Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has the ability to issue penalties for performance in relation to Capita's contract for administering the Civil Service Pension.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government. The Civil Service Pension Scheme transferred to Capita on 1 December 2025.
The contract includes key performance indicators that, if not met, include financial penalties. These have already been applied in respect of Capita’s performance in December.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the oral evidence given by the Paymaster General and Minister for the Constitution and European Union Relations to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee session on 28 January 2026, HC 463, whether his Department has conducted an economic impact assessment on the potential cost to the public purse of providing loans and compensations to people impacted by delays to the receipt of their civil service pensions.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government. The Civil Service Pension Scheme transferred to Capita on 1 December 2025 and is experiencing significant performance issues in delivering services to members. The delays facing some civil servants and pension scheme members in accessing their pensions is unacceptable.
No former civil servant should be facing financial hardship as a result of delays to their pension. We are putting in place interest-free bridging loans of up to £5,000 (and up to £10,000 in exceptional cases) to recent retirees facing payment delays. These loans are to be repaid and will be met from existing departmental settlements. The provision of bridging loans and potential compensation does not require an economic impact assessment as this is not a new, revised or de-regulatory policy, bill or statutory instrument.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many meetings Ministers in his department have had with CAPITA in regard to the administration of the civil service pension scheme.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government. The Civil Service Pension Scheme transferred to Capita on 1 December 2025 and is experiencing significant performance issues in delivering services to members.The delays facing some civil servants and pension scheme members in accessing their pensions is unacceptable.
Cabinet Office officials are meeting with Capita on a daily basis to progress the recovery plan, agree priority actions and review performance in order to move to the expected timelines and standards of service for all members as soon as possible. The Minister for the Cabinet Office also meets with the Capita CEO on a regular basis.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Civil Service Pension Scheme payments to beavered spouses are outstanding.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government. The Civil Service Pension Scheme transferred to Capita on 1 December 2025 and is experiencing significant performance issues in delivering services to members.The delays facing some civil servants and pension scheme members in accessing their pensions is unacceptable.
There are currently 6,300 open bereavement-related cases, with approximately 75% of cases inherited from the previous administrator. About 300 cases are death in service and are being treated as the highest priority. Many of these cases require the calculation and implementation of payments to surviving spouses or partners.
We are implementing a clear recovery plan with Capita, covering all aspects of the pension administration service. A specialist task force has been deployed with a commitment to restore all bereavement services and death in service by the end of February.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 for responding to cyber attacks.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Civil Contingencies Act (CCA) 2004 and the associated Regulations deliver a single framework for civil protection in the UK. The Cabinet Office has a legal obligation to review the CCA every five years. The most recent review was published in March 2022 and concluded that the Act continues to achieve its stated objectives. The next review will be by 2027.
The legislation is deliberately broad ranging and sets out the requirements to consider all emergencies that threaten serious damage to human welfare in the UK; the environment of a place in the UK; or war, or terrorism, which threatens serious damage to the security of the UK.
We have been clear that cyber security is an absolute necessity to protect the British people, our public services and businesses. The UK has arrangements in place for a range of potential emergencies, including cyber attacks.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department plans to review the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 in response to new threats from (a) state actors and (b) non-state actors.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Civil Contingencies Act (CCA) 2004 and the associated Regulations deliver a single framework for civil protection in the UK. The Cabinet Office has a legal obligation to review the CCA every five years. The most recent review was published in March 2022 and concluded that the Act continues to achieve its stated objectives. The next review will be delivered by 2027.
The legislation is deliberately broad ranging and sets out the requirements to consider all emergencies that threaten serious damage to human welfare in the UK; the environment of a place in the UK; or war, or terrorism, which threatens serious damage to the security of the UK.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an equalities impact assessment of the provisions within the (a) Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 and (b) Jews Relief Act 1858 in the context of the appointment of bishops within the Church of England on the advice of (i) Catholic and (ii) Jewish Prime Ministers.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government recognises that there are historical restrictions in statute on Roman Catholic and Jewish people making and advising the Crown on Church appointments. The Government will keep this matter under review but, given other pressing issues, this is not a current priority.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of people aged 66 and over who were in paid employment as of 1 January 2025.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 17th March is attached.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment the Government has made of the potential merits of reviewing the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 in relation to the provisions around the appointment of bishops within the Church of England.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government introduced legislation on 13 February to remove the legal barrier to Roman Catholics holding the office of Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. This short and narrowly-focused Bill facilitates the upcoming appointment of the first Roman Catholic Lord High Commissioner for the next General Assembly in May.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish a list of Parliamentary Private Secretaries.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The list of Parliamentary Private Secretaries as of September 2024 is published on gov.uk and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/list-of-parliamentary-private-secretaries-pps-september-2024