Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2026 to Question 428 on Members: Correspondence, and with reference to the Civil Service Complaints Procedures, for what reason consideration of a Stage 2 complaint cannot be taken forward by a department if the Stage 1 complaint was considered by a Permanent Secretary; whether there are any provisions to transfer a Stage 2 complaint to a different individual in such circumstances; and who considers complaints about a Permanent Secretary.

Individual departments are responsible for setting their own complaints procedures. In reference to Question 428, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office does not operate a two-stage complaints procedure, as set out on their website: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/foreign-commonwealth-development-office/about/complaints-procedure