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 Answer of 9 December 2025 to Question 95639 on Civil Service: Redundancy, whether the Redundancy and Compensation Control process holds or collates data on departmental spending on exit payments and the number of civil servants leaving the Civil Service through such processes.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
Whilst indicative figures are part of the cases submitted to Cabinet Office, the Redundancy and Compensation control does not hold data on the final number or cost of exits payments. This data is available in each department’s annual report and accounts.
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 his Department's publication entitled Public-sector trade union facility time data, updated on 27 November 2025, if he will define trade union (a) duties and (b) activities.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office guidance on reporting trade union facility time data includes examples of what counts as trade union duties and activities. See, the Cabinet Office guidance: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/report-trade-union-facility-time-data
For detailed definitions of trade union duties and activities, please refer to the Acas Code of Practice on time off for trade union duties and activities:
Acas Code of Practice: https://www.acas.org.uk/acas-code-of-practice-on-time-off-for-trade-union-duties-and-activities
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the high value council tax surcharge will be payable by Ministers in official Ministerial residences which are (a) occupied as a primary residence and (b) occupied as a secondary residence.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
I refer the Hon Member to PQ 95176.
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 Answer of 25 November 2025 to Question 91375 on Cabinet Office: Facilities Agreements, whether paid trade union activity facility time in a (a) department and (b) Arm’s Length Body must be approved by a Minister.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office issued Facility Time Framework is intended to apply to all departments and executive agencies employing civil servants. It encourages Arms Length Bodies to adopt the Framework where possible.
The Framework specifies that paid time off to undertake trade union activities should be agreed by the department’s Secretary of State or Permanent Secretary.
A copy of the Facility Time Framework and its supporting guidance was deposited in the House Library earlier this year.
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 answer of 2 December 2025 to Question 94201 on Trade Union Officials: Facilities Agreements, if he will publish that guidance.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
A copy of the Facility Time Framework and its supporting guidance was deposited in the House Library in May of this year.
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 answer of 25 November 2025 to Question 91375 on Cabinet Office: Facilities Agreements, if he will publish the full facility time guidance.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
A copy of the Facility Time Framework and its supporting guidance was deposited in the House Library in May of this year.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many official visits a) to Scotland and b) abroad the Prime Minister has made since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Prime Ministerial travel is published on gov.uk and includes both domestic and international visits. The Prime Minister’s first ever official visit as Prime Minister was to Scotland.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if the High Value council tax surcharge in England will be paid from the public purse for the official residences at a) 10 Downing Street, b) 11 Downing Street, c) 1 Carlton Gardens, d) Dorneywood, e) Chequers, f) Chevening and e) the Admiralty House flat.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
HVCTS will be paid by property owners not residents. Where official residences are owned by the state, any tax will be paid to the Exchequer at no overall cost to the taxpayer.