Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to her Department's press release entitled UK businesses welcome protection for iconic British food and drink in Japan, published on 27 February 2024, how many food and drink products are included in the second group for which her Department are seeking geographical indication protection in Japan under the terms of the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

For the second tranche of GIs, the UK has put forward 39 food and drink products seeking GI protection under the terms of the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership. The second group is set to be announced once Japan has concluded its examination of the names.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's Evaluation Task Force Output and Outcome Indicators March 2024, if he will publish the (a) Evaluation Accelerator Fund projects rated red and (b) Evaluation Task Force priority projects without robust evaluation plans.

Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Evaluation Task Force (ETF) committed to publicly report on a series of output and outcome indicators in response to recommendations featured in the ‘Evaluating Government Spending’ NAO report in 2022 and the Public Accounts Committee’s recommendation for the ETF to establish quantifiable metrics on the scale and quality of evaluation across government. These indicators of progress can be viewed in the ETF evaluation strategy published in 2022 here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-evaluation-task-force-strategy-2022-2025

The indicators are not wholly controlled or ‘owned’ by the ETF. Driving progress towards the targets outlined in the ETF strategy are dependent on cross-government partners working together to build an improved evaluation ecosystem which creates more and higher quality evaluation in government.

The PQ references two indicators:

1.4 Proportion of Evaluation Accelerator Fund projects on track (RAG rated 'Green')

1.6 Proportion of ETF priority projects with robust evaluation plans (cumulative)

The ETF Output and Outcome Indicators (March 2024) report has also published its Technical Annex alongside the main report. This details the number of projects rated Red, Amber and Green across these portfolios and provides a detailed explanation of how these ratings were assessed. This is summarised in the background section below.

Departments and What Works Centres who lead either EAF or priority projects understand they are part of the ETF’s broader portfolio of work and that although regular indicators of evaluation progress in government are published, there have been no plans to publish the details of specific projects as part of the reporting.

The ETF has established good working relationships with departments who (particularly within the context of EAF and priority projects) are delivering complex evaluations in high profile policy areas. The departments openly share their work with the ETF and this transparency has enabled the ETF to provide high quality advice and support to teams. Using the information provided to the ETF to specifically publicly name projects, separately from other projects, risks damaging this important working relationship.

The ETF instead has been working to ensure transparency on a larger more sustainable scale, for all projects not just ETF priority areas. The Cabinet Office and the ETF will soon be publicly launching the Government Evaluation Registry. The Registry will bring together all planned, live and completed evaluations from Government Departments in a single accessible location, providing an invaluable tool for understanding “what works” in Government. Due to the importance of transparency and improving evaluation across Departments, the Government has decided to make use of the Registry mandatory. As such, Departments and What Works Centres responsible for EAF funded and priority projects will publish plans and findings on the Registry in due course. This will then be available to the public, along with the plans and reports for the rest of the department’s portfolio.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to her Department's press release of 27 February 2024 entitled UK businesses welcome protection for iconic British food and drink in Japan, for what reason Yatsushiro Tokusan Banpeiyu was not included among the 37 Japanese products listed in that press release as receiving geographical indication status in the UK, but was included among the 37 Japanese products added to the protected food and drink names website maintained by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 8 March 2024.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Kikuchi Suiden Gobo was added onto the UK GI register as a protected product on 8 March 2024. The department has amended the press release of 27 February 2024 to include Kikuchi Suiden Gobo. The updated press release can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-businesses-welcome-protection-for-iconic-british-food-and-drink-in-japan.

The entry for Yatsushiro Tokusan Banpeiyu was delayed but has now been completed and is listed alongside the other 37 first tranche products from Japan.

The UK was unable to register Iwate Mokutan as a GI because there is no classification under current UK domestic legislation which could include charcoal. The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs wrote to the Japanese authorities in 2022 to explain this decision, which they accepted.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to her Department's press release of 27 February 2024 entitled UK businesses welcome protection for iconic British food and drink in Japan, for what reason Kikuchi Suiden Gobo was included among the 37 Japanese products listed in that press release as receiving geographical indication status in the UK, but was not included among the 37 Japanese products added to the protected food and drink names website maintained by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 8 March 2024.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Kikuchi Suiden Gobo was added onto the UK GI register as a protected product on 8 March 2024. The department has amended the press release of 27 February 2024 to include Kikuchi Suiden Gobo. The updated press release can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-businesses-welcome-protection-for-iconic-british-food-and-drink-in-japan.

The entry for Yatsushiro Tokusan Banpeiyu was delayed but has now been completed and is listed alongside the other 37 first tranche products from Japan.

The UK was unable to register Iwate Mokutan as a GI because there is no classification under current UK domestic legislation which could include charcoal. The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs wrote to the Japanese authorities in 2022 to explain this decision, which they accepted.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answers of 15 April 2024 to Questions 20230 and 20234 on Cabinet Office: Visits Abroad, whether the share of the total flight costs attributable to the Deputy Prime Minister was £14,784.46; and whether the non-flight costs incurred by the Deputy Prime Minister on his visit to New York were £13,915.54.

Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Costs for the trip were outlined in the ministerial travel data entitled Cabinet Office ministerial overseas travel, July to September 2023, published on 21 March 2024.

As outlined in that publication, the flight was also used to support regular movement of military personnel between the UK and the USA. These were not included in the number of officials nor in the cost calculations for the trip in order to maintain operational security.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department's press release of 27 February 2024 entitled UK businesses welcome protection for iconic British food and drink in Japan, what the outcome was of the application by the Japanese authorities to award geographical indication status in the UK to Iwate Mokutan/Iwate Kirizumi, as published for consultation by the Department for International Trade on 21 December 2021.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Kikuchi Suiden Gobo was added onto the UK GI register as a protected product on 8 March 2024. The department has amended the press release of 27 February 2024 to include Kikuchi Suiden Gobo. The updated press release can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-businesses-welcome-protection-for-iconic-british-food-and-drink-in-japan.

The entry for Yatsushiro Tokusan Banpeiyu was delayed but has now been completed and is listed alongside the other 37 first tranche products from Japan.

The UK was unable to register Iwate Mokutan as a GI because there is no classification under current UK domestic legislation which could include charcoal. The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs wrote to the Japanese authorities in 2022 to explain this decision, which they accepted.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the contract awarded by her Department to Ethypharm UK Ltd on 27 January 2022 for the storage and management of the Department's Naloxone buffer stock, how many packs of Naloxone were distributed from the buffer stock for use by patients in the UK in the (a) 2021-22, (b) 2022-23, and (c) 2023-24 financial year.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

No packs of naloxone were distributed from the buffer stock for use by patients, in the financial years 2021/22, 2022/23, or 2023/24. The buffer stock is maintained in case of an unprecedented demand for naloxone arising, that would exceed the capacity of business-as-usual stock, for instance due to an incident of unusually harmful opioids. Such an incident has not arisen to date. The Government remains committed to maintaining this vital precautionary measure, and would authorise the release of buffer stock supplies when needed.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many miles vehicles in the Government Car Service fleet drove in financial years (a) 2021-22, (b) 2022-23 and (c) 2023-24; and how many vehicles were in the fleet at the end of each of those years.

Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Please see below in relation to fleet mileage and numbers. Figures for the fleet mileage for the financial year 2023/2024 are not available. This is due to the legacy reporting system used by GCS no longer being supported by the Department for Transports IT suite. Figures for 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 are available as they have had been produced in previous years. The figures for fleet numbers have been collated manually.

Given the ongoing security context, demand for Ministerial cars has naturally increased. New cars are also purchased before older models are disposed of to ensure operational resilience and we anticipate at least 10 cars will be disposed of in the coming months. Our budget for new cars has remained consistent over recent years and we continue to take into account value for money for the taxpayer, bearing down on costs wherever possible.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department's contingent liability approval framework guidance, updated on 20 April 2023, how many applications for contingent liability approval his Department has (a) received and (b) approved have fallen in the average cost per crystallisation category of (i) less than £10 million, (ii) £10 million to £50 million, (iii) £50 million to £100 million, (iv) £100 million to £500 million, (v) £500 million to £1 billion and (vi) more than £1 billion in each financial year from (a) 2017-18 to (B) 2023-24 to date.

Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The contingent liability approval framework sets out government’s policy framework for new contingent liabilities and a delegation approach.

The government is committed to transparency on its contingent liability portfolio. For that reason, at the 2023 Autumn Statement UKGI published a comprehensive assessment of government exposure to contingent liabilities, the “Annual Report on the UK Government’s Contingent Liabilities, November 2023”.

Government also reports individual liabilities to parliament, as set out in Managing Public Money.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department's contingent liability approval framework guidance, updated on 20 April 2023, how many applications for contingent liability approval his Department has (a) received and (b) approved have fallen in the reasonable worst case exposure category of (i) less than £10 million, (ii) £10 million to £50 million, (iii) £50 million to £100 million, (iv) £100 million to £500 million, (v) £500 million to £1 billion and (vi) more than £1 billion in each financial year from (A) 2017-18 to (B) 2023-24 to date.

Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The contingent liability approval framework sets out government’s policy framework for new contingent liabilities and a delegation approach.

The government is committed to transparency on its contingent liability portfolio. For that reason, at the 2023 Autumn Statement UKGI published a comprehensive assessment of government exposure to contingent liabilities, the “Annual Report on the UK Government’s Contingent Liabilities, November 2023”.

Government also reports individual liabilities to parliament, as set out in Managing Public Money.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department's contingent liability approval framework guidance, updated on 20 April 2023, what the total lifetime expected net cost was of all the applications for contingent liability approved by his Department in each financial year from (a) 2017-18 to (b) 2023-24 to date.

Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The contingent liability approval framework sets out government’s policy framework for new contingent liabilities and a delegation approach.

The government is committed to transparency on its contingent liability portfolio. For that reason, at the 2023 Autumn Statement UKGI published a comprehensive assessment of government exposure to contingent liabilities, the “Annual Report on the UK Government’s Contingent Liabilities, November 2023”.

Government also reports individual liabilities to parliament, as set out in Managing Public Money.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the value of her Department's (a) remote and (b) non-remote quantifiable contingent liabilities was on (i) 31 March (A) 2017, (B) 2018, (C) 2019, (D) 2020, (E) 2021, (F) 2022 and (G) 2023 and (ii) 26 March 2024.

Answered by Alan Mak - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade) (jointly with the Cabinet Office)

The value of departmental contingent liabilities for the periods up to and including the 2022/23 financial year have already been published in the former Department for International Trade's Annual Report and Accounts which is available at the following location:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-international-trade-annual-report-and-accounts.

Contingent liabilities for the current financial year will be published in the Department for Business and Trade's Annual Report and Accounts in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 23 February 2023 to Question 126744, when he expects to appoint a new anti-corruption champion.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)

A new Anti-Corruption Champion will be appointed in due course.

Please refer to the recent Question 902335 by the Member for North East Fife, for information on the Anti-Corruption Strategy.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 15 April 2024 to Question 20231 on Ministry of Defence: Aviation and with reference to page 13 of the Cabinet Office Guidance on Ministers’ gifts (given and received), travel, hospitality received and meetings with external organisations and individuals, updated on 2 April 2024, for what reason the answer does not provide the total cost of each RAF flight.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Transparency data is provided in line with longstanding Government guidance, this includes the provision of costs for RAF flights for Ministerial travel.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much VisitBritain spent on the promotion of tourism to London under its GREAT-funded international campaigns in financial years (a) 2021-22, (b) 2022-23, and (c) 2023-24.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

As VisitBritain’s GREAT-marketing campaigns cover the whole of Britain, they do not break down spend by specific regions.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2023 to Question 2884 on UK Border Force: Dogs and with reference to the Answer of 31 July 2017 to Question 5188 on UK Border Force: Dogs, for what reason his Department was able to provide that information to Question 5188.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

Home Office concerns about the operations of Border Force lead to the information being deemed sensitive and not for public release; I refer the Rt Hon Member to the previous answer expressing concerns about the impact on the security of our borders.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the contract agreed by his Department with Press Data Ltd. on 1 April 2024 under procurement reference 410700/1338489, if he will publish the (a) work specification set out in Schedule 20 of that contract and (b) list of words used by the contractor to generate daily media briefings for his Department.

Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

A redacted version of Call-Off Schedule 20, which includes the specification, will be published within the next 30 days.

The supplier provides the requested search terms as part of the contract service, the search terms themselves are not specified in the contract or any contract documentation and will not be published.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Answer of 23 November 2023 to Question 2542 on Legal Aid Scheme: Manchester and Middlesbrough, what progress has been made on preparing the evaluation report into the early legal advice pilot scheme; and when he plans to publish that report.

Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

We plan to publish all Early Legal Advice Pilot (ELAP) outputs in accordance with Government Social Research protocols very soon.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the ministerial department figures in his Department's workforce management information data for February and March 2023, for what reason the payroll staff numbers are different between the two months but the payroll staff costs are identical.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

March 2023 payroll costs were not available in time for inclusion in the March 2023 monthly workforce management information update, so February 2023 data was re-used as an estimate to be revised when the data had been received.

Payroll staff costs for March 2023 have now been revised in the Defra workforce management information collection on GOV.UK to reflect the correct payroll staff costs.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the contract agreed by his Department with DF Press on 24 March 2024 under procurement reference CCCS23A10, for what purpose the press office services to be provided under that contract are required; and if he will publish schedule 20 of that contract agreement.

Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

In common with many arms-length bodies, the House of Lords Appointments Commission (HOLAC) has a separate press officer to ensure that the Commission can be fully accountable to the public, the Government and Parliament, and to support its independent advisory role to the Prime Minister.

It is Cabinet Office policy to publish Contracts with a value of over £10,000 on Contracts Finder within 30 days of Contract Award. Crown Commercial Service, Cabinet Office’s procurement arm, has published the Contract Schedules in accordance with the publication timescales and the information is now available.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the contract agreed by his Department with ZK Analytics Limited on 18 March 2024, procurement reference 23425, if he will publish the deliverables specified in Annex F of that contract.

Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

A redacted copy of Annex F – Deliverables will be uploaded to Contracts Finder within the next 10 days.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 19 April 2024 to Question 20567 on Food: Japan, which two products were included in the second tranche submitted to the Japanese authorities other than Armagh Bramley Apples, Ayrshire New Potatoes, Beacon Fell Lancashire Cheese, Bonchester Cheese, Buxton Blue, Carmarthen Ham, Cornish Sardines, Darnibole Wine, Dorset Blue Cheese, Dovedale Cheese, Exmoor Blue Cheese, Fal Oyster, Fenland Celery, Gloucestershire Cider, Gloucestershire Perry, Lakeland Herdwick, Native Shetland Wool, New Season Comber Potatoes, Newmarket Sausage, Orkney Beef, Orkney Lamb, Rutland Bitter, Scottish Wild Salmon, Shetland Lamb, Swaledale Cheese, Swaledale Ewes Cheese, Teviotdale Cheese, Traditional Welsh Cider, Traditional Welsh Perry, Vale of Clwyd Denbigh Plum, Vale of Evesham Asparagus, West Wales Coracle Caught Salmon, West Wales Coracle Caught Sewin, Whitstable Oysters, Worcestershire Cider, Worcestershire Perry and Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

I refer the Honourable Member to response UIN 20567, tabled on 26 March 2024.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department's publication entitled DfT: spending over £500, December 2023, published on 25 April 2024, which Minister used RD Chauffeur Services on 18 December 2023; and what the (a) location and (b) purpose of the visit was.

Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Baroness Vere of Norbiton visited Northern Ireland between 27-29 September 2023 to conduct ministerial visits in relation to aviation and maritime. RD Chauffeur services provided a secure car service for these visits. The invoice was paid on 18 December 2023.

The Government Car Service is used wherever possible. On occasion, external companies are used for ministerial visits.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract agreed by his Department with IPSOS-MORI Ltd. on 18 April 2024, reference 412008/1329297, if he will publish the order specification set out in Schedule 20 of that agreement.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

We can confirm that the statement of requirements document has been added to the contract finder notice and can be viewed here: ASB Hot Spot Survey - Contracts Finder

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 19 April 2024 to Question 21943 on Official Cars, which organisation holds the information for the total miles driven by vehicles in the Government Car Service fleet from the start of financial year 2022-23 onwards; and by what means hon. Members can seek to obtain that information.

Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The information for 2022/23 was provided in response to Question 21943 (838,113.00). As a result of changes to legacy IT systems, the information for 2023/24 would only be available at a disproportionate cost.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department's publication entitled DfT: spending over £500, December 2023, published on 25 April 2024, which Minister used Network Executive Ltd on 14 December 2023; and what the (a) location and (b) purpose of the visit was.

Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

On 1^st December 2023, Minister Opperman travelled to Barrow-in-Furness, the Grizebeck bypass, opened the A595 improvements and had further ministerial meetings in and around Carlisle. The invoice for this visit was paid on 14^th December 2023.

The Government Car Service is used wherever possible. On occasions, external companies are used for ministerial visits.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Home Office procurement card spend over £500: February 2024, published on 23 April 2024, what the overseas costs linked to his visit were for the £636.48 paid to Fletcher Gallery Services Ltd on 20 February 2024.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

a) Honourable Society

These costs were incurred for the procurement of a venue for publication day launch of the Angiolini Inquiry Part 1 report.

b) Cinnamon Club

These costs were incurred for the Permanent Secretary’s hosting of US Department of Justice officials in the UK, as part of the HO-DoJ Strategic Dialogue.

c) Fletcher Gallery Services

These costs (none overseas) were incurred for the purchase of departmental furnishings.

d) Cloveride

These costs were incurred for the hire of two chauffeured vehicles for the Home Secretary’s official visit to New York in February 2024.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Home Office procurement card spend over £500: February 2024, published on 23 April 2024, what the overseas costs linked to his visit were for the £4,409.66 paid to Cloveride Inc on 28 February 2024.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

a) Honourable Society

These costs were incurred for the procurement of a venue for publication day launch of the Angiolini Inquiry Part 1 report.

b) Cinnamon Club

These costs were incurred for the Permanent Secretary’s hosting of US Department of Justice officials in the UK, as part of the HO-DoJ Strategic Dialogue.

c) Fletcher Gallery Services

These costs (none overseas) were incurred for the purchase of departmental furnishings.

d) Cloveride

These costs were incurred for the hire of two chauffeured vehicles for the Home Secretary’s official visit to New York in February 2024.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Home Office procurement card spend over £500: February 2024, published on 23 April 2024, what the overseas costs linked to his visit were for the £705.93 paid to The Cinnamon Club on 16 February 2024.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

a) Honourable Society

These costs were incurred for the procurement of a venue for publication day launch of the Angiolini Inquiry Part 1 report.

b) Cinnamon Club

These costs were incurred for the Permanent Secretary’s hosting of US Department of Justice officials in the UK, as part of the HO-DoJ Strategic Dialogue.

c) Fletcher Gallery Services

These costs (none overseas) were incurred for the purchase of departmental furnishings.

d) Cloveride

These costs were incurred for the hire of two chauffeured vehicles for the Home Secretary’s official visit to New York in February 2024.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the correction notice published on 19 April 2024 in relation to his Department's 2022-23 annual report, what are the top five categories of supplies and spares in the armed forces' inventories where his Department has identified discrepancies between the originally published totals of 740 million items of more than 640,000 different types and the revised totals of 457 million items of more than 517,000 different types.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The top five categories of supplies and spares in the armed forces' inventories amounting to the total of 457 million items and 517,000 different types are as follows:

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Home Office procurement card spend over £500: February 2024, published on 23 April 2024, which Honourable Society was paid £10,112.40 on 27 February 2024; and what the publication launch was for which that venue was booked.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

a) Honourable Society

These costs were incurred for the procurement of a venue for publication day launch of the Angiolini Inquiry Part 1 report.

b) Cinnamon Club

These costs were incurred for the Permanent Secretary’s hosting of US Department of Justice officials in the UK, as part of the HO-DoJ Strategic Dialogue.

c) Fletcher Gallery Services

These costs (none overseas) were incurred for the purchase of departmental furnishings.

d) Cloveride

These costs were incurred for the hire of two chauffeured vehicles for the Home Secretary’s official visit to New York in February 2024.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the correction notices published on 19 April 2024 in relation to his Department's annual reports from 2018-19 to 2022-23, what accounts for the inaccurate estimates of the armed forces' inventories of supplies and spares published in the original copies of those reports; and whether the equivalent estimates in his Department's annual reports for years prior to 2018-19 remain accurate.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

This was an unfortunate administrative error, however the note to the accounts on volumes of inventory is essentially narrative and is not audited. The financial values of the stock that we hold are audited and the Department is confident in their accuracy in each set of accounts. Reporting responsibility for the quantities of inventory within the Department and included within the notes to the accounts changed in financial year 2017-18, therefore data prior to this time is unavailable. We have no reason to believe that the data was inaccurate prior to this point but are unable to confirm this.