Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many times in the past year outside speakers invited to Civil Service events have had their invitations withdrawn after having their social media accounts vetted; and what criteria were used for such vetting.

We do not centrally collate information on the number of people who are identified as unsuitable for speaking at Government events.

Civil Service Human Resources who sit within the Cabinet Office developed guidance for all Cross-Government Diversity networks. This requires the networks to carry out checks on external speakers prior to inviting them to participate in Civil Service events.

We are aware that some departments (including Cabinet Office) and agencies have adapted this guidance to apply to departmental Diversity Networks and learning events. We do not have a record of how many departments have adapted the guidance or whether they record information on speakers.