Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to incorporate self-assessment income tax data into the inter-departmental business register; if so, when they expect that data to be incorporated; and what assessment they have made of the impact of including that data on the representation of sole traders and businesses operating below the VAT threshold in official economic statistics.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
Please see the letter below from the Permanent Secretary at the Office for National Statistics (ONS):
Lord Freyberg
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
09 February 2026
Dear Lord Freyberg,
As Permanent Secretary of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking whether there is a plan to incorporate self-assessment income tax data into the Inter-Departmental Business Register; if so, when to expect that data to be incorporated; and what assessment has been made of the impact of including that data on the representation of sole traders and businesses operating below the VAT threshold in official economic statistics (HL14179).
The ONS is currently developing a new Statistical Business Register (SBR), which will replace the Inter-Departmental Business Register. We are planning to incorporate self-assessment income tax into the new SBR and are working closely with HM Revenue and Customs with the current expectation that they will be able to share the data later this year. We will then assess the data with a plan to incorporate into the SBR and assess the impact of the self-assessment data on economic statistics of businesses operating below the VAT threshold.
Yours sincerely,
Darren Tierney
Asked by: Lord Pack (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what training and guidance Ministers and civil servants receive to ensure that answers to written questions comply with the requirements of the Ministerial Code, particularly the requirement for answers to be "full and timely" under paragraph 9.8.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Parliamentary Questions training is the responsibility of individual Departments. There is a published Guide to Parliamentary Work for civil servants available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-parliamentary-work) which sets out expectations in managing Parliamentary Questions.
The Parliamentary Capability Team within Government Skills also offers training on Parliamentary Questions to civil servants of all departments, grades and roles.
Asked by: Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to seek a redesign of the Lesser Arms used in government communications; and if so, whether they plan to hold a public consultation about the matter.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government Communication Service routinely reviews its branding guidance to ensure it remains effective, accessible and fit for purpose across all channels, including digital platforms.
Any costs associated with routine updates to branding guidance are covered by existing operational budgets. We continue to engage with relevant stakeholders, including the Royal Household, in accordance with standard protocols.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, further to the UK-EU Summit - Common Understanding, 22 December 2025, what his policy is on the negotiation and adoption of penalty clauses that would impose financial payments if the UK were to (a) amend or (b) withdraw from the new arrangements in a future Parliament, or otherwise restrict or prohibit a future government from changing the policy on engagement with the EU.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The details of any agreements, including specific clauses, are subject to ongoing negotiations with the EU. We will not provide a running commentary on the progress of those negotiations, although I would note termination provisions are routine in international agreements.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2026, to Question 105789, on Ministers and Public Consultation: Evidence, whether the Government accepts evidence in written consultations from organisations subject to the policy of non-engagement.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
I refer the Rt. Honourable Member to the answer on 21 January 2026, PQ 105789.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the No10 press release entitled Appointment of Victoria Buhler as the Prime Minister’s Deputy Adviser on Business, Investment, and Trade and Hannah Bronwin as the Prime Minister’s Expert Adviser on Energy and Net Zero, of 2 February 2026, whether Hannah Bronwin is a (a) special adviser, (b) direct ministerial appointment, (c) civil servant appointed by exception and (d) civil servant appointed by open and fair competition.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Both appointments are Direct Ministerial Appointments. Further details are available on the Public Appointments webpage on gov.uk.
Asked by: Andrew George (Liberal Democrat - St Ives)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to help ensure that bereaved families are treated equitably within the compensation scheme and retain a route to seek recognition of the full extent of injuries suffered by their relatives.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Infected Blood Compensation Scheme provides compensation to affected people, who have suffered the impacts of infected blood through their relationship with an infected person. This includes partners, parents, children and siblings.
All eligible affected people receive the Injury, Autonomy, and Social Impact awards. The Injury award compensates for both physical and mental injury, including the death of an infected person or the likely death of a loved one in the future. The Injury award is higher in circumstances where it is likely that the infection had caused or could cause death.
A supplementary route is also available to compensate financial dependents where the infected person has sadly died. Financial dependents include bereaved partners, and children who were under 18 at the time of death.
In its Additional Report, the Inquiry asked the Government to give consideration to there being a supplementary route for affected people, suggesting that this include opening the supplemental award for severe psychological harm to affected people.
The Government has consulted on whether, and how, an expanded supplementary route for affected people could be constructed whilst continuing to allow for timely delivery of compensation within a tariff-based scheme. The Government is considering each response to the consultation with the seriousness the issue deserves, and will publish its response within 12 weeks of the consultation’s closing date.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the corrected Answer of 7 January 2026 to Question 98100 on Cabinet Office: Public Appointments and with reference to his Department's document entitled Guidance on Making Direct Ministerial Appointments, published in October 2025, if he will provide a hyperlink to the information in that answer on gov.uk, including time commitment and appointment end date.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Information related to Direct Ministerial Appointments is available on the Direct Ministerial Appointments page on the HMG Public Appointments website.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will place in the Library a copy of the election purdah guidance distributed to Whitehall departments for the Gorton and Denton Parliamentary by-election.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The rules governing the conduct of UK Government civil servants during a by-election are an extension of those that apply at all times as set out in the Civil Service Code and as described in the published guidance on general elections, which is published on gov.uk and can be found here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/election-guidance-for-civil-servants. A reminder of these rules was provided to departments following the calling of the Gorton and Denton by-election.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to reassess compensation amounts under the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
In line with recommendations of the Infected Blood Inquiry, the Government has publicly consulted on proposed changes to the compensation scheme. The consultation closed on 22nd January, and we will publish our response within 12 weeks of the consultation’s closing date. The Government is keen to prioritise amendments to the compensation scheme as recommended, while continuing to focus on the swift delivery of compensation to all victims of this scandal.