Cabinet Office

Departments are responsible for making their own procurement decisions including conducting supplier due diligence and assessment.

Individual permanent secretary contracts were based on the SCS model contract up until 2013. In relation to answer 88716, the permanent secretary model contract placed in the House Library has been in force since July 2013.

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

A response to the Hon lady Parliamentary Question of 17th March is attached.

The Cabinet Office does not hold any documents released to the media in March 2025 in relation to the employment tribunal involving the Drax whistleblower. As this matter related to an employment tribunal at a private company, it is not a matter in which the Department was involved.

The Cabinet Office maintains rigorous oversight of the Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) administration contract with Capita. While the Department does not publish the full, granular Service Level Agreement (SLA) documents as these contain commercially sensitive metrics and proprietary service modelling information, the core requirements regarding payment accuracy, timeliness of processing, and complaint resolution are outlined within the contract’s Statement of Requirements to ensure transparency.

These standards are designed to ensure members receive a high-quality service, with financial deductions (service credits) applied should the provider fail to meet these thresholds.

Further information regarding the contract's scope and performance expectations can be found on GOV.UK Contracts Finder at the following link:

https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/f91f69a7-6120-4918-8220-2757e7e51ded?origin=SearchResults&p=2

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

A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Question of 25th March is attached.

The Government takes matters of national security very seriously, including cyber security, and has robust procedures in place to prevent the loss of sensitive information. However, the Government does not routinely comment on the specifics on matters relating to national security.

Cabinet Office's Security Breach Policy requires individuals, including SpAds, to follow directions from Cabinet Office Security when there is a security breach, such as theft of Government property. As part of its standard operating procedures Cabinet Office Security will direct individuals to report any stolen Government property to the police and request a crime reference number.

Civil Servants applying for NSV Security Vetting (NSV) are advised of their responsibilities throughout the process and through the guidance published on gov.uk. This includes the need for full and complete disclosure.

The Government takes matters of national security very seriously, including cyber security, and has robust procedures in place to prevent the loss of sensitive information. However the Government does not routinely comment on the specifics on matters relating to national security.

Civil Servants and ministers are required to follow the Non-Corporate Communications Channels (NCCCs) Guidance when using WhatsApp or similar messaging systems on their mobile device. This can be found on gov.uk.

The Government is committed to Freedom of Information (“FOI”) and continues to monitor the performance and implementation of the FOI Act to ensure it is operating as intended by Parliament.

Any changes to FOI legislation will be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny.

The cost thresholds above which public authorities are not obliged to comply with a Freedom of Information request are set out in secondary legislation. Any changes to FOI legislation will be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny.

The Cabinet Office has not issued Freedom of Information guidance to government departments on the ‘mosaic effect’.

The former Chief of Staff’s phone was stolen, and he reported it at the time to the police and relevant teams in No10. This was before the Humble Address that was passed in February. The Government is committed to complying with the Humble Address in full, while continuing to support the Metropolitan Police with their investigation. I refer the Hon Member to the statement provided by the Metropolitan Police on 25 March and publication of the transcript confirming that the theft was reported.

On 30 October, the Government launched a public consultation on proposed changes to the infected blood compensation scheme. The core purpose of this consultation was to gather views on how the Government intends to implement the Infected Blood Inquiry’s recommendations, and responses from the infected blood community were particularly encouraged.

Every response to this consultation is being considered carefully and with the seriousness the issue deserves. The consultation closed on 22 January, and the Government will publish its response within 12 weeks of this closing date.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 02 February, Official Report, PQ 107285.

The former Chief of Staff’s phone was stolen, and he reported it at the time to the police and relevant teams in No10. This was before the Humble Address that was passed in February. The Government is committed to complying with the Humble Address in full, while continuing to support the Metropolitan Police with their investigation. I refer the Hon Member to the statement provided by the Metropolitan Police on 25 March and publication of the transcript confirming that the theft was reported.

The former Chief of Staff’s phone was stolen, and he reported it at the time to the police and relevant teams in No10. This was before the Humble Address that was passed in February. The Government is committed to complying with the Humble Address in full, while continuing to support the Metropolitan Police with their investigation. I refer the Hon Member to the statement provided by the Metropolitan Police on 25 March and publication of the transcript confirming that the theft was reported.

The former Chief of Staff’s phone was stolen, and he reported it at the time to the police and relevant teams in No10. This was before the Humble Address that was passed in February. The Government is committed to complying with the Humble Address in full, while continuing to support the Metropolitan Police with their investigation. I refer the Hon Member to the statement provided by the Metropolitan Police on 25 March and publication of the transcript confirming that the theft was reported.

The former Chief of Staff’s phone was stolen, and he reported it at the time to the police and relevant teams in No10. This was before the Humble Address that was passed in February. The Government is committed to complying with the Humble Address in full, while continuing to support the Metropolitan Police with their investigation. I refer the Hon Member to the statement provided by the Metropolitan Police on 25 March and publication of the transcript confirming that the theft was reported.

The former Chief of Staff’s phone was stolen, and he reported it at the time to the police and relevant teams in No10. This was before the Humble Address that was passed in February. The Government is committed to complying with the Humble Address in full, while continuing to support the Metropolitan Police with their investigation. I refer the Hon Member to the statement provided by the Metropolitan Police on 25 March and publication of the transcript confirming that the theft was reported.

The former Chief of Staff’s phone was stolen, and he reported it at the time to the police and relevant teams in No10. This was before the Humble Address that was passed in February. The Government is committed to complying with the Humble Address in full, while continuing to support the Metropolitan Police with their investigation. I refer the Hon Member to the statement provided by the Metropolitan Police on 25 March and publication of the transcript confirming that the theft was reported.

Government procedure and contracts with creative agencies and social media influencers align to requirements set out in the ISBA Influencer Marketing Code of Conduct.

Yes there is. The Guidance for the management of Private Office information and records has been published and can be found on gov.uk.

The Inquiry recommended changes to the infection severity bands to give greater recognition for the suffering caused by interferon treatment. The Government agrees that changes are needed and we have consulted on our proposal to introduce a new infection severity band, referred to as Level 2B, which would increase people’s financial loss and care compensation awards where relevant, to recognise the short-term side-effects that many, but not all, people suffer due to interferon treatment.

The Government proposed that all infected people who have received treatment with interferon will qualify for the proposed Level 2B infection severity band. It will be part of their core compensation award and people will be eligible for it even if they were only able to tolerate interferon treatment for a very short period.

We recognise that some infected people have suffered and continue to suffer debilitating, long-term impacts on their ability to work. We have therefore consulted on a proposal to introduce a new Special Category Mechanism (SCM) Severe Health Condition award which would offer higher awards for financial loss and care based on the enduring impact that people have experienced in relation to their ability to work and their need for care.

The consultation closed on 22 January, and the Government will publish its response within 12 weeks of this closing date.

The Inquiry, in its Additional Report, made a set of recommendations about the Unethical Research awards. The Government has consulted on these recommendations, including on a proposal to expand eligibility for Unethical Research awards to all infected people who received treatment for a bleeding disorder in the UK before 1985. The Government is now carefully considering the range of responses it received on this issue before determining its final position on eligibility.

The consultation closed on 22 January, and the Government will publish its response within 12 weeks of this closing date.

Storyzy's platform empowers users to detect information manipulation and understand the information environment by analysing large quantities of data points to understand public narratives.

The Cabinet Office manages its departmental records in accordance with the provisions of the Public Records Act 1958. Section 3 of the Act sets out the provisions for selecting and preserving public records.

The government does not routinely comment on petitions.

The Cabinet Office manages its departmental records in accordance with the provisions of the Public Records Act 1958. Section 3 of the Act sets out the provisions for selecting and preserving public records.

The government does not routinely comment on petitions.

The Cabinet Office has not issued such guidance.

The Ministerial Code sets out the standards of conduct expected of ministers and how they discharge their duties. As the Code sets out, the Prime Minister is the ultimate judge of the standards of behaviour expected of a minister and the appropriate consequences of a breach of those standards.

The Business Appointment Rules (BARs) apply to various individuals through specific codes of conduct. For instance, civil servants are subject to them via the Civil Servant Management Code, ministers through the Ministerial Code, and Special Advisers via their Code of Conduct.

Where a public sector organisation, such as an Executive Agency or an Advisory Non-Departmental Public Body, is staffed by civil servants, those individuals will be subject to the BARs.

Even though some individuals operating within the broader government sphere may not fall directly under the BARs, public bodies operating at arm’s length from government are still expected to implement their own equivalent processes to manage potential conflicts of interest, with these being tailored to their specific organisational context.

There is established guidance on the management and recording of electronic communications on non-corporate channels. We keep all guidance around the use of non-corporate communications under review to ensure it remains fit for purpose.

I refer you to the remarks the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister made to the house in response to the urgent question about the Humble Address on 16 March.

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.

The highest priority cases for recovery, including death-in-service and ill-health retirements, have been returned to normal service levels, with cases concluded wherever it has been possible to do so.

Capita has processed 407 death-in-service cases, successfully reducing the volume of workable cases from 375 to 75 as of 23 March. Capita has now achieved its target of normalising work in progress to 60 cases, representing a return to steady-state operations. While the backlog has been addressed, this figure is expected to fluctuate slightly as cases currently with third parties are returned to Capita for finalisation.

The Cabinet Office remains committed to ensuring these cases are managed efficiently to provide timely support to beneficiaries.

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

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 25th is attached.

I refer to my answer for 116583. The GPA calculates greenhouse gas emissions for office space occupied by GPA staff and provides utility consumption data for departments occupying other buildings within its managed estate. As this activity is performed by staff as part of their wider duties, the exact amount of time allocated to this specific activity is not centrally recorded.

It would not be appropriate to detail internal security matters. There are long established and robust processes to manage information security following the theft of No10 work devices

It would not be appropriate to detail internal security matters. There are long established and robust processes to manage information security following the theft of No10 work devices

There is an established system for special advisers in place for the management of official government information held on non-corporate devices during the departure process. The policy covering non-corporate communication channels is published on gov.uk.

Relevant officials and special advisers reviewed the branding guidance.

There is established guidance on the management and recording of electronic communications on non-corporate channels. We keep all guidance around the use of non-corporate communications under review to ensure it remains fit for purpose.

The Government is committed to introducing legislation to enable the removal of peerages from disgraced peers. We will announce further details in due course.

I refer you to the Government's response to the Urgent Question tabled on 12th February, the Written Ministerial Statement in the name of the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister that same day, and the Oral Statement on the 23rd February, in the name of the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, which set out an update on the Government's process and that Departments have been instructed to retain material that may be relevant to the motion.