Cabinet Office

We do not comment on the details of individual clearances or national security as a matter of course.

We do not comment on the details of individual clearances or national security as a matter of course.

I refer you to the statement made by the Prime Minister on 20 April, and his answers to the questions raised in response, including his commitment that the Government would continue to comply with the instructions of Parliament in the Humble Address of 4 February.

I refer you to the Government's statement and release of information on 11th March, the statement made by the Prime Minister on 20 April, and the Government’s response to the debate of 21 April, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The Government is working to ensure that Parliament’s instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.

I refer the Hon Member to my previous answers.

The lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic and other events, such as the preparations for Brexit, have played a significant role in the way in which the UK prepares for and responds to crises. The influence of these events can be seen in the revisions to guidance, such as the Amber Book, which provides a framework for how the UK central government collectively responds to crises. The Resilience Action Plan, published in July 2025 following a review into the UK government's resilience, sets out the steps we are taking to make the UK more resilient to a wide range of risks, including international events.

A response has been issued here.

United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) provides a range of independent vetting services designed to identify potential personnel security risks. However, the employing department ultimately owns the risk of any appointment decision. Senior officials with responsibility for personnel security within their department evaluate vetting outcomes alongside the specific requirements of a post and the organisation's risk appetite.

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

Please see the letter attached from the Permanent Secretary for the Office of National Statistics.

Darren Tierney | Permanent Secretary

The Rt Hon. the Lord Wigley

House of Lords

London

SW1A 0PW

15 April 2026

Dear Lord Wigley,

As Permanent Secretary of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking how many immigrants took residence in the UK in the latest year for which figures are available; and how many of those came to the UK by small boat crossing of the English Channel (HL15948).

Based on our latest estimates[1] which look at long-term international migration (long-term is where people change their usual place of residence for a period of 12 months or more). In the year ending June 2025, we estimated that:

• 898,000 people came to the UK for 12 months or more

• 693,000 people left the UK for 12 months or more

• Therefore, net migration was estimated at 204,000[2]

While these figures include those arriving for asylum, the ONS does not produce estimates on the number of arrivals by small boat. However, the Home Office and Border Force provide data on small boat arrivals for the last 7 days[3] and a timeseries updated weekly back to 2018. In year ending June 2025, the Home Office estimates that the number of people recorded as arriving in the UK on small boats was 43,309[4].

Those arriving in small boats who claim asylum would appear in our asylum estimates. In year ending June 2025, the ONS immigration estimate includes a total of 96,000 people that came to the UK for asylum.

Yours sincerely,

Darren Tierney

[1]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/internationalmigration/bulletins/longterminternationalmigrationprovisional/yearendingjune2025

[2] Net migration is calculated by subtracting emigration estimates from immigration estimates. We do this with unrounded estimates so the rounded numbers may not always match this calculation exactly.

[3] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/migrants-detected-crossing-the-english-channel-in-small-boats/migrants-detected-crossing-the-english-channel-in-small-boats-last-7-days

[4] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-system-statistics-year-ending-june-2025/how-many-people-come-to-the-uk-irregularly#small-boat-arrivals

It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Missions remain a priority across Government departments.

It would not be appropriate to comment on individual staffing matters.

It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation.

For the purposes of the Summer Intelligence Internship, ‘White Other’ ethnic minorities include, for example, Romany Gypsy, Scottish Travellers, or Irish Travellers. This does not include White Irish.

Ministerial travel is undertaken using efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements. Security considerations are also taken into account.

It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Ministers are appointed and dismissed by the Sovereign on the sole advice of the Prime Minister.

As the Ministerial Code sets out, ministers only remain in office for so long as they retain the confidence of the Prime Minister.

I refer the Hon Member to the Statement provided by the Prime Minister on 20 April 2026 titled Security Vetting, Official Report, Column 24-25.

I refer the Hon Member to the Government's statement and release of information on 11th March, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The Government is working to ensure that Parliament’s instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.

UKSV does not centrally categorise individuals by their specific terms of appointment, such as whether they are a public appointee.

In line with the practice followed by successive administrations, the Government does not otherwise comment on security matters, including providing granular data on the volumes of specific clearance types.

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

Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.

The Rt Hon. the Lord Redwood

House of Lords

London

SW1A 0PW

28 April 2026

As Permanent Secretary of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking how many jobs have been lost in the last year in the oil, gas, petrochemicals, refining and general chemical sectors (HL16637).

In December 2025, in the UK, there were an estimated 10,000 workforce jobs1 in the mining of coal and lignite; extraction of crude petrol/gas sector (standard industrial classification (SIC) divisions 05-06), a decrease of 2,000 compared with December 2024.

In December 2025, in the UK, there were an estimated 8,000 workforce jobs1 in the manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products sector (standard industrial classification (SIC) division 19), a decrease of 2,000 compared with December 2024.

In December 2025, in the UK, there were 99,000 workforce jobs2 in the manufacture of chemicals and chemical products sector (standard industrial classification (SIC) division 20), an increase of 2,000 compared with December 2024.

A full time series of data can be found in Table 1. Please note that these data are not

seasonally adjusted.

Table 1: Number of workforce jobs3 in the manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and

semi-trailers sector, UK, not seasonally adjusted.

Source: Office for National Statistics

These data are published quarterly in tables JOBS03: Employee jobs by industry4 and JOBS04: Self-employment jobs by industry5. The most recent data, up to December 2025, were published as part of our Vacancies and jobs in the UK: March 20266 bulletin, which was published on 19 March 2026.

Yours sincerely,

Darren Tierney

1Estimates of workforce jobs include employee jobs and self-employment jobs only, these estimates

exclude any government supported trainees in these sectors.

2 Estimates are presented to the nearest 1,000 and changes have been calculated on rounded

estimates.

3 Estimates of workforce jobs include employee jobs and self-employment jobs only, these estimates

exclude any government supported trainees in these sectors.

4https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/d

atasets/employeejobsbyindustryjobs03

5https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/d

atasets/selfemploymentjobsbyindustryjobs04

6https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/b

ulletins/jobsandvacanciesintheuk/march2026

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

Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.

The Lord Clement-Jones CBE

House of Lords

London

SW1A 0PW

28 April 2026

Dear Lord Clement-Jones,

As Permanent Secretary of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I am responding to your Parliamentary Questions, asking whether the UK submitted any nominations for the UN Consultative Advisory Board on the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, and what steps they are taking to ensure UK expertise contributes to the Board's global mandate(HL16600); what, if any, financial or human resources they plan to contribute to the UN Statistics Division to support the operations of the UN's Consultative Advisory Board on the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics (HL16601); whether the UK Statistics Authority will outline the national mechanisms in place in the UK to resolve issues regarding adherence to the UN's Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, in light of the UN Consultative Advisory Board on the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics' principle of subsidiarity (HL16602); how the UK Statistics Authority plans to engage with the UN's Consultative Advisory Board on the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics to ensure that UK statistical producers adopt the Board's forthcoming updated implementation guidelines (HL16603) and how the UK Statistics Authority plan to assist the UN's Consultative Advisory Board on the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics in its mandate to raise global awareness and facilitate dialogue sessions with policymakers to build trust in official statistics (HL16604)

The UK was involved in the development of the Consultative Advisory Board and its terms of reference, alongside like-minded partners, to ensure it is relevant and impactful for those who request its support. The ONS was not asked to be a member of the board, and its membership was nominated by the Bureau of the UN Statistical Commission. It is worth noting that membership rotates and the UK will have the opportunity to join in the future.

The UK continues to support the work of the UN Statistical Division, as it is one of the most prominent organisations working in global statistics. We are a member of the wider UN Statistical Commission’s membership and have been since its creation1. We continue to provide resource through our engagement and chairing of UN working groups and bureaus, leading the delivery of projects relevant to the production and dissemination of statistics.

The Code of Practice for Statistics2 sets standards that producers of official statistics should commit to and is already consistent with the UN Fundamental Principles. This is maintained by the Office for Statistics Regulation, the regulatory arm of the UK Statistics Authority.

The ONS will engage with the work of the Consultative Advisory Board through the usual member state engagement conducted for updates to manuals and guidelines produced by the UN Statistical Commission, the UN Statistical Division, or its regional commissions. This process is outlined with the terms of reference3 for the board.

Finally, the ONS regularly assists in efforts to highlight the importance of the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, taking part in events to increase their profile, including its 30th anniversary events in 20244. In addition to this, as mentioned above, we will oversee the work of the Advisory Board, engaging directly with its annual reports, and we will play an active role in the review of the Board’s work that is expected to be completed after its first year. This will help to ensure the work is impactful and relevant for statistical producers, whose outputs policy makers rely upon.

Yours sincerely,

Darren Tierney

1. https://unstats.un.org/unsd/statcom/57th-session/documents/Membership-2026.pdf

2. https://code.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Code-of-Practice-for-Statistics-3.0.pdf

3. https://unstats.un.org/UNSDWebsite/statcom/session_57/documents/BG-3a- FPOS_CAB_Background_document_rev3-E.pdf

4. https://unece.org/FPOS30#accordion_6

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

Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.

The Lord Clement-Jones CBE

House of Lords

London

SW1A 0PW

28 April 2026

Dear Lord Clement-Jones,

As Permanent Secretary of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I am responding to your Parliamentary Questions, asking whether the UK submitted any nominations for the UN Consultative Advisory Board on the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, and what steps they are taking to ensure UK expertise contributes to the Board's global mandate(HL16600); what, if any, financial or human resources they plan to contribute to the UN Statistics Division to support the operations of the UN's Consultative Advisory Board on the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics (HL16601); whether the UK Statistics Authority will outline the national mechanisms in place in the UK to resolve issues regarding adherence to the UN's Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, in light of the UN Consultative Advisory Board on the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics' principle of subsidiarity (HL16602); how the UK Statistics Authority plans to engage with the UN's Consultative Advisory Board on the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics to ensure that UK statistical producers adopt the Board's forthcoming updated implementation guidelines (HL16603) and how the UK Statistics Authority plan to assist the UN's Consultative Advisory Board on the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics in its mandate to raise global awareness and facilitate dialogue sessions with policymakers to build trust in official statistics (HL16604)

The UK was involved in the development of the Consultative Advisory Board and its terms of reference, alongside like-minded partners, to ensure it is relevant and impactful for those who request its support. The ONS was not asked to be a member of the board, and its membership was nominated by the Bureau of the UN Statistical Commission. It is worth noting that membership rotates and the UK will have the opportunity to join in the future.

The UK continues to support the work of the UN Statistical Division, as it is one of the most prominent organisations working in global statistics. We are a member of the wider UN Statistical Commission’s membership and have been since its creation1. We continue to provide resource through our engagement and chairing of UN working groups and bureaus, leading the delivery of projects relevant to the production and dissemination of statistics.

The Code of Practice for Statistics2 sets standards that producers of official statistics should commit to and is already consistent with the UN Fundamental Principles. This is maintained by the Office for Statistics Regulation, the regulatory arm of the UK Statistics Authority.

The ONS will engage with the work of the Consultative Advisory Board through the usual member state engagement conducted for updates to manuals and guidelines produced by the UN Statistical Commission, the UN Statistical Division, or its regional commissions. This process is outlined with the terms of reference3 for the board.

Finally, the ONS regularly assists in efforts to highlight the importance of the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, taking part in events to increase their profile, including its 30th anniversary events in 20244. In addition to this, as mentioned above, we will oversee the work of the Advisory Board, engaging directly with its annual reports, and we will play an active role in the review of the Board’s work that is expected to be completed after its first year. This will help to ensure the work is impactful and relevant for statistical producers, whose outputs policy makers rely upon.

Yours sincerely,

Darren Tierney

1. https://unstats.un.org/unsd/statcom/57th-session/documents/Membership-2026.pdf

2. https://code.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Code-of-Practice-for-Statistics-3.0.pdf

3. https://unstats.un.org/UNSDWebsite/statcom/session_57/documents/BG-3a- FPOS_CAB_Background_document_rev3-E.pdf

4. https://unece.org/FPOS30#accordion_6

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

Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.

The Lord Clement-Jones CBE

House of Lords

London

SW1A 0PW

28 April 2026

Dear Lord Clement-Jones,

As Permanent Secretary of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I am responding to your Parliamentary Questions, asking whether the UK submitted any nominations for the UN Consultative Advisory Board on the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, and what steps they are taking to ensure UK expertise contributes to the Board's global mandate(HL16600); what, if any, financial or human resources they plan to contribute to the UN Statistics Division to support the operations of the UN's Consultative Advisory Board on the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics (HL16601); whether the UK Statistics Authority will outline the national mechanisms in place in the UK to resolve issues regarding adherence to the UN's Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, in light of the UN Consultative Advisory Board on the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics' principle of subsidiarity (HL16602); how the UK Statistics Authority plans to engage with the UN's Consultative Advisory Board on the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics to ensure that UK statistical producers adopt the Board's forthcoming updated implementation guidelines (HL16603) and how the UK Statistics Authority plan to assist the UN's Consultative Advisory Board on the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics in its mandate to raise global awareness and facilitate dialogue sessions with policymakers to build trust in official statistics (HL16604)

The UK was involved in the development of the Consultative Advisory Board and its terms of reference, alongside like-minded partners, to ensure it is relevant and impactful for those who request its support. The ONS was not asked to be a member of the board, and its membership was nominated by the Bureau of the UN Statistical Commission. It is worth noting that membership rotates and the UK will have the opportunity to join in the future.

The UK continues to support the work of the UN Statistical Division, as it is one of the most prominent organisations working in global statistics. We are a member of the wider UN Statistical Commission’s membership and have been since its creation1. We continue to provide resource through our engagement and chairing of UN working groups and bureaus, leading the delivery of projects relevant to the production and dissemination of statistics.

The Code of Practice for Statistics2 sets standards that producers of official statistics should commit to and is already consistent with the UN Fundamental Principles. This is maintained by the Office for Statistics Regulation, the regulatory arm of the UK Statistics Authority.

The ONS will engage with the work of the Consultative Advisory Board through the usual member state engagement conducted for updates to manuals and guidelines produced by the UN Statistical Commission, the UN Statistical Division, or its regional commissions. This process is outlined with the terms of reference3 for the board.

Finally, the ONS regularly assists in efforts to highlight the importance of the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, taking part in events to increase their profile, including its 30th anniversary events in 20244. In addition to this, as mentioned above, we will oversee the work of the Advisory Board, engaging directly with its annual reports, and we will play an active role in the review of the Board’s work that is expected to be completed after its first year. This will help to ensure the work is impactful and relevant for statistical producers, whose outputs policy makers rely upon.

Yours sincerely,

Darren Tierney

1. https://unstats.un.org/unsd/statcom/57th-session/documents/Membership-2026.pdf

2. https://code.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Code-of-Practice-for-Statistics-3.0.pdf

3. https://unstats.un.org/UNSDWebsite/statcom/session_57/documents/BG-3a- FPOS_CAB_Background_document_rev3-E.pdf

4. https://unece.org/FPOS30#accordion_6

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

Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.

The Lord Clement-Jones CBE

House of Lords

London

SW1A 0PW

28 April 2026

Dear Lord Clement-Jones,

As Permanent Secretary of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I am responding to your Parliamentary Questions, asking whether the UK submitted any nominations for the UN Consultative Advisory Board on the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, and what steps they are taking to ensure UK expertise contributes to the Board's global mandate(HL16600); what, if any, financial or human resources they plan to contribute to the UN Statistics Division to support the operations of the UN's Consultative Advisory Board on the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics (HL16601); whether the UK Statistics Authority will outline the national mechanisms in place in the UK to resolve issues regarding adherence to the UN's Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, in light of the UN Consultative Advisory Board on the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics' principle of subsidiarity (HL16602); how the UK Statistics Authority plans to engage with the UN's Consultative Advisory Board on the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics to ensure that UK statistical producers adopt the Board's forthcoming updated implementation guidelines (HL16603) and how the UK Statistics Authority plan to assist the UN's Consultative Advisory Board on the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics in its mandate to raise global awareness and facilitate dialogue sessions with policymakers to build trust in official statistics (HL16604)

The UK was involved in the development of the Consultative Advisory Board and its terms of reference, alongside like-minded partners, to ensure it is relevant and impactful for those who request its support. The ONS was not asked to be a member of the board, and its membership was nominated by the Bureau of the UN Statistical Commission. It is worth noting that membership rotates and the UK will have the opportunity to join in the future.

The UK continues to support the work of the UN Statistical Division, as it is one of the most prominent organisations working in global statistics. We are a member of the wider UN Statistical Commission’s membership and have been since its creation1. We continue to provide resource through our engagement and chairing of UN working groups and bureaus, leading the delivery of projects relevant to the production and dissemination of statistics.

The Code of Practice for Statistics2 sets standards that producers of official statistics should commit to and is already consistent with the UN Fundamental Principles. This is maintained by the Office for Statistics Regulation, the regulatory arm of the UK Statistics Authority.

The ONS will engage with the work of the Consultative Advisory Board through the usual member state engagement conducted for updates to manuals and guidelines produced by the UN Statistical Commission, the UN Statistical Division, or its regional commissions. This process is outlined with the terms of reference3 for the board.

Finally, the ONS regularly assists in efforts to highlight the importance of the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, taking part in events to increase their profile, including its 30th anniversary events in 20244. In addition to this, as mentioned above, we will oversee the work of the Advisory Board, engaging directly with its annual reports, and we will play an active role in the review of the Board’s work that is expected to be completed after its first year. This will help to ensure the work is impactful and relevant for statistical producers, whose outputs policy makers rely upon.

Yours sincerely,

Darren Tierney

1. https://unstats.un.org/unsd/statcom/57th-session/documents/Membership-2026.pdf

2. https://code.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Code-of-Practice-for-Statistics-3.0.pdf

3. https://unstats.un.org/UNSDWebsite/statcom/session_57/documents/BG-3a- FPOS_CAB_Background_document_rev3-E.pdf

4. https://unece.org/FPOS30#accordion_6

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

Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.

The Lord Clement-Jones CBE

House of Lords

London

SW1A 0PW

28 April 2026

Dear Lord Clement-Jones,

As Permanent Secretary of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I am responding to your Parliamentary Questions, asking whether the UK submitted any nominations for the UN Consultative Advisory Board on the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, and what steps they are taking to ensure UK expertise contributes to the Board's global mandate(HL16600); what, if any, financial or human resources they plan to contribute to the UN Statistics Division to support the operations of the UN's Consultative Advisory Board on the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics (HL16601); whether the UK Statistics Authority will outline the national mechanisms in place in the UK to resolve issues regarding adherence to the UN's Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, in light of the UN Consultative Advisory Board on the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics' principle of subsidiarity (HL16602); how the UK Statistics Authority plans to engage with the UN's Consultative Advisory Board on the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics to ensure that UK statistical producers adopt the Board's forthcoming updated implementation guidelines (HL16603) and how the UK Statistics Authority plan to assist the UN's Consultative Advisory Board on the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics in its mandate to raise global awareness and facilitate dialogue sessions with policymakers to build trust in official statistics (HL16604)

The UK was involved in the development of the Consultative Advisory Board and its terms of reference, alongside like-minded partners, to ensure it is relevant and impactful for those who request its support. The ONS was not asked to be a member of the board, and its membership was nominated by the Bureau of the UN Statistical Commission. It is worth noting that membership rotates and the UK will have the opportunity to join in the future.

The UK continues to support the work of the UN Statistical Division, as it is one of the most prominent organisations working in global statistics. We are a member of the wider UN Statistical Commission’s membership and have been since its creation1. We continue to provide resource through our engagement and chairing of UN working groups and bureaus, leading the delivery of projects relevant to the production and dissemination of statistics.

The Code of Practice for Statistics2 sets standards that producers of official statistics should commit to and is already consistent with the UN Fundamental Principles. This is maintained by the Office for Statistics Regulation, the regulatory arm of the UK Statistics Authority.

The ONS will engage with the work of the Consultative Advisory Board through the usual member state engagement conducted for updates to manuals and guidelines produced by the UN Statistical Commission, the UN Statistical Division, or its regional commissions. This process is outlined with the terms of reference3 for the board.

Finally, the ONS regularly assists in efforts to highlight the importance of the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, taking part in events to increase their profile, including its 30th anniversary events in 20244. In addition to this, as mentioned above, we will oversee the work of the Advisory Board, engaging directly with its annual reports, and we will play an active role in the review of the Board’s work that is expected to be completed after its first year. This will help to ensure the work is impactful and relevant for statistical producers, whose outputs policy makers rely upon.

Yours sincerely,

Darren Tierney

1. https://unstats.un.org/unsd/statcom/57th-session/documents/Membership-2026.pdf

2. https://code.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Code-of-Practice-for-Statistics-3.0.pdf

3. https://unstats.un.org/UNSDWebsite/statcom/session_57/documents/BG-3a- FPOS_CAB_Background_document_rev3-E.pdf

4. https://unece.org/FPOS30#accordion_6

The Government is committed to complying with the Humble Address. Departments have been instructed to retain and provide to the Cabinet Office all information that falls in scope of the Humble Address motion, which may include communications with Global Counsel.

The former Cabinet Secretary was asked to review available information regarding Peter Mandelson’s contacts with Jeffrey Epstein during his period as a Minister. After an initial review of some documents, the matter was referred to the police. In light of the ongoing criminal investigation that was announced, that review has now been paused. The government is cooperating fully with the police investigation and providing any assistance required.

The Civil Service Senior Leadership Committee (SLC) is consulted on the selection route for all appointments to Director General.

Plans for the permanent recruitment to the role of Director General for Propriety, Ethics and Constitution are being developed in accordance with governance procedures.

Following the repeal of the requirement to report facility time data to the Cabinet Office, as part of the Employment Rights Act (2025), the Cabinet Office does not hold a list to which the reminder electronic communication was sent. The list was manually maintained and based on the email addresses associated with the submitted public sector facility time data in the previous year.

The Prime Minister, as Minister for the Civil Service, is responsible for the Ministerial Pension Scheme and has delegated day to day responsibility for the scheme to the Minister for the Cabinet Office.

It should be noted that there is no provision in the scheme rules for the forfeiture of benefits.

The Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister visited Australia in April 2026 to build critical policy and security links with state and regional authorities in Australia. This included defence visits for the AUKUS programme, and discussions with Ministers at both Federal and State level and with private sector stakeholders on support for British businesses, bolstering regional security and learnings about harnessing technology to modernise public services based on learnings from the Australian government their successes and challenges as pioneers in providing online government services. State-level meetings included understanding the context for the roll out of the New South Wales state digital ID pilot and visiting South Australia to highlight the extent of UK-Australian cooperation, focusing particularly on secure growth, including opportunities presented by the AUKUS programme.

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Capita is prioritising the most urgent cases and as of 28 February 2026, all death in service cases are now either settled, progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. All ill-health retirement cases were also addressed by 6 March 2026 and service levels in these areas are being maintained.

Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,747 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.

To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.

Interest will be paid on delayed benefits to avoid financial loss by members. In addition, the existing statutory complaints process evaluates claims for financial losses, as well as distress and inconvenience caused, on a case-by-case basis to determine whether compensation is due. This ensures that any retiree who provides evidence of extra costs, such as bank penalties or interest charges caused by the delay, is fairly assessed. This process is run in accordance with the standards set by the Pensions Ombudsman.

The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates

National Security Vetting (NSV) clearance applications, including Developed Vetting, are rigorously assessed within a robust governance framework. UKSV works closely with departmental vetting risk owners to balance operational demands with assured and effective national security safeguards.

In line with the practice followed by successive administrations, the government does not otherwise comment on security matters. To reveal such details could prejudice national security and would provide insights into the scale and nature of the UK’s sensitive workforce and the thresholds of our security safeguards.

We will publish the business-first National Cyber Action Plan this summer. Our new National Cyber Action Plan will set out concrete actions for how we can strengthen our resilience and harness cyber’s enormous growth opportunities.

After recent high profile cyber attacks, there can be no doubt that more action must be taken to raise resilience levels across the economy, tackle the threat and maximise the opportunities for growth in the cyber sector. Our priorities for the new Cyber Action Plan are to improve resilience by incentivising businesses to invest in their own cyber security, sharpen government’s tools to tackle the most capable cyber actors and maximise opportunities to grow the UK cyber sector.

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Capita has made lump sum payments to 10,147 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.

To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.

The Cabinet Office has mandated Capita that they must restore service levels by the end of June 2026. We are using every commercial lever at our disposal, including withholding payments for deliverables that have not been met. We also reserve the right to take further formal action to ensure the service returns to the required standards.

The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates

The Cabinet Office acknowledges the potential tax implications regarding pension arrears. For the vast majority of members, receiving arrears will not result in a higher tax liability as they will remain within the same tax band across the relevant years. However, where an arrears payment causes a member to move into a higher tax bracket in the year of receipt, individuals may request a schedule from the scheme administrator (Capita) to submit to HMRC.

This schedule allows HMRC to assess the tax on an accruals basis, spreading the income back to the years in which it was due to ensure the member pays the correct amount of tax.

I refer the Hon Member to the statement made by the Prime Minister on 20 April, and his answers to the questions raised in response, including his commitment that the Government would continue to comply with the instructions of Parliament in the Humble Address of 4 February.

The work undertaken by the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards is set out in his advice to the Prime Minister of 27th February 2026 and published on gov.uk.

Information on the work undertaken by the Cabinet Office can be found in the Government’s response to the Urgent Question granted on 23 February (Official Report, Column 29).

The Government’s policy of delivering the highest wave of insourcing in a generation reflects a clear commitment in Labour’s ‘Make Work Pay’ agenda and will see an end to the previous administration’s policy of outsourcing by default.

Central to this is the introduction of a Public Insourcing Test, as announced on 26 March, which will see all Government departments assess if services can be better delivered in-house. Alongside this, departments will produce and publish robust insourcing strategies.

Detailed guidance will be published in the updated Sourcing Playbook this summer, and my officials have been engaging across Government to ensure the implementation of both the Public Interest Test and insourcing strategies can commence rapidly.

I refer to my answer for 113705. In accordance with data protection regulations, we do not provide information about candidates in Civil Service recruitment processes.

The administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme is the responsibility of the 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 issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Capita prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. The same position was reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March.

While hardship estimates are not held, Capita has made lump sum payments to 10,147members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.

To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, including those who have been dismissed with compensation, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.

The Cabinet Office has mandated Capita that they must restore service levels by the end of June 2026. We are using every commercial lever at our disposal, including withholding payments for deliverables that have not been met. We also reserve the right to take further formal action to ensure the service returns to the required standards.

The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates

I refer to my answer for PQ 88716. The provisions of the model Permanent Secretary contract apply to all Permanent Secretaries.

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Capita prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. The same position was reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March.

Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,747 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.

To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.

The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates

However, the level of detail requested in respect of specific payment delays (PQ 110109) and quote delays (PQ 110110) is not available from either Capita or the former administrator, MyCSP.