We support the Prime Minister and ensure the effective running of government. We are also the corporate headquarters for government, in partnership with HM Treasury, and we take the lead in certain critical policy areas.
Boris Johnson
Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, and Minister for the Union
Oral Answers to Questions is a regularly scheduled appearance where the Secretary of State and junior minister will answer at the Dispatch Box questions from backbench MPs
Other Commons Chamber appearances can be:Westminster Hall debates are performed in response to backbench MPs or e-petitions asking for a Minister to address a detailed issue
Written Statements are made when a current event is not sufficiently significant to require an Oral Statement, but the House is required to be informed.
Cabinet Office does not have Bills currently before Parliament
A Bill to Implement, and make other provision in connection with, the Trade and Cooperation Agreement; to make further provision in connection with the United Kingdom’s future relationship with the EU and its member States; to make related provision about passenger name record data, customs and privileges and immunities; and for connected purposes.
This Bill received Royal Assent on Wednesday 30th December 2020 and was enacted into law.
A Bill to make provision about reports of the Boundary Commissions under the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986; to make provision about the number of parliamentary constituencies and other rules for the distribution of seats; and for connected purposes.
This Bill received Royal Assent on Monday 14th December 2020 and was enacted into law.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
Prevent gyms closing due to a spike in Covid 19 cases
Gov Responded - 28 Oct 2020 Debated on - 23 Nov 2020In the event of a spike we would like you not to close gyms as a measure to stop any spread of Covid. Also for gyms to not be put in the same group as pubs in terms of risk or importance. Gyms are following strict guidelines and most members are following rules in a sober manner.
Reclose schools and colleges due to increase in COVID-19 cases
Gov Responded - 25 Nov 2020 Debated on - 7 Dec 2020Close down schools and colleges due to the increase in COVID-19 cases. We are seeing cases of students and teachers catching the virus since schools have reopened.
Seek Europe-wide Visa-free work permit for Touring professionals and Artists
Gov Responded - 14 Jan 2021We would like the UK Govt to negotiate a free cultural work permit that gives us visa free travel throughout the 27 EU states for music touring professionals, bands, musicians, artists, TV and sports celebrities that tour the EU to perform shows and events & Carnet exception for touring equipment.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.
The Government fully cooperated with the National Audit Office’s investigation into Government procurement during the pandemic and provided all information requested.
The NAO report sets out the NAO's investigative approach and the evidence drawn on as part of the investigation.
The Government’s position on the operation of Freedom of Information legislation in respect of private email accounts is set out in the ‘Guidance to departments on use of private emails,’ published in 2013 as outlined below:
‘The Freedom of Information Act and searches for information
9. The FoI Act allows people to request information; it does not give the requestor any power to dictate where the department should search for that information. It is for the department to consider where the information might be and to take reasonable steps to find it. As set out above, it is expected that Government business should be recorded on government record systems. It will generally be reasonable to search only within those systems when a request has been received.
10. Departmental searches in response to requests for information are the responsibility of individual departments. The FOI Act itself provides no express legal authority for departments to search another person’s private emails or other records for the purpose of responding to a request made under that Act. In exceptional circumstances, it may be necessary to ascertain whether there is Government information in an individual’s possession that is not accessible to Government. This should be done by approaching the individual in question and the department should be entitled to rely on that person’s answer. There would be no requirement on the department to inform the requestor that the question had been asked, or (if Government information had been privately stored) where any information was found though, as now, if the Information Commissioner’s office is involved, departments may be asked to explain the nature and extent of the searches conducted in order to reply to a request.’
The Government does not have plans to change the Act’s coverage as it relates to Parliamentarians. The constitutional position is affirmed by Parliament in Schedule 3 of the Act.
The conduct of Parliamentarians is a matter for each House. Codes of conduct set out the standards of behaviour expected of Members of Parliament in all aspects of their public life. Both Houses are advised by the Commissioners for Standards in each House.
Where MPs and peers recruit or employ staff, these aspects are covered by the Equality Act 2010, including the duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people.
Section 113(7) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 requires contracting authorities to publish their performance against the 30 day obligation to pay their suppliers within 30 days, together with details of interest payable/paid where they fail to do so. It does not place any obligations or responsibilities upon external auditors in the event of a reporting failure.
The Cabinet Office has included proposals in its Green Paper on Procurement Rules Reform to strengthen the reporting requirements of Section 113(7).
The proposals include legislating to align public and private sector reporting requirements and publishing public sector payment performance in a single location which will allow greater scrutiny and challenge of public sector payment performance.
The outcome of the consultation will be published in due course.
Section 113(7) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 requires contracting authorities to publish their performance against the 30 day obligation to pay their suppliers within 30 days, together with details of interest payable/paid where they fail to do so. It does not place any obligations or responsibilities upon external auditors in the event of a reporting failure.
The Cabinet Office has included proposals in its Green Paper on Procurement Rules Reform to strengthen the reporting requirements of Section 113(7).
The proposals include legislating to align public and private sector reporting requirements and publishing public sector payment performance in a single location which will allow greater scrutiny and challenge of public sector payment performance.
The outcome of the consultation will be published in due course.
An updated list of Government special advisers was published on GOV.UK on 15 July.
As has been the case under successive administrations, staff employed in the No.10 Political Office are a matter for the governing party.
The Information Commissioner has recently launched an investigation into the use of private correspondence channels in DHSC. It would therefore be inappropriate to comment on the ongoing investigation at this stage.
Levelling up is at the heart of the Government’s agenda to build back better after the pandemic and to deliver for citizens in every part of the UK. As per the Prime Minister’s speech, deprivation levels in London have been dramatically reduced but there is still much more to do. The details of how we plan to level up will be published later this year, as part of our landmark Levelling Up White Paper, setting out bold new policy interventions to improve livelihoods and opportunity in all parts of the UK, including London.
Levelling up is at the heart of the Government’s agenda to build back better after the pandemic and to deliver for citizens in every part of the UK. As per the Prime Minister’s speech, deprivation levels in London have been dramatically reduced but there is still much more to do. The details of how we plan to level up will be published later this year, as part of our landmark Levelling Up White Paper, setting out bold new policy interventions to improve livelihoods and opportunity in all parts of the UK, including London.
The cost to the public purse of Cabinet Office's energy usage in (a) 2019, (b) 2020 and (c) 2021 is shown below:
2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22* |
£820,820 | £837,439 | £837,616 |
* Estimated.
This information mainly covers the buildings that are part of the Affiliates Cluster and where the Cabinet Office is the major occupier -
Dover House
Admiralty House
70 Whitehall
10 Downing Street
35 Great Smith Street
Information for buildings where the Cabinet Office is a minor occupier is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
The cost to the public purse of Cabinet Office's energy usage in (a) 2019, (b) 2020 and (c) 2021 is shown below:
2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22* |
£820,820 | £837,439 | £837,616 |
* Estimated.
This information mainly covers the buildings that are part of the Affiliates Cluster and where the Cabinet Office is the major occupier -
Dover House
Admiralty House
70 Whitehall
10 Downing Street
35 Great Smith Street
Information for buildings where the Cabinet Office is a minor occupier is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQ 14211 on 29 June 2021.
No.9 Downing Street is the south wing of 70 Whitehall and forms part of the Cabinet Office Estate.
The rooms are used for offices, storage and also the Broadcast Suite. The space is occupied and used by Cabinet Office and its immediate suppliers.
Official papers relating to allegations of a security service plot against Harold Wilson are retained by the Cabinet Office. Retained papers are reviewed regularly to decide whether they can be released.
The majority of Common Frameworks intersect with the policy areas covered in Northern Ireland Protocol. Common Frameworks contain the governance structures needed to manage divergence arising as a consequence of new or amended EU law applied through the Protocol. Reporting on any divergence arising from the Protocol will be a matter for the relevant Common Framework-owning departments and their Devolved Administration counterparts to consider.
The Northern Ireland Executive has provided provisional confirmation for 21 Common Frameworks. Of the remaining 32 active areas in which a Common Framework is required, 28 Common Frameworks have now been provisionally confirmed and one has been fully implemented. Once sufficiently progressed, the Northern Ireland Executive will be sharing their Frameworks with the Northern Ireland Assembly to allow for Parliamentary Scrutiny in the same way colleagues across the UK Government will be sharing the provisionally confirmed Frameworks with the UK Parliament.
The majority of Common Frameworks intersect with the policy areas covered in Northern Ireland Protocol. Common Frameworks contain the governance structures needed to manage divergence arising as a consequence of new or amended EU law applied through the Protocol. Reporting on any divergence arising from the Protocol will be a matter for the relevant Common Framework-owning departments and their Devolved Administration counterparts to consider.
The Northern Ireland Executive has provided provisional confirmation for 21 Common Frameworks. Of the remaining 32 active areas in which a Common Framework is required, 28 Common Frameworks have now been provisionally confirmed and one has been fully implemented. Once sufficiently progressed, the Northern Ireland Executive will be sharing their Frameworks with the Northern Ireland Assembly to allow for Parliamentary Scrutiny in the same way colleagues across the UK Government will be sharing the provisionally confirmed Frameworks with the UK Parliament.
Parliamentary scrutiny is a key stage in the delivery of a Common Framework; Government officials remain in regular contact with relevant Parliamentary committees about this matter. The Government anticipates that frameworks will be made available for Parliamentary scrutiny in the Autumn and that the Devolved Administrations will follow a broadly similar timetable. The Government and the Devolved Administrations are committed to delivering Common Frameworks by the end of 2021. Following this, Common Frameworks will be kept under periodic review.
There has been engagement with Welsh Government counterparts - as well as weekly engagement at official level - about the inland border sites in North Wales. Provision of Border Control Posts for SPS checks is a devolved matter. However, Defra, HMRC, Wales Office, and Welsh Government are working constructively to define an appropriate control regime for customs and biosecurity checks to be in place and operational at the sites in Parc Cybi from 1 January.
The Warrington Inland Border Facility has been operational since January 2021 and has the capacity to handle more than 700 goods vehicle movements per day for customs checks. Together with other inland border facilities, such as Birmingham and Sevington, there is more than adequate capacity to accommodate any shortfall capacity at Welsh ports and inland sites in January 2022, should this be needed.
There has been engagement with Welsh Government counterparts - as well as weekly engagement at official level - about the inland border sites in North Wales. Provision of Border Control Posts for SPS checks is a devolved matter. However, Defra, HMRC, Wales Office, and Welsh Government are working constructively to define an appropriate control regime for customs and biosecurity checks to be in place and operational at the sites in Parc Cybi from 1 January.
The Warrington Inland Border Facility has been operational since January 2021 and has the capacity to handle more than 700 goods vehicle movements per day for customs checks. Together with other inland border facilities, such as Birmingham and Sevington, there is more than adequate capacity to accommodate any shortfall capacity at Welsh ports and inland sites in January 2022, should this be needed.
Checks on goods being imported to the UK from the EU are carried out by HMRC, Defra and local Port Health Authorities. Full import controls are being introduced in a phased approach between October 2021 and March 2022. Defra and HMRC continue to review the number of staff required to conduct these checks and ensure that there are sufficient civil servants in post. Once the import controls, as set out under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, have been fully implemented, an accurate estimate of additional staffing required and the cost of this recruitment can be made.
England moved to step 4 of the roadmap on 19 July following a full assessment of the data against the four tests for easing restrictions. Moving to step 4 on 19 July means that the easing of restrictions coincides with the end of the school term, takes place over the summer when more activities can take place outdoors, and pressures on the NHS are less than in the autumn and winter months.
The Government will retain contingency measures to respond to unexpected events, while accepting that further cases, hospitalisations and deaths will occur as the country learns to live with COVID-19. The Government will continue to monitor the data on a regular basis to ensure there is no danger of the NHS facing unsustainable pressure; work with local authorities and provide national support to local areas that need an enhanced response to COVID-19; and maintain contingency plans for reimposing economic and social restrictions at a local, regional or national level if evidence suggests they are necessary to suppress or manage a dangerous variant. Such measures would only be reintroduced as a last resort to prevent unsustainable pressure on the NHS.
I refer the hon. Member to the reply Lord True gave to Lord Clement-Jones on 21 July, Official Report, column 256.
I refer the hon. Member to the statement given by the Minister for COVID Vaccine Deployment on 22 July 2021.
Step 4 policy and guidance was developed in collaboration with departments and stakeholders including businesses and unions. The Government continuously reviews and updates the guidance available in light of emerging information and feedback from the public, working to ensure the guidance is clear and accessible.
We discussed the development of guidance with stakeholders, including businesses and unions, however this did not happen under a formal consultation process, largely due to the need to react and make decisions swiftly at Ministerial level, given the circumstances during the pandemic.
I refer the Rt Hon Member to my written statement of 22 July 2021.
This information is not held by the UK Government. However, as indicated by the Chief Veterinary Officer for Northern Ireland, on the 15 April 2021 in the Northern Ireland Assembly’s Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, the Northern Ireland Executive has estimated that from January to March, the number of entry documents for products of animal origin, germinal products, and animal by-products (CHED-Ps) processed in Northern Ireland represented approximately 20% of the EU total. This is more than any single EU Member State - even though the population of Northern Ireland is just 0.5% of that of the EU as a whole.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQ 3021 on 25 May 2021.
On Monday 12 July, the Prime Minister confirmed that the Government’s four tests for easing COVID-19 restrictions had been met and England proceeded to Step 4 of the roadmap on Monday 19 July. A range of data was considered, including from Public Health England, the NHS, and the ONS, as well as modelling from SAGE, to inform this decision. In June, the move to Step 4 was delayed by four weeks so more adults could be vaccinated, and more than 7 million vaccines were administered during this period.
The Government will continue to monitor the data on a regular basis to ensure there is no danger of the NHS facing unsustainable pressure. The Government will maintain contingency plans for reimposing economic and social restrictions at a local, regional or national level if evidence suggests they are necessary to suppress or manage a dangerous variant. Such measures would only be re-introduced as a last resort to prevent unsustainable pressure on the NHS.
Other than works funded through the annual allowance, the costs of the wider refurbishment of the residence are not being financed by taxpayers and have been settled by the Prime Minister personally.
Interim support provided by the Conservative Party is a matter for the party.
Other than works funded through the annual allowance, the costs of the wider refurbishment of the residence are not being financed by taxpayers and have been settled by the Prime Minister personally.
Interim support provided by the Conservative Party is a matter for the party.
Other than works funded through the annual allowance, the costs of the wider refurbishment of the residence are not being financed by taxpayers and have been settled by the Prime Minister personally.
Interim support provided by the Conservative Party is a matter for the party.
The Cabinet Office no longer holds files on this subject. Records from this period transferred to The National Archives (TNA) are listed on its online catalogue. Any closures or retentions can be requested via the FOI process and quoting the file reference on TNA's catalogue.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.
Throughout the pandemic, we have done whatever it takes to protect the NHS and save lives. This included launching the Ventilator Challenge, which saw more than 15,000 new machines delivered to the NHS, meaning every patient who needs a ventilator has been able to access one.
The Ventilator Challenge was run during the height of the pandemic and the Cabinet Office accepted the higher levels of risk that come with Research and Development projects where time is of the essence, entering into development contracts with a wide variety of vendors. An initial screening of the projects by a Technical Design Authority (comprised of clinicians, the regulator, external experts and officials) identified which ventilators design concepts were most likely to both pass validation and be manufacturable in volume.
Those design teams were issued conditional letters of intent to cover reasonable costs until the next (clinically informed) TDA, when work on the devices considered to be non-viable was stood down. In this way the list of potentially viable designs was whittled down to those that did pass the required validation tests, some of which were then taken into manufacture. There were therefore costs incurred in supporting designs that did not turn out to work, but it was not knowable at the outset which design concepts would and would not be successful.
As highlighted in the NAO report, even including the R&D costs expended on designs that did not progress, the average unit cost of the ventilators developed and manufactured compared favourably with that of the ventilators purchased in the market. Moreover the NAO report into the ventilator challenge remarked that given its overall approach, the Cabinet Office took reasonable steps to control the programme’s costs where it could.
The write down in the Cabinet Office - Annual Report and Accounts 2020/21 relates to an initial purchase of semi-automated face covering manufacturing plants acquired at the outset of the pandemic to provide initial domestic resilience while we were facing worldwide shortages. These machines were replaced by fully automated machines. As a result of this investment, more than 13 million masks for public use have already been made and millions more will be produced in the coming months. This programme has helped ensure public demand for face coverings has not affected the supply of higher-grade masks needed by NHS frontline staff.
Further to the answers given on 8 July 2021, Cabinet Office Guidance to departments on the use of private emails provides guidance on this issue.
We will publish a landmark Levelling Up White Paper later this year, articulating how bold new policy interventions will improve opportunity and boost livelihoods across the country as we recover from the pandemic.
The Government places great importance on the effective and timely handling of correspondence. While each department and agency is responsible for its own performance, the Cabinet Office published data on response timeliness for each department on 15 July 2021, and will publish data more frequently in the future. While the overall performance against departmental targets decreased from 85% in 2019 to 70% in 2020, the volume of correspondence sent from MPs and Peers to the Government increased by 81% between 2019 and 2020.
To further improve the timeliness of correspondence, the Cabinet Office will shortly publish a revised Guide to Handling Correspondence to remind departments and agencies of their obligations and the expected standard of service.
Work is progressing on creating a log of declarations which will cover existing and future contracts. This includes identifying the number of individuals who will be responsible for the log and finalising the data protection training which they will require.
I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to PQ 33512 on 21 April 2020, and to PQ 40655 on 11 May 2020.
Since the vaccination programme began, the Cabinet Office has worked closely with communications teams in local authorities to promote vaccine uptake, particularly to communities with lower vaccine take-up. Support has included the commissioning of translated materials, the deployment of upweighted advertising in specific areas, and the use of multi-lingual local community street teams to share information about the available vaccines.
Through the Community Champions scheme councils and voluntary organisations will deliver a wide range of measures to protect those most at risk - building trust, communicating accurate health information and ultimately helping to save lives. MHCLG has allocated over £23 million of funding to 60 councils and voluntary groups across England to expand work to support those most at risk from COVID-19 and boost vaccine uptake.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.