and Manchester.
Parliament provides a range of catering services to Members, House staff, journalists and a large number of visitors. As a workplace this includes staff canteens that are available for people who work in Parliament. The services aren’t directly subsidised, but they unavoidably come at a cost due to the irregular hours that Parliament works. The service has a commitment to continuously seek to reduce costs where possible.
The net cost of catering for the latest available financial year, April 2021–March 2022, was £7.5m.
Final audited figures for the net cost of catering for 2021–22 will be published in July, and I shall write to the hon. Member when these figures are known.
The COP15 meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity is a crucial moment in 2022 to ensure global action on tackling biodiversity loss by 2030.
The UK government is taking a wholly joined up approach to delivering world-leading climate & ecological commitments through our Net Zero Strategy, the Environment Act, and our Environmental Improvement Plan, including an historic target to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030.
We are committed to improving women’s health. Independent reports such as Baroness Cumberlege’s review in 2021 were a catalyst in shining a light on women’s experiences of the healthcare system. In December we published Our Vision for the Women’s Health Strategy, which sets out our ambitions for improving women’s health and reducing disparities – we will publish the Women’s Health Strategy this year.
We are also clear that wider patient safety must be a top priority for the NHS in England. Significant measures introduced by the Government and those being implemented by NHS England as part of the NHS Patient Safety Strategy are about improving the way the NHS learns from avoidable patient harm and the response to harmed patients.
Wraparound childcare is a Department for Education policy, therefore the Minister for Women and Equalities would not be best-placed to lead discussions on this issue with the Chancellor. The Equality Hub provides evidence and expertise to support cross-government work on economic and social recovery, working closely with the COVID-19 Taskforce and the relevant delivery departments. This includes working with the Department for Education to highlight the pressures faced by those balancing work with childcare, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, as we know that the majority of these pressures fall on women.
The UK continues to work closely with the UNFCCC Secretariat, UNFCCC Subsidiary Body Chairs, and COP25 Presidency Chile to ensure we maximise progress ahead of COP26. Decisions regarding the Bonn intersessional will be made by the UNFCCC COP Bureau, where all countries are represented.
The Attorney General’s Office has not had any laptops, mobile phones, memory sticks or external hard drives lost or stolen in the last year.
The following table includes the number of lost or stolen ministerial red boxes from the Cabinet Office between 2021 and 2023.
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
Lost | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Stolen | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The departmental security unit records and investigates each reported loss from the Department. If appropriate, the police are invited to undertake further inquiries.
The Ministerial Offices in 70 Whitehall, redecorated due to water damage in April 2023, cost a total of £19,956.50 exclusive of VAT.
The redecoration of the Ministerial Waiting Room in 70 Whitehall with furniture alterations (partly necessary due to historic mould issues, and completed in November 2023) cost a total of £13,359.11 exclusive of VAT.
The decoration of the Ministerial corridor (due to complete in March 2024) is taking place as part of planned building-wide programme of annual maintenance. As part of this programme, a number of corridors throughout the building are being repainted. Therefore it is not possible to distinguish the cost of the redecoration of the Ministerial corridor from the wider programme.
In September 2023, a Project was completed to create a Ministerial Meeting Room in the Cabinet Office’s 2nd Headquarters within Glasgow: 1 Atlantic Square. The room enables the conduct of Ministerial business in Glasgow, including hosting meetings.
Within London, 70 Whitehall
Two of the Ministerial offices were redecorated in April 2023 due to water damage.
A Ministerial Waiting Room was redecorated with furniture alterations in November 2023.
Further decoration of a Ministerial corridor is planned in March 2024, also due to water damage.
Each of these refurbishments strives to strike a balance between value for the taxpayer and ensuring that staff are able to do their job effectively.
The Cabinet Office follows the principles laid out in the Cabinet Office Guidance on Settlement Agreements, Special Severance Payments on Termination of Employment and Confidentiality Clauses which is published on the internet here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5d2c7852ed915d2fe7abea6d/Cabinet-Office-guidance-on-settlement-agreements-special-severance-payments-on-termination-of-employment-and-confidentiality-clauses.pdf, and the HM Treasury Guidance on Public Sector Exit payments, which is published on the internet here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60af4ab3d3bf7f737e058da9/SPECIAL_SEVERANCE_GUIDANCE_v3_FINAL.pdf when considering any settlement agreements.
The Cabinet Office is unable to ascertain from the data available the specific settlement by individual claims of a) bullying, b) harassment and c) discrimination for the financial years provided. This is due to the interlinked nature of claims, which means that an individual could raise a case that covers several of these areas.
The Cabinet Office takes all allegations of bullying, harassment and discrimination seriously. Staff are encouraged to raise any concerns through the departmental Dispute or Disciplinary policies to enable swift investigation into concerns raised.
Government departments rightly have an obligation to work with and support the media in their reporting.
Like any large organisation, they will employ staff to work with journalists, to help communicate their work and policies to the public.
This is primarily carried out by media relations staff employed by departments. Like all areas of government spending - costs are reviewed regularly to ensure value for money.
The Government Communications Service works with all central government organisations to ensure that, where taxpayers’ money is being spent on government communications, it is cost-effective and reflects best practices.
Cabinet Office spend on press and public relations since 2019-20 are below. These figures represent the departmental spend on the Cabinet Office press office (including pay and relevant contracts):
2019/20: £976,994.11
2020/21: £1,185,192.91
2021/22: £1,111,282.00
2022/23: £1,181,350.41
The Government takes the protection of information extremely seriously. Departments are required to have robust controls in place to manage risk to their assets including data and mobile devices.
The departmental security unit records and considers whether an investigation is appropriate for each reported loss from the Department.
Any security pass reported as lost is immediately deactivated.
The Cabinet Office provides laptops and mobile phones to over 10,000 users in 2023-24. The Cabinet Office supplies fully security encrypted mobiles and laptops. We do not issue memory sticks or external drives.
There are occasional incidents where equipment is reported lost or stolen. Staff are required to report such incidents, and cases are investigated. Any loss is unfortunate and should be avoided, but invariably reflects that such devices may need to be taken out of a workplace environment.
The following table includes the numbers and costs related to the lost/stolen devices.
| Laptops | Mobile Phones | Memory Sticks | External Data Drives |
Number Lost | 28 | 108 | N/A | N/A |
Cost of Lost Replacement | £23,911.20* | £40,280* | N/A | N/A |
Number Stolen | 21 | 10 | N/A | N/A |
Cost of Stolen Replacement | £23,010.52* | £3,585* | N/A | N/A |
*Some devices not approved for replacement
Given steps taken to secure information, we do not believe there has been any data loss or compromise as a result of these losses.
The Border Target Operating Model proposes a new control regime for imports of animal and plant products. It will implement an innovative, risk-based approach to border controls for imports ensuring that goods can flow and checks, delays and waste are minimised.
As set out in our Food Strategy published in 2022, the resilience and reliability of food supply chains is a key objective of this Government.
The draft Border Target Operating Model was developed with input from business. Our innovative and risk-based approach to border controls will limit complexity for businesses, whilst providing the critical border controls that will keep the UK safe from a range of biosecurity, human health and security threats.
Many food products will require no new certification or checks, and where they are needed importers will be able to complete them more simply. Some businesses may need to adapt their business models, and we will support them to do that.
The Border Target Operating Model proposes a new control regime for imports of animal and plant products. It will implement an innovative, risk-based approach to border controls for imports ensuring that goods can flow and checks, delays and waste are minimised.
As set out in our Food Strategy published in 2022, the resilience and reliability of food supply chains is a key objective of this Government.
The draft Border Target Operating Model was developed with input from business. Our innovative and risk-based approach to border controls will limit complexity for businesses, whilst providing the critical border controls that will keep the UK safe from a range of biosecurity, human health and security threats.
Many food products will require no new certification or checks, and where they are needed importers will be able to complete them more simply. Some businesses may need to adapt their business models, and we will support them to do that.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon lady Parliamentary Question of 22 May is attached.
Information is available on gov.uk on all open and closed consultations published by the Cabinet Office including the closing date for open consultations and, where available, the Government's response.
The promotion of cost of living payments was funded by both the Department of Work and Pensions and Cabinet Office at different times in the 2022/23 Financial Year.
Cabinet Office publishes expenditure on a rolling monthly basis on gov.uk as part of routine government transparency arrangements. This can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-spend-data.
The Department for Work and Pensions publishes details of all departmental spending over £25,000 on a monthly basis. This can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dwp-payments-over-25-000.
The requested information is not centrally held, and complying with this request would incur a disproportionate cost to the department. Comprehensive details of Senior Officials’ Business Expenses, encompassing domestic flights are available on GOV.UK.
SMEs in the food supply chain were consulted as part of supplier engagement activities. Feedback from these activities shaped the procurement strategy for the proposed framework agreement.
SME producers will have increased opportunities to work with the public sector. Customers will be able to request nominated local products (subject to the local supplier/producer meeting the minimum technical standards). These products would be consolidated into a single delivery with their food order.
Many other Public Buying Organisations (PBOs) offer food and or drink commercial solutions, to the public sector which is not managed by CCS as a central government organisation. CCS consulted with a number of PBO’s as part of their food strategy development.
CCS’ initial proposed commercial solution value will have a headroom to accommodate £100 million worth of spend over the 4 year agreement period. This equates to less than 5% of the £2.1 billion public sector food spend.
SMEs in the food supply chain were consulted as part of supplier engagement activities. Feedback from these activities shaped the procurement strategy for the proposed framework agreement.
SME producers will have increased opportunities to work with the public sector. Customers will be able to request nominated local products (subject to the local supplier/producer meeting the minimum technical standards). These products would be consolidated into a single delivery with their food order.
Many other Public Buying Organisations (PBOs) offer food and or drink commercial solutions, to the public sector which is not managed by CCS as a central government organisation. CCS consulted with a number of PBO’s as part of their food strategy development.
CCS’ initial proposed commercial solution value will have a headroom to accommodate £100 million worth of spend over the 4 year agreement period. This equates to less than 5% of the £2.1 billion public sector food spend.
SMEs in the food supply chain were consulted as part of supplier engagement activities. Feedback from these activities shaped the procurement strategy for the proposed framework agreement.
SME producers will have increased opportunities to work with the public sector. Customers will be able to request nominated local products (subject to the local supplier/producer meeting the minimum technical standards). These products would be consolidated into a single delivery with their food order.
Many other Public Buying Organisations (PBOs) offer food and or drink commercial solutions, to the public sector which is not managed by CCS as a central government organisation. CCS consulted with a number of PBO’s as part of their food strategy development.
CCS’ initial proposed commercial solution value will have a headroom to accommodate £100 million worth of spend over the 4 year agreement period. This equates to less than 5% of the £2.1 billion public sector food spend.
Crown Commercial Service (CCS), representing the Cabinet Office, Defra and its Ministers have worked closely together throughout the development of the proposed agreement.
Defra approached CCS in 2019 to consider the concept of developing a commercial strategy and procurement solution for food produce, specifically a holistic approach to the ordering, fulfilment, consolidation and delivery of food produce to customers.
CCS have been working alongside Defra to design a commercial solution, and Defra will be responsible for establishing the updated Government Buying Standards for Food. CCS and Defra continue to work closely together on this issue.
The tender for the proposed Buying Better Food Agreement has not yet been published. Invitations to Tender are expected in Summer 2023, with the contract going live in Spring 2024.
Crown Commercial Service (CCS) have followed the public sector regulations by issuing a PIN notice, which is published on the government Find a Tender Service, used for all public sector opportunities. This notified the market of our intentions, and invited willing participants to engage with us.
As a result of this, a cross-section of the food and drink supply chain has been engaged and consulted through CCS’ ongoing market engagement process. These include micro SME producers to Tier 1 national providers.
Departmental helplines are not managed or run centrally. Therefore, each department is responsible for their own helpline, as well as response and waiting times.
Departmental helplines are not managed or run centrally. Therefore, each department is responsible for their own helpline, as well as response and waiting times.
For management and staffing purposes, the Prime Minister’s Office is an integrated part of the Cabinet Office. The Cabinet Office had 10,655 staff in 2022-23, and all devices are fully security encrypted. The following table includes the number of lost/stolen devices in the Cabinet Office in the last five years.
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
Laptops | 54 | 40 | 27 | 28 | 28 |
Mobile phones | 93 | 188 | 113 | 127 | 140 |
Memory sticks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
External hard drives | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Given steps taken to secure information, we do not believe there has been any data loss or compromise as a result of these losses.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon. Member's Parliamentary Questions of 5 December is attached.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon. Member's Parliamentary Questions of 5 December is attached.
As at 8am on 19 July, there are 3,349 adverts for 10,409 total postings advertised on the Civil Service Jobs website. The below table shows vacancies and posts by department.
Department | Agency (if applicable) | Adverts Live | Total Posts Live |
Ministry of Defence | Ministry of Defence | 597 | 1,199 |
HM Prison & Probation Service | HM Prison & Probation Service | 519 | 3,480 |
HM Revenue and Customs | HM Revenue and Customs | 243 | 504 |
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (Internal) | Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (Internal) | 230 | 262 |
UK Health Security Agency | UK Health Security Agency | 112 | 175 |
Home Office | Home Office | 107 | 990 |
Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy | Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy | 86 | 164 |
Ministry of Justice | Ministry of Justice | 82 | 206 |
Department for Work and Pensions | Department for Work and Pensions | 76 | 396 |
Cabinet Office | Cabinet Office | 50 | 60 |
Department for International Trade | Department for International Trade | 50 | 61 |
Department of Health and Social Care | Department of Health and Social Care | 48 | 54 |
Office for National Statistics | Office for National Statistics | 47 | 149 |
Department for Education | Department for Education | 45 | 71 |
Defence Science and Technology Laboratory | Defence Science and Technology Laboratory | 43 | 203 |
Crown Prosecution Service | Crown Prosecution Service | 39 | 82 |
Health and Safety Executive | Health and Safety Executive | 38 | 63 |
HM Courts and Tribunals Service | HM Courts and Tribunals Service | 38 | 297 |
OFGEM | OFGEM | 37 | 57 |
Natural England | Natural England | 36 | 82 |
Scottish Government | Scottish Government | 34 | 43 |
Department for Transport | Department for Transport | 30 | 32 |
Forestry Commission | Forestry Commission | 26 | 28 |
HM Treasury | HM Treasury | 26 | 31 |
Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency | Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency | 24 | 36 |
House of Commons | House of Commons | 23 | 32 |
Social Security Scotland | Social Security Scotland | 22 | 70 |
Government Digital Service | Government Digital Service | 20 | 30 |
Insolvency Service | Insolvency Service | 20 | 34 |
Homes England | Homes England | 19 | 28 |
Government Legal Department | Government Legal Department | 17 | 146 |
DEFRA | Food Standards Agency | 16 | 20 |
Government Commercial Function | Government Commercial Function | 16 | 29 |
Care Quality Commission | Care Quality Commission | 16 | 65 |
Forestry Commission - Forest Research | Forestry Commission - Forest Research | 16 | 16 |
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities | Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities | 15 | 25 |
Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport | Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport | 15 | 16 |
College of Policing | College of Policing | 15 | 44 |
UK Hydrographic Office | UK Hydrographic Office | 15 | 49 |
Valuation Office Agency | Valuation Office Agency | 14 | 130 |
Pensions Regulator | Pensions Regulator | 13 | 16 |
Met Office | Met Office | 13 | 23 |
Welsh Government | Welsh Government | 13 | 56 |
National Crime Agency | National Crime Agency | 13 | 144 |
The Money and Pensions Service | The Money and Pensions Service | 13 | 18 |
Government Property Agency | Government Property Agency | 12 | 29 |
DEFRA | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | 12 | 13 |
Legal Aid Agency | Legal Aid Agency | 11 | 29 |
Historic Environment Scotland | Historic Environment Scotland | 10 | 10 |
HM Land Registry | HM Land Registry | 10 | 18 |
Information Commissioner's Office | Information Commissioner's Office | 10 | 19 |
FCDO Services | FCDO Services | 10 | 10 |
Crown Commercial Service | Crown Commercial Service | 9 | 14 |
Office for Students | Office for Students | 9 | 20 |
Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills | Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills | 9 | 12 |
Disclosure & Barring Service | Disclosure & Barring Service | 8 | 16 |
UK Export Finance | UK Export Finance | 8 | 11 |
Department for Transport | Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency | 8 | 20 |
Royal Botanic Gardens Kew | Royal Botanic Gardens Kew | 8 | 9 |
House of Lords | House of Lords | 8 | 9 |
Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation | Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation | 7 | 7 |
Companies House | Companies House | 7 | 7 |
Marine Management Organisation | Marine Management Organisation | 7 | 9 |
Government Office for Science | Government Office for Science | 7 | 28 |
GCHQ | GCHQ | 7 | 22 |
UK Space Agency | UK Space Agency | 7 | 7 |
Joint Nature Conservation Committee | Joint Nature Conservation Committee | 6 | 6 |
Student Loans Company | Student Loans Company | 6 | 14 |
Department for Transport | Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency | 6 | 92 |
Department for Transport | Maritime and Coastguard Agency | 6 | 10 |
Serious Fraud Office | Serious Fraud Office | 5 | 9 |
Office of the Public Guardian | Office of the Public Guardian | 5 | 12 |
Trade Remedies Authority | Trade Remedies Authority | 5 | 5 |
Planning Inspectorate | Planning Inspectorate | 5 | 7 |
Cross Departmental Opportunities | Cross Departmental Opportunities | 5 | 9 |
UK Statistics Authority | UK Statistics Authority | 4 | 4 |
Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service | Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service | 4 | 5 |
DEFRA | Rural Payments Agency | 4 | 5 |
Northern Ireland Office | Northern Ireland Office | 4 | 6 |
Forestry and Land Scotland | Forestry and Land Scotland | 4 | 4 |
Intellectual Property Office | Intellectual Property Office | 4 | 4 |
Consumer Scotland | Consumer Scotland | 4 | 5 |
Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education | Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education | 4 | 4 |
Office of Rail and Road | Office of Rail and Road | 4 | 5 |
Government Statistical Service | Government Statistical Service | 4 | 40 |
Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre | Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre | 4 | 10 |
Charity Commission | Charity Commission | 4 | 7 |
Independent Office for Police Conduct | Independent Office for Police Conduct | 4 | 5 |
Independent Monitoring Authority | Independent Monitoring Authority | 3 | 3 |
UK Research and Innovation | UK Research and Innovation | 3 | 3 |
Government Internal Audit Agency | Government Internal Audit Agency | 3 | 4 |
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office | Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office | 3 | 7 |
Medical Research Council | Medical Research Council | 3 | 3 |
Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority | Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority | 3 | 3 |
The National Lottery Community Fund | The National Lottery Community Fund | 3 | 3 |
DEFRA | Animal and Plant Health Agency | 3 | 3 |
Defence Electronics & Components Agency | Defence Electronics & Components Agency | 3 | 3 |
Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service | Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service | 3 | 3 |
Gambling Commission | Gambling Commission | 3 | 3 |
Registers of Scotland | Registers of Scotland | 3 | 4 |
Competition & Markets Authority | Competition & Markets Authority | 2 | 3 |
Innovate UK | Innovate UK | 2 | 3 |
National Savings and Investments | National Savings and Investments | 2 | 2 |
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman | Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman | 2 | 2 |
Housing Ombudsman Service | Housing Ombudsman Service | 2 | 2 |
MI5 | MI5 | 2 | 2 |
DEFRA | Veterinary Medicines Directorate | 2 | 2 |
Office for Nuclear Regulation | Office for Nuclear Regulation | 2 | 2 |
Ofwat (Water Services Regulation Authority) | Ofwat (Water Services Regulation Authority) | 2 | 3 |
The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom | The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom | 2 | 2 |
Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council | Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council | 2 | 10 |
Security Industry Authority | Security Industry Authority | 2 | 3 |
Office for Environmental Protection | Office for Environmental Protection | 1 | 2 |
Equality and Human Rights Commission | Equality and Human Rights Commission | 1 | 1 |
Home Office | Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services | 1 | 1 |
The National Archives | The National Archives | 1 | 1 |
Valuation Tribunal Service | Valuation Tribunal Service | 1 | 1 |
DEFRA | Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science | 1 | 2 |
MI6 - Secret Intelligence Service | MI6 - Secret Intelligence Service | 1 | 1 |
Government Actuary's Department | Government Actuary's Department | 1 | 5 |
Environmental Standards Scotland | Environmental Standards Scotland | 1 | 1 |
Scottish Forestry | Scottish Forestry | 1 | 1 |
Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority | Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority | 1 | 1 |
UK Debt Management Office | UK Debt Management Office | 1 | 1 |
Parole Board | Parole Board | 1 | 1 |
Criminal Cases Review Commission | Criminal Cases Review Commission | 1 | 1 |
Youth Justice Board | Youth Justice Board | 1 | 6 |
Building Digital UK (BDUK) | Building Digital UK (BDUK) | 1 | 1 |
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence | National Institute for Health and Care Excellence | 1 | 1 |
| Grand Total | 3,349 | 10,409 |
a) The Cabinet Office staff resource for the dashboard was less than 1 FTE.
b) There has been no additional non-pay cost to the public purse by creating the dashboard. The process was led by the Cabinet Office, who commissioned Government Departments to find REUL within their legislation and compile an authoritative account of where REUL sits on the UK statute book.
The dashboard itself is made by the Government Strategic Management Office and is hosted on Tableau Public, which is a free platform for hosting public dashboards. The dashboard will continue to be updated at no additional cost.
The Queen’s speech will set out in further detail the Government’s legislative programme in the normal way.
This legislation on retained EU law will be informed by the Cabinet Office's ongoing reviews into the substance and status of retained EU law. Legislation will be accompanied by the normal documents that will explain the benefits of making it easier to amend or remove retained EU Law.