Asked by: Lord Tyrie (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to refer the case of Jagtar Singh Johal to the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, under the provisions of the Justice and Security Act 2013.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
His Majesty’s Government has no plans to refer the case of Jagtar Singh Johal to the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament.
Under section 2(3)(b) of the Justice and Security Act 2013, the Prime Minister may ask the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament to consider a matter outside of the Committee’s self-determined work plan, provided that the consideration of the matter is consistent with any principles set out in, or with any other provision made by, the agreed Memorandum of Understanding, as per section 2(4) of the Act. One such principle in the MoU is that careful consideration must be given to whether it is appropriate to investigate a matter which relates to criminal or civil legal proceedings, inquiries, or inquest proceedings.
As the subject of ongoing legal proceedings, it would not be appropriate to comment on the allegations brought against His Majesty's Government by Mr Johal. However, His Majesty's Government has consistently raised concerns about Mr Johal’s case in India with all levels of the Indian Government. Ministers and officials have together raised Mr Johal’s detention on over 100 occasions since 2017, and they will continue to do so.
Asked by: Lord Tyrie (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given, if any, to reforming the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
His Majesty’s Government welcomes the independent and robust oversight of the UK Intelligence Community that the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament provides.
The role and remit of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament is set out in the Justice and Security Act 2013 and accompanying Memorandum of Understanding agreed between the Committee and the Prime Minister. The Government considers the current arrangements set out in the Act and related MOU sufficient to enable the Committee to discharge its statutory function in respect of the oversight of the Security and Intelligence Agencies and the wider Intelligence Community.
Asked by: Lord Tyrie (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what formal discussions they have had with (1) the Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, and (2) the Committee as a whole, since June 2016.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
His Majesty's Government regularly engages with the Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, and with the Committee as a whole. Details of formal interactions with the Government are published in the Committee's Annual Reports, which are publicly available on the Committee's website.
The Government values the work of the Committee, and understands the importance of regular engagement as part of an effective oversight relationship.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of the defence budget is spent on intelligence services.
Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
The Defence Intelligence budget is reported to the Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee and was £349 million for financial year 2020-21. The Ministry of Defence budget for that year was around £42 billion.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will list all civil service units in his department.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
The Cabinet Office has 32 Business Units, 3 Independent Inquiries and 5 ALB’s (Arms Length Bodies) as of 1 November 2022. As below:
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1 | Prime Minister's Office |
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2 | Cabinet Secretary Group |
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3 | Government in Parliament |
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4 | Intelligence and Security Committee |
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5 | Union and Constitution Group (operating across Cabinet Office and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities). |
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6 | COP Presidency |
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7 | Inquiries Sponsorship Team |
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8 | Economic and Domestic Secretariat |
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9 | National Security Secretariat |
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10 | Joint Intelligence Organisation |
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11 | Geospatial Commission |
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12 | Equality Hub |
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13 | Government Digital Service |
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14 | Central Digital and Data Office |
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15 | Government Communication Service |
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16 | Government Security Function |
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17 | Government Commercial Function |
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18 | Civil Service Human Resources |
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19 | Public Sector Fraud Authority and Debt |
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20 | Infrastructure and Projects Authority |
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21 | Office of Government Property |
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22 | Government Business Services |
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23 | Commercial Models |
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24 | Borders and Brexit Opportunities |
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25 | Chief Operating Officer Office |
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26 | Cabinet Office People and Places |
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27 | Cabinet Office Assurance, Finance & Controls |
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28 | Chief Digital and Information Office |
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29 | Public Bodies |
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30 | Public Inquiry Response Unit |
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31 | Civil Service Modernisation & Reform Unit |
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32 | Office for Veterans’ Affairs |
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Independent Inquiries |
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33 | Grenfell Inquiry |
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34 | Infected Blood Inquiry |
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35 | C-19 Inquiry |
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ALB's |
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ALB 1 | Civil Service Commission |
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ALB 2 | Equality and Human Rights Commission |
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ALB 3 | Government Property Agency |
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ALB 4 | Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists |
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ALB 5 | Crown Commercial Service |
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Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Prime Minister, with reference to the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament Annual Report 2019–2021, published on 10 December 2021, HC 877, whether she plans to update the Memorandum of Understanding between the Prime Minister and the Intelligence and Security Committee.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the written statement issued on 10 December 2021 by the previous Prime Minister (UIN HCWS464). The Government remains confident that the current Memorandum of Understanding with the Committee is sufficient to allow for robust oversight of the Agencies and wider Intelligence Community.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many job vacancies there are in each Government (a) department and (b) agency.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
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 |
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Intelligence and Security Committee's Report on Russia published on 21 July 2020, whether she plans to implement the outstanding recommendations of that report.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Government published its response to the ISC's Russia Report immediately after the report's publication (21 July 2020). The full response is available on https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-response-to-intelligence-and-security-committee-russia-report
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when she last discussed reforms to Tier 1 (Investor) Visas with the Home Secretary in the context of the recommendations made in the Russia report of the Intelligence and Security Committee.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Government is at the forefront of tackling illicit finance, combatting the threat from source to destination. Money obtained through corruption or criminality, including that linked to Russia, is not welcome in the UK. Some of our response will be visible, through law enforcement, policy and international engagement, other options will be less visible, but no less impactful. Our response continuously evolves with the threat.
Our capabilities include the use of immigration powers to protect the UK from a range of national security threats. As part of this we are reviewing all Tier 1 (Investor) visas granted before 5 April 2015.
We have previously made reforms to the visa route in 2015 and 2019 and we continue to keep this visa route under review. Home Office officials work closely across Whitehall, including with the FCDO, on reforms to Tier 1 (Investor) Visas and other issues related to tackling illicit finance.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what safeguards are in place to protect the data of UK citizens in the event that Amazon Web Services becomes subject to a US law enforcement request in relation to the data its servers will hold as part of the recently reported GCHQ cloud computing services contract.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The national security community does not routinely avow details of the technology partnerships it enters into. Releasing details concerning national security technology can have significant security implications as would be the case in this scenario. Any contract can be fully scrutinised through the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament.
We have a long-standing, 75-year intelligence relationship with the United States, which is invaluable to each country's national security. The alliance has clear guidelines for how we share communication, translation, analysis, and code breaking information, and has helped protect our countries and allies for decades. Any move to cloud does not change this agreement.