Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract Support Payment Card, procurement reference 429018/148318, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of commercial confidentiality under that contract on provision of information to Parliament that helps facilitate scrutiny of value for money.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Support Payment Card contract was awarded to Prepaid Financial Services Limited (PFS) on 24 May 2020 as a Call-Off to Lot 2 (Prepaid Cards) of the RM 3828 Crown Commercial Services Framework Contract for the provision of the Support Payment Card Service.
PFS successfully secured a place on Lot 2 of the Framework Agreement along with four other suppliers. The Home Office determined which supplier could deliver the best value for money solution to the Home Office’s requirement. The evaluation considered both quality and price. Therefore, at the time of contract award, PFS’ solution offered the best value for money.
As these services were compliantly procured, and we undertake regular reviews of Supplier performance and assessments of financial and commercial data via established governance forums, value for money is scrutinised on an ongoing basis.
The risks of disclosing information that is considered confidential and commercially sensitive outweigh the benefits of disclosure. Release would impact on the Home Office’s ability to obtain maximum value for money for taxpayers. Disclosure of PFS’ commercially sensitive information could also impact upon their ability to compete for future services of this nature.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what performance indicators will be used to evaluate WPP Media’s provision of media planning and buying services across Government; and how often performance will be reviewed.
Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Crown Commercial Service reviews framework-level performance on a quarterly basis, including pricing commitments, financial transparency, social value delivery, and client satisfaction.
Individual departments are responsible for managing day-to-day performance and specific service-level agreements for their own call-off contracts.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 22 September 2025 to Question 73115 on HM Courts and Tribunals Service: Data Protection, whether (a) financial penalties and (b) contract management actions were taken against any delivery partner.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
We have no central record of any financial penalties against any supplier/delivery partner in relation to this issue.
Contract management actions are undertaken as standard; HMCTS and the Ministry of Justice engage suppliers via frameworks managed by the Crown Commercial Service and did so over the course of the HMCTS Reform Programme (for example on the Digital Outcome and Specialists and G Cloud frameworks). These frameworks are designed to enable Government Departments to procure digital and technology services in a compliant, flexible, and value-for-money manner. Both frameworks operate under pre-approved terms and conditions that set clear expectations for supplier performance, financial management, and contract governance, providing Departments with consistent mechanisms to manage delivery risk and ensure accountability across multiple suppliers.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what information (a) his Department and (b) the Crown Commercial Service hold on the fee structures used by Bloom Procurement Services Ltd under the NEPRO3 framework; and what proportion of public contracts awarded through NEPRO3 in the 2024–25 financial year involved an undisclosed intermediary fee.
Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The price of each individual work order procured through Bloom Procurement Services Ltd for the Cabinet Office includes the 5% Delivery Partner’s Managed Services Fee. No other fees are applied.
The Crown Commercial Service holds no information on the fee structures or intermediary fees used by Bloom Procurement Services Ltd under the NEPRO3 framework.
Asked by: Baroness Finn (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the membership of the Cabinet Office's (1) Investment Committee, (2) People and Operations Committee, and (3) Resilience and Security Committee, and how many times each of those committees has met in the past 12 months.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Between 8 July 2024 and 7 July 2025, the Investment Committee met 12 times. The current membership of the Cabinet Office Investment Committee is:
Cabinet Office Chief Operating Officer (Chair);
Cabinet Office Chief Finance Officer;
Cabinet Office Commercial Director;
Cabinet Office Chief People Officer;
Cabinet Office Strategy Director; and
Cabinet Office Chief Digital Information Officer.
Between 8 July 2024 and 7 July 2025, the People and Operations Committee met 10 times. The current membership of the People and Operations Committee is:
Cabinet Office Chief Operating Officer (co-Chair)
Government Chief Property Officer (co-Chair)
Cabinet Office Chief People Officer;
Cabinet Office Chief Digital Information Officer;
Director, Modernisation and Reform;
SCS Diversity and Inclusion Champion;
SCS Race Champion;
SCS Gender Champion;
SCS Disability Champion;
SCS Social Mobility Champion;
Professional Head of Intelligence Analysis, Joint Intelligence Organisation;
Director, Functional Strategy, Performance and Capability, Government People Group;
Director, Defence and Nuclear, National Security Secretariat;
Cabinet Office Strategy Director;
Head of Cabinet Office and Civil Service Communications; and
Representative from Cabinet Office Race Equality Network (associate member).
Between 8 July 2024 and 7 July 2025, the Resilience and Security committee met 4 times. The current membership of the Resilience and Security Committee is:
Cabinet Office Chief Operating Officer (co-chair);
Director General, Propriety and Constitution Group (co-chair);
Government Chief Security Officer;
Cabinet Office Chief Digital Information Officer;
Cabinet Office Chief Financial Officer;
Cabinet Office Chief Information Security Officer, Government Digital Service;
Chief Operating Officer, Government Property Agency;
Cabinet Office Commercial Director;
Director, Intelligence and Security, National Security Secretariat;
Professional Head of Intelligence Analysis, Joint Intelligence Organisation;
Director, Propriety and Ethics, Propriety and Constitution Group;
Deputy Director, Corporate Services at No 10 and Cabinet Office; and
Chief Digital Information Officer, Crown Commercial Service.
Asked by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much the Government paid Microsoft for digital services for the last 12 months for which data is available.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Full information on government spend with Microsoft is not held centrally by the Cabinet Office (CO), as individual departments and public bodies are responsible for their own procurement and contractual arrangements.
However, the Crown Commercial Service (CCS), an executive agency of the Cabinet Office, manages the Strategic Partnership Arrangement 2024 (SPA24) with Microsoft.
Approximately £1.9 billion has been spent on Microsoft software licences via third-party resellers in the financial year 2024/25. This spend is through SPA24 and its predecessor DTA-21. These agreements enable all eligible UK public sector organisations to access discounted pricing on a range of Microsoft products.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will list the members of the (a) Nominations Committee, (b) Investment Committee, (c) People and Operations Committee and (d) Resilience and Security Committee.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The Nominations Committee currently has no members. Recruitment for Non-Executive Board Members is currently underway.
Members of the Investment Committee are as follows: Permanent Secretary to the Cabinet Office, Chief Operating Officer to the Cabinet Office, Chief Financial Officer to the Cabinet Office, Cabinet Office Commercial Director, Cabinet Office Chief Digital and Information Officer, Cabinet Office Chief People Officer and Cabinet Office Strategy Director.
Members of the People & Operations Committee are as follows: Cabinet Office Chief Operating Officer, Government Chief Property Officer, Cabinet Office Chief People Officer, Cabinet Office Chief Digital and Information Officer, Cabinet Office SCS Diversity & Inclusion Champion, Cabinet Office SCS Race Champion, Cabinet Office SCS Gender Champion, Cabinet Office SCS Disability Champion, Cabinet Office SCS Social Mobility Champion, Cabinet Office Strategy Director, National Security Strategy Director, Civil Service Strategy Director, Functional Strategy, Performance and Capability Director, Joint Intelligence Organisation Director.
Members of the Resilience and Security Committee are as follows: Cabinet Office Chief Operating Officer, Director General Propriety and Constitution, Group, Government Chief Security Officer, Cabinet Office Chief Digital and Information Officer, Chief Financial Officer to the Cabinet Office, Government Digital Service Chief Information Security Officer, Government Property Agency Chief Operating Officer, Cabinet Office Commercial Director, Intelligence and Security Director, Propriety and Ethics Director, No10 Corporate Services Deputy Director, Chief Digital Information Officer Crown Commercial Service
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the retendering of Facilities Management contracts in the Mitie Affiliate Cluster, what recent meetings he has held with (a) the Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service, (b) the Chief Executive of the Government Property Agency and (c) civil service trade unions.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Employment Terms and Conditions are a matter for Employers and their Employees.
However, the Government Property Agency (GPA) has supported the employee representatives, notably the PCS Trade Union, in discussions with the GPA's new suppliers. All suppliers have listened to the concerns expressed by the PCS trade union and have provided both assurance and solutions to ensure that any affected member of staff is not directly or indirectly affected by the change of their employer. This includes financial assistance via ex gratia payments and interest-free loans and advice and support to mitigate against issues surrounding the claiming of "in work" benefits.
The GPA is committed to eliminating all forms of discrimination. Throughout the workplace services transformation programme the GPA has continued to give PSED due consideration and will continue the completion of the impact assessment following the recent award of contracts. This will be shared with trade unions upon completion. The successful bidders have been tested for this requirement at Framework creation stage and will be required to demonstrate ongoing compliance with the Equalities Act 2010 and the GPA’s aspirations during delivery of the contract.
Whilst the GPA has an active interest in the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE) transfer of supplier employees, TUPE transfers are a matter for both the outgoing and incoming contractors and both the outgoing and incoming suppliers are experienced in this area. The employee rights are set out by the TUPE regulations and reinforced in the Crown Commercial Services framework which this contract is let on. The Government Property Agency will act upon any breach of this legislation if it occurs and holds its supply chain to the legislative requirements. The GPA continues to encourage both their current and their new suppliers to exchange information quickly to enable consultations to be effective and to resolve queries quickly where they arise.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of contracting (a) rehabilitation, (b) therapy and (c) other similar services for frontline staff.
Answered by Damian Hinds
In full recognition of the challenging aspects of front-line prison and probations services-based work, His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) provides a wide range of formal contracted rehabilitation, therapy, physical and mental health support for its staff.
The principal merits of external contracted services are firstly, that the robust Crown Service Commercial tender process requires a strict evaluation criterion and moderation exercise where all the evaluation forms and notes become public record. This means that the successful bidder has been selected fairly, on the merits of their service provision and without conflict of interest. As the largest individual customer of services through this framework, the Ministry of Justice takes a key role in defining the services that must be provided and the standards that contractors must meet before gaining access to the framework. Secondly, due to the wide geographically dispersed nature of our HMPPS working population across the UK with some overseas staff, it is imperative that the contractors are capable of delivering a range of services to 62,801 full time equivalent staff in post (HM Prison and Probation Service workforce quarterly: June 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)). Thirdly, contractors are subject to a series of performance measures set by both the Crown Commercial Service and the department which are reported at set intervals and managed accordingly in order to ensure staff have rapid access to services. This allows regular evaluation of service quality and effectiveness but also ensures that the correct governance structures remain in place, such as GDPR for handling employee personal data and ensuring their data protection rights. Fourthly, the contracted model of employee health services benefits from impartiality, in that independent external clinical advice is given to the employee confidentially and if appropriate with consent, to the referring line manager.
The contracted services for staff health and wellbeing include occupational health (OH), employee assistance programmes (EAP) and reflective sessions. These contracts include a variety of services which include but are not limited to therapeutic or rehabilitative interventions and are aggregated based on specialisms to ensure the MoJ has access to the most relevant services. Working with subject matter experts employed by the third-party providers, the department has the benefit of being able to explore and implement innovative and value-adding employee health and wellbeing services for front-line staff. This model is also vital to ensuring that the breadth of services can be delivered consistently across the prison and probation estate. The merits of contracted services can be evidenced upon illustration of the wide range of services that are hereby listed:
Occupational Health
Prison officer pre-employment health assessments at national Fitness Centres
Performance and Attendance management referrals for advice on fitness for work and reasonable adjustments due to ill health, disability and/or following an accident/injury at work
Post-Covid Syndrome Referral Service
Fast track Trauma referrals
EMDR and CBT (Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)
Immunisations and vaccination history checks.
Health Surveillance
Physiotherapy
Workstation and workplace ergonomics
Dyslexia and other neurodiverse conditions assessments 13
Occupational Therapy
Ill-health retirement and advice on eligibility for ill-health early retirement
Body Fluid Exposure & Sharps Injury Support
Online Physio Support
Online Health Condition Management
Employee Assistance Programmes
Employee self-referral to 24/7 confidential telephone helpline staffed by qualified counsellors
Face to face or online counselling Services, including therapeutic interventions
Bullying and harassment support
Management support services
Support and advice on personal matters e.g. health, relationships, family, financial, emotional, legal, anxiety, alcohol, drugs and other issues.
Support for work matters - work demands, working relationships, work/life balance, stress and other related issues
Reflective Sessions
Trauma and Critical Incident Support
Health and wellbeing promotion, such as wellbeing and mental health related workshops and training programmes
Mediation
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to promote debt (1) advice, and (2) management, services across public services.
Answered by Baroness Penn
The Government recognises the vital role that debt advice and management services play in helping people in financial difficulty and vulnerable circumstances.
The Government Debt Management Function (GDMF) works closely with the debt advice sector through the Fairness Group to improve the way vulnerable debtors are identified and supported. This includes through improved signposting / referrals to the advice sector.
The GDMF has published the Debt Functional Standard, Vulnerability Toolkit and Economic Abuse Toolkit. These set expectations for government organisations to, where appropriate, signpost to external support services and debt advice.
To help people access debt advice, the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) launched MoneyHelper in 2021, a consumer-facing service which provides free online guidance for people dealing with money worries and debt and connects people to free advice through its debt advice locator tool.
This year, MoneyHelper undertook a cost-of-living promotional campaign to increase awareness of its content for those struggling with rising cost of living pressures, including tools to support people with prioritising bills, talking to creditors and budget planning. As of the end of March, the campaign had generated around 85,000 additional online sessions.
MaPS also promotes the Money Adviser Network (MAN), a free partnership opportunity for organisations having conversations with people in financial difficulty. The MAN seeks to simplify how people access regulated debt advice, providing a single point of entry to a panel of free, high quality debt advice agencies. It now comprises more than 500 referral partners including DWP’s Debt Management and Universal Credit Service Centre, HMRC, Crown Commercial Services and the Child Maintenance Service.
MaPS also engages with the GDMF’s Fairness Group, supporting improvements to the government’s debt management practices including promoting the use of the Standard Financial Statement (SFS).