Cabinet Office

The European Partnership Bill will provide the necessary powers to deliver treaties with the European Union now and in the future. Parliament will have the opportunity to scrutinise the Bill when it is introduced to Parliament in the usual way.

I refer the Hon Member to the Joint E3 Leaders’ Statement with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine from 7 June 2026, available on gov.uk.

HR documents are retained in line with the Cabinet Office Information and Records Policy. The Cabinet Office Records Selection Policy sets out which records the Cabinet Office will select for permanent preservation.

The Civil Service is committed to being an inclusive employer. Departments report annually on their gender pay gap producing action plans to specifically target drivers of GPG and pay disparities within their respective organisations. 2025 data shows the lowest recorded gender pay gaps since overall Civil Service reporting began in 2020.

No Cabinet Secretaries or Permanent Secretaries have left through ‘mutually agreed exits’.

A mutually agreed exit is defined as a form of negotiated exit under the terms of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS).

Details of any payments made to permanent secretaries are published in their relevant Department Annual Report and Accounts.

120 members of the public have been recruited to the People’s Panel on Digital ID, using the methodology outlined in PQ 119977.

In line with standard practice, the costs of economy travel, accommodation, meals and reasonable adjustments to enable inclusive participation in the process will be covered. The costs of alcohol are not included for participants or convenors. All in person sessions take place in Birmingham.

New model Policy and Guidance: Supporting Trans and Non-binary Employees was issued to departments on 22 May 2026. These may be used by departments as templates for their own departmental guidance.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 2nd June is attached.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the lady’s Parliamentary Question of 20th May is attached.

The Cabinet Office recognises the FDA for collective bargaining on the terms of the annual pay award for special advisers. The Cabinet Office does not consult the FDA on individual pay rises or exit payments for special advisers.

There is no facility time agreement in place specifically for special advisers, but any arrangements would follow the Cabinet Office’s centrally issued facility time framework.

All council taxes invoices have been correctly paid where received for Government Property Agency dwellings.

The review conducted by the Government Security Group into whether any security concerns were raised during Peter Mandelson’s tenure as HMA Washington will be an internal review only. This is to enable thorough examination of any national security issues. As it is an internal review, the Terms of Reference will not be published. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet Secretary will receive the final report.

I refer the Hon Member to the Government’s statement and release of information on 1st June, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The documents published in the first and second tranches contain the entirety of the documents the Government has available for disclosure, except those being withheld at the request of the Metropolitan police.

As set out in the methodological note included in this publication, in order that the Government could respond swiftly and transparently to discharge the spirit and letter of the Humble Address, search parameters were included based on the limbs of the Humble Address motion. All relevant individuals were instructed to retain and provide to the Cabinet Office all information they held that falls in scope of the Humble Address motion.

I refer the Hon Member to the Government’s statement and release of information on 1st June, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The documents published in the first and second tranches contain the entirety of the documents the Government has available for disclosure, except those being withheld at the request of the Metropolitan police.

As set out in the methodological note included in this publication, in order that the Government could respond swiftly and transparently to discharge the spirit and letter of the Humble Address, search parameters were included based on the limbs of the Humble Address motion. All relevant individuals were instructed to retain and provide to the Cabinet Office all information they held that falls in scope of the Humble Address motion.

The Prime Minister’s Special Reviewer on Global Finance and Cooperation has access to appropriate office space on the government estate as required. Policy experts, including within the Cabinet Office, will assist with his work as required.

Direct ministerial appointees are public office holders and are therefore not employees. Their terms of engagement make clear that there is no construed contract of employment between an appointee and their appointing body. As such, typical conditions and entitlements under employment law, such as those around formal retirement, do not apply to public office holders.

Direct ministerial appointments are also generally short-term and non-recurring in nature. When making such appointments, ministers will take into account the suitability of prospective appointees to meet the criteria for the role and their ability to fulfil the role’s duties. Direct ministerial appointments are made entirely at the discretion of ministers, who may terminate such appointments at any time with or without notice.

I refer the Hon Member to the Government’s statement and release of information on 1st June and the debate of 3rd June, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. As the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister confirmed to the House, the vetting summary and recommendation was shared with the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) as part of the response to the Humble Address.

The Volume II publication outlined the definition of personal information and the Government's approach to fulfilling the Humble Address.

As noted in PQ 124837, recruitment of additional members is under consideration. Any additional recruitment will take place in compliance with the governance code.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 3 February 2026, Official Report, PQ 110410.

As per the published Guidance on Making Direct Ministerial Appointments, appropriate open-source due diligence should be carried out by the department responsible for the appointment.

I refer the Hon Member to the Government’s statement and release of information on 1st June, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The documents published in the first and second tranches contain the entirety of the documents the Government has available for disclosure, except those being withheld at the request of the Metropolitan police.

This Government is determined to ensure that the £400bn spent annually on procurement benefits British industry, jobs, and skills.

This government recently brought in The Local Government (Non-commercial Considerations) (England) Order 2026 so that local authorities in England can reserve competitions for below-threshold contracts to local or UK businesses. In addition, the Department for Transport has recently published a 10- year Zero Emission Bus (ZEB) Order Pipeline detailing the expected procurement of battery-electric and zero-emission buses between 2026 and 2035. This will provide far greater planning certainty for UK bus manufacturers.

I also announced new reforms on March 26th 2026 to ensure that government procurement does much more to protect national security, including by supporting critical UK industries, in line with our international trade agreements, and that it helps deliver a fairer economy. As part of this, we are creating a new definition of Social Value in Government Procurement, which will give additional weight to support local jobs, skills and community impact.

The EIC’s review into lobbying, disclosure and access to government includes looking at whether the current Business Appointment Rules are sufficient, in particular in respect of managing potentially improper access to, and influence within, government. The Business Appointment Rules apply to Ministers and Crown Servants at all levels, including special advisers.

As the terms of reference set out, in undertaking this review it will be important for the EIC to seek views from stakeholders, including the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards.

The Government will then publish the Review’s findings and present the Government’s response to Parliament

We have made a choice to align with the EU in some areas where it makes sense to do so in our national interest - such as our food and drink and emissions trading agreements. Combined, these agreements alone are set to add up to £9 billion a year to the UK economy by 2040. A linking agreement would also save UK industry from paying the EU CBAM charge on £7bn worth of UK exports. We have recently started negotiations on joining the internal electricity market. The government will ensure these agreements are consistent with its wider international obligations.

We don’t provide a running commentary on current, or future negotiations. But this government’s red lines are clear: there will be no return to the Single Market, Customs Union or freedom of movement.

I refer the Hon Member to the Government’s statement and release of information on 1st June, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The documents published in the first and second tranches contain the entirety of the documents the Government has available for disclosure, except those being withheld at the request of the Metropolitan police.

I refer the Hon Member to the Government’s statement and release of information on 1st June, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The documents published in the first and second tranches contain the entirety of the documents the Government has available for disclosure, except those being withheld at the request of the Metropolitan police.

I refer the Hon Member to the Government’s statement and release of information on 1st June, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The methodological note included in this publication provides a detailed overview of the commissioning process.

The obligations and requirements of the Civil Service Code and Diplomatic Service Code are set out publicly. Peter Mandelson is no longer a civil servant.

I refer the Hon Member to the Government’s statement and release of information on 1st June, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The documents published in the first and second tranches contain the entirety of the documents the Government has available for disclosure, except those being withheld at the request of the Metropolitan police.

I refer the Hon Member to the Government’s statement and release of information on 1st June, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The documents published in the first and second tranches contain the entirety of the documents the Government has available for disclosure, except those being withheld at the request of the Metropolitan police.

In accordance with the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, Special advisers are not entitled to have access to sensitive, security or intelligence reports unless they have completed National Security Vetting to the appropriate level. A number of new Special Advisers were therefore vetted in July 2024 as priority cases. The ability to prioritise cases is a standard service from UK Security Vetting and involves the same checks and standards as all clearances.

The Prime Minister follows Government's advice on non-corporate communications channels.

The Cabinet Secretary has asked the Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary, to lead on the response to the Humble Address. Staff from across the Cabinet Office are involved in compliance with the Humble Address motion as necessary. Civil Servants remain bound by the Civil Service Code at all times, and by their departmental policies on managing conflicts of interest.

I refer the Hon Member to the Government’s statement and release of information on 1st June, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The Government’s methodology in complying with the Humble Address was set out in the Volume II publication.

For documents requiring redactions related to national security or international relations, the Intelligence and Security Committee provided assistance with the review process, for which the Government is grateful. Any other targeted redactions have been made in accordance with clear precedents established by previous governments in their responses to Humble Addresses.

Specifically, these targeted redactions are in order to protect:

a. Individuals’ email addresses and phone numbers;

b. The identities of junior civil servants;

c. Third party data - including the personal or commercially sensitive data of third parties not relevant to the motion; and

d. Legal professional privilege

Policy analysis on options for reforming collective agreement is ongoing and we have high ambitions for speeding up the government’s decision making processes. All options are being considered for how this success is measured. There are currently no plans to perform a retrospective assessment of which decisions would have been sped-up as a result of any proposed reforms.

Policy analysis on options for reforming collective agreement is ongoing and we have high ambitions for speeding up the government’s decision making processes. All options are being considered for how this success is measured. There are currently no plans to perform a retrospective assessment of which decisions would have been sped-up as a result of any proposed reforms.

The Prime Minister has announced that the Government will update the Cabinet Manual to ensure it remains an authoritative guide to the UK’s constitutional arrangements.

The Cabinet Secretary has set out her intention to refresh the Civil Service Code to ensure it is up to date, well understood, and adhered to across the Civil Service.

GCS works closely with media partners and makes use of advanced technical capabilities, including artificial intelligence-driven tools, verification systems, and third-party brand safety tools, to ensure official content is served in safe, authentic, and suitable environments.

GCS continuously monitors developments from regulators to ensure that all platforms hosting official government messages uphold robust security measures.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 10 February 2026, Official Report, PQ 112242.

Official information, wherever stored, is considered to be held by the Crown.

I refer the Member for Kingswinford and South Staffordshire to the Government’s 2023 ‘Guidance on Using Non-Corporate Communication Channels for Government Business’ for further detail.

The Independent Reviewer’s name and further details about the review will be announced to the House before its work commences.

The Member for Kingswinford and South Staffordshire will be aware that the Government is planning an independent strategic review into the use of non-corporate communications channels. This will consider any non-corporate means of communication.