Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Will Forster Excerpts
Thursday 24th April 2025

(1 day, 15 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
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Pat McFadden Portrait Pat McFadden
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Well, I have good news for the right hon. Gentleman. [Laughter.] This is parliamentary accountability in action. One of the key targets in the plan for change was to get waiting lists and waiting times down. I am pleased to report to him that they have fallen for five months in a row and that we have met our first step on 2 million extra appointments early, and I look forward to more progress in the future.

Will Forster Portrait Mr Will Forster (Woking) (LD)
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With 2,100 jobs set to go at the Cabinet Office by 2028, please can the Minister confirm what impact those cuts will have on his Department? What responsibilities might be transferred out of it?

Pat McFadden Portrait Pat McFadden
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The Cabinet Office has tripled in size in the past decade or so. I think it is right, after growth like that, that we look at productivity and how to get the best outcomes for the public. We have introduced a mutually agreed exit scheme. Some of the headcount reduction will be by transferring functions to other places, but I believe that the Cabinet Office can absorb a headcount reduction after, as I said, tripling in size over the past decade or so.