Cabinet Office

The Minister for the Cabinet Office does not intend to place a copy of the minutes of the last Cross Government Working Flexibly Group Meeting Minutes in the library as these are considered confidential.

We are unable to disclose membership of the Group on the grounds of data protection, however, the group meets on an ad hoc basis only and does so in a hybrid manner.

For teachers, the geographical areas covered by the different teacher pay ranges were defined some years ago to reflect a practical approach to compensate teachers working in London.

The School Teachers’ Review Body has not recommended any changes to London pay ranges in recent years; however, the Department is currently considering what additional flexibilities should be built into the statutory pay and conditions framework as a result of our commitment on changes to pay and conditions through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, and we will keep this matter under review.

For police officers, there’s London Weighting and London Allowance. There’s not an inner and outer London rate – it’s the same across all of London.

London Weighting and London Allowance were last reviewed by the Police Remuneration Review Body in the 2025/26 pay round.

Decisions on pay, including London weighting, are delegated to individual departments for grades below the Senior Civil Service (SCS); departmental policies on London weighting are not collected centrally. The SCS pay framework is managed centrally and only operates a national pay range.

The severance payment was made in accordance with paragraph 18.1 in the Permanent Secretary model contract. The business case was made on the basis that the Cabinet Secretary departed the Civil Service, and it was calculated on the basis of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme i.e. 1 month’s pay (capped at £149,820 salary) for each year of service.

The severance payment was made in accordance with paragraph 18.1 in the Permanent Secretary model contract. The business case was made on the basis that the Cabinet Secretary departed the Civil Service, and it was calculated on the basis of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme i.e. 1 month’s pay (capped at £149,820 salary) for each year of service.

The valuation report is provided by the valuer to His Majesty’s Government on a confidential basis and is relevant only for that point in time considering prevailing market comparables. The valuer provides their report on condition it is not shared with third parties.

There are no plans to sell Admiralty House.

Between 1 January 2025 and 31 December 2025, there were 90 provisional offers made for Senior Civil Service (SCS) posts (permanent and temporary) that were advertised across government but not advertised externally. This is data obtained from Civil Service Jobs and does not include internal recruitment, which might have been conducted within a department. As per our External by Default policy, SCS vacancies which are not advertised externally must be approved by a Minister or Permanent Secretary equivalent in non-Ministerial departments.

The Internal Coaching Service digital platform cost a one-off setup fee of £1,000 (excluding VAT).

The ongoing cost is an annual licence fee of £7,500 (excluding VAT). This fee covers maintenance, unlimited change requests, and support for the internal coaching team.

There is no upper limit to the number of coaches and coaches that can use the platform.

The information requested is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The Government and the National Security Adviser maintain a regular and constructive dialogue with the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament (ISC) across the full range of national security and intelligence matters

As the honourable Member should know and in line with the policy under successive governments, the most sensitive operational details of our continuous at sea deterrent are obviously not disclosed publicly.

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

A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Question of 13th January is attached.

Ministers' Overseas Travel and Meetings: Publication Guidance, is available on GOV.UK

It states that departments should include official meetings with external organisations held by ministers in the course of visits, including visits overseas (generally visits on their own are not included).

Such guidance has been in place for successive administrations.

Every five years, a review is carried out of how honours are distributed across the different categories of activity in UK life (the Quinquennial Review). This review is guided both by priorities set by the Prime Minister and also changes to the population and sizes of workforces in each sector of the economy. The outcomes of the review are published in the three yearly report to Parliament on the Operation of the Honours System. The most recent report was published in 2023, and the next report is expected in due course.

The last review set out recommendations for the period from the Birthday honours round 2023 to the Birthday honours round 2028 (inclusive). The recommendations made in this review form part of the Honours Secretariat’s ongoing work programme over the next quinquennium to improve the operation of the honours system.

The next review period is due to begin shortly and with recommendations being implemented during the next quinquennium beginning at New Year 2029.

The decision not to include political activity data in the Public Appointments Data Report 2024-25 was taken by officials, due to a data collection issue which limited the data that was available.

The Commissioner for Public Appointments sources data from the Cabinet Office. As an independent regulator, he reports separately to the government and decided to include this limited data.

The data collection issue has been rectified, and this information will be considered for inclusion in the 2025-26 data report. In the meantime, information about the political activity of individual public appointees is available on the announcement page of the public appointment digital service.

Aside from the limited extensions permitted by legislation and set out in the previous response dated 18 December 2025 (HL12789), there is a mandatory retirement age of 70 prescribed by section 1(3) of the Ecclesiastical Offices (Age Limit) Measure 1975 which applies to all Archbishops, Bishops, Deans, Archdeacons, residentiary Canons, parish incumbents and curates. Any changes to this, including the introduction of an appeals process, would be for the Church of England to determine.

Since coming into office, this Government has published a new, more ambitious, National Procurement Policy Statement (NPPS) setting out our vision for public procurement aligned with the priorities in the Plan for Change.

To support the implementation of the NPPS in central government we introduced new measures including an updated and streamlined social value model. This includes new ‘fair work’ criteria to support our Make Work Pay agenda, and measures to support SMEs and VCSEs such as the publication of direct spend targets and regular spot-checks to enforce 30-day payment requirements.

Building on these actions, in Summer 2025, this Government consulted on further procurement reforms that aim to deliver economic growth and support local communities by driving better procurement outcomes, supporting British businesses, and creating good quality jobs. We will set out our response to the consultation in due course.

The administration transferred to Capita on 1 December 2025 and the first payroll ran successfully in the same month.

At this time Capita has not provided this information to the Cabinet Office. The focus is on working with the Cabinet Office in order to resolve queries and delays and to move to a stable service as quickly as possible.

We acknowledge and recognise that there are delays and are working closely with Capita in order to move to the expected service levels as quickly as possible. This includes providing additional support to Capita, increasing staffing by c50% over and above the number that transferred from MyCSP. It is also prioritising urgent cases.

Digital Identity policy is in development, with a dedicated team inside the Cabinet Office working to develop the proposals.

Costs in this Spending Review period will be met within the existing Spending Review settlement.

We are inviting the public to have their say in the upcoming consultation as we develop a safe, secure, and inclusive system for the UK. No final decisions will be made until after the consultation.

Yes, the referenced press release is in relation to Crown Commercial Services RM6364 framework, Lot 1: Media Strategy, Planning and Buying.

All government advertising on social media platforms is targeted.

As a matter of policy we do not publish information relating to individuals' peerage nominations.

Information on matters discussed at the Specialised Committee on Citizens’ Rights is available here: Citizens’ Rights Specialised Committee meeting, 18 December 2025: joint statement - GOV.UK. As is stipulated by Rule 13 of Annex VIII of the Withdrawal Agreement, meetings of the Specialised Committee are confidential. The3million and British in Europe can be contacted directly to request any material shared at the meeting. The UK and the EU are committed to working cooperatively to ensure full and faithful implementation of the citizens’ rights part of the Withdrawal Agreement.

We are currently negotiating a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement and an agreement to link our Emissions Trading Schemes (ETS) and will not give a running commentary on the talks. The SPS agreement will cut costs and red tape for British producers and retailers, reducing consumer prices and increasing choice. ETS linking is expected to facilitate a cheaper path to net zero, reducing long-term costs for businesses. Combined, these measures are set to add nearly £9 billion a year to the UK economy by 2040.

The Government routinely engages with the EU across a whole range of issues. Given the UK is one of Europe’s largest economies, and an integral part of existing supply chains, we have been clear with EU counterparts that the UK and EU should be working together to tackle the challenges we all face in terms of promoting economic security as well as boosting growth and productivity.

The Commissioner for Public Appointments’ 2024-25 Annual Report praised overall departmental compliance with the Governance Code. Out of 449 new regulated appointments made by UK government ministers in 2024-25, the Commissioner reported that five breaches of the Code were identified.

The Cabinet Office provides a range of training, support and guidance for departments to ensure compliance with the Code.

The Government Communication Service in the Cabinet Office does not use this service.

As a matter of routine and under the terms of the Public Records Act redactions are made to government documents where FOI exemptions that persist for historic records apply. Closures are approved by the Advisory Council on National Records and Archives before transfer to The National Archives. Any release is subject to an extensive review process, including engaging expert stakeholders and no list should be considered final until it is released to the public.

The two transactions are (a) a payment to the Market Research Society in relation to the Behavioural Science Summit 2025, and (b) the procurement of audio equipment for the New Media Unit.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given in UIN 99528.

An electricity agreement with the EU will cut the cost of trading electricity with the EU - this means lower wholesale costs and ultimately lower bills. To unlock these benefits, we are prepared to make an appropriate and proportionate financial contribution to support relevant costs, such as accessing specific agencies or databases required for market participation. Nothing has been agreed yet and we will work through the specific details in negotiations to ensure any contribution represents value for money for the UK taxpayer.

An electricity agreement with the EU will cut the cost of trading electricity with the EU - this means lower wholesale costs and ultimately lower bills. To unlock these benefits we are prepared to take the pragmatic decision to align with EU rules in the national interest. The outcome from exploratory talks is clear that where we align with EU rules as part of any future electricity agreement there would be adaptations and phasing-in periods to ensure the rules work for the UKelectricity sector, as well as decision-shaping rights when new EU policies are made.

Information about this role was published by the government on the new Direct Ministerial Appointments Announcements Portal: https://apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/direct-ministerial-appointments-announcements.

Our thoughts are with the families of those who lost loved ones and those who continue to suffer because of the pandemic.

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry was established in 2022 under the Inquiries Act. The Government is fully committed to supporting the work of the Inquiry and to learning lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic to ensure the UK is better prepared for a future pandemic.

Module 2 of the Inquiry investigated matters including decision-making relating to lockdowns. The Inquiry published its report in November last year - the Government will consider the Inquiry’s findings and recommendations carefully before responding in full. Module 4 of the Inquiry is investigating a range of issues relating to the development of Covid-19 vaccines and the implementation of the vaccine rollout programme - the Inquiry is expected to publish its report in April 2026.

The Government is committed to communicating clearly and effectively with the public about policies that affect their lives.

Since July 2024, 10 Arms Length Bodies have been announced to deliver the manifesto the Government was elected on.

The reference in paragraph 2.84 of the November 2025 Budget refers to the arm's length body review that was launched on 6 April 2025. That review is ongoing. The decision to close NHS England, announced on 13 March 2025, predates the launch of the arm's length bodies (ALB) review.

Departments are developing plans on the size and shape of their workforces as per the financial settlements that were agreed with HMT in the Spending Review and the priorities set by Ministers, including those set out in the Autumn Budget. These plans will take a whole workforce approach based on the cost of civil servants, Contingent Labour, Consultancy and Managed Services.

At an overall Civil Service level, we have set out plans to reduce back office costs by 16% over the next five years, delivering savings of over £2.2 billion a year by 2030 and targeting spending on front line services. The Civil Service is committed to publishing a Civil Service Strategic Workforce Plan this year, which will confirm more details about the plans for our workforce.

A copy of the model contract has been placed in the House Library.

39 Civil Servants are employed through Skilled Worker visas in (1) the Cabinet Office and 0 in its (2) Executive Agencies.

The government issues a range of guidance on the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, its associated regulations and wider non-statutory arrangements for civil protection. This supports local responders, which includes Local Authorities, to understand how to fulfil their duties under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and how to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies taking place in the UK, including environmental and public safety incidents.

Cabinet Office guidance, including the ‘Emergency Response and Recovery’ guidance and ‘National Resilience Standards for Local Resilience Forums’ guidance, provides information on protocols that local responders should have for ensuring appropriate political involvement in the management of emergencies, particularly in the recovery phase. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has also issued ‘Local authorities’ preparedness for civil emergencies: a good practice guide for chief executives’ guidance which provides assistance to chief executives of local authorities to make sure they are well-prepared to respond and recover from emergencies. This includes the need to provide clear information to politicians on what is happening during an emergency.

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

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 6th of January is attached.

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

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 8th January is attached.

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

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 12th January is attached.

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

A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Question of 12th January is attached.