Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) civil servants, (2) special advisers, and (3) contractors, were employed in the Cabinet Office in (a) 2001, (b) 2011, and (c) 2021.

The number of (1) civil servants, (2) special advisors, and (3) contractors, were employed in the Cabinet Office in (a) 2001, (b) 2011, and (c) 2021 is set out in the table below.

Figures for contractors in 2001 and 2011 were not held centrally during those years and are therefore unavailable.

In 2011, the role and remit of the Cabinet Office was largely to act in support of the Prime Minister and the operation of Government. Since then, the role of the Cabinet Office in managing the Civil Service has grown significantly to include centralisation of a number of functions including Human Resources, Commercial, Digital, Communications, and Security.

The Cabinet Office also supports the Government in its response to national events, such as – in recent years – EU Exit, COVID-19, and COP26.