Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office of 30 July (HC923), whether paragraphs 207–208 of the Cabinet Office's Guide to Parliamentary Work (November 2022) on the relationship between the treatment of requests for information under Parliamentary Questions and the Freedom of Information Act 2000 remain their policy when answering Parliamentary Questions.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Guide to Parliamentary Work is published by the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-parliamentary-work.

The Government's position regarding the relationship between the treatment of requests for information under Parliamentary Questions and the Freedom of Information Act 2000 is unchanged. It is a routine courtesy and a recognised fundamental right of Parliament that Members receive full and timely responses to parliamentary questions.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many applications for Recruitment Principles exceptions has the Civil Service Commission rejected since 4 July 2024; and how many breaches of the Recruitment Principles have been identified in the same period.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Where the Civil Service Commission does not believe that a proposed appointment by exception is justified either by the needs of the Civil Service or to enable the Civil Service to participate in a government employment initiative, it may reject the proposal or impose additional conditions. As has been long-standing practice under successive administrations, this information is not published.

The Commission also issues breaches where non-compliance with the Recruitment Principles has been identified. This information is published in the Commission’s annual report, which can be found at https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/publications/annual-reports/

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 30 July 2024 to Question 943 on Civil Service: Trade Union Officials, what guidance his Department has issued on the (a) proportion of the total Civil Service paybill that should be allocated to facility time and (b) maximum percentage of time that individual Civil Service staff may spend on facility time.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Under the previous administration, the Cabinet Office provided departments with a facility time framework agreement, and supporting guidance, which departments must use when agreeing their facility time and facilities usage agreements with their recognised trade unions.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 23 July 2024 to Question 1247 on Special Advisers: Pay, whether the salaries of all special advisers have been agreed; and who is responsible for determining those salaries.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Special adviser salaries are set according to the special adviser pay framework. Information on Special Adviser numbers and costs will be published in the Annual Report on Special Advisers as per the requirements of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, as was the case under the previous Administration.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government why in their proposals to reform the eligible membership of the House of Lords they have not included consideration of the bishops.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

In its manifesto, the Government promised to bring about an immediate reform by removing the right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords.

The Government has now introduced legislation to implement this reform. This is a first step in taking forward the Government's commitments to wider reform of the House of Lords, including the introduction of a retirement age, a new participation requirement, changes to the appointments process, as well as establishing an alternative second chamber that is more representative of the regions and nations of the UK.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Prime Minister, or the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff, undertook an equality impact assessment, and considered the public sector equality duty under the Equality Act 2010, when deciding to remove the portrait of the first female Prime Minister from the Downing Street study.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The portrait continues to hang in 10 Downing Street.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the former Prime Minister's letter entitled Government transparency and open data, published on 14 December 2017, whether the content of the letter remains Government policy; and when Government departments plan to publish updated structure charts and organograms.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Transparency reporting requirements remain in place, with data regularly being published on GOV.UK.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether changes have been made to the Government-appointed trustees of (a) Dorneywood and (b) Chequers since 4 July 2024.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

No changes have been made by the government with regard to government-appointed trustees on the boards of Dorneywood or Chequers.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to transfer Cabinet Office-sponsored (1) functions, and (2) agencies, to other Government departments.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Following the 4th July 2024 election, there have been two Written Ministerial Statements outlining several Machinery of Government changes, all of which impact the Cabinet Office. The Written Ministerial Statement laid on 24th July 2024 (HCWS19) announced:

• The Office for Veterans’ Affairs will move from the Cabinet Office to the Ministry of Defence

• Digital functions (i.AI, Government Digital Service, Central Digital and Data Office) will move from the Cabinet Office to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

• Ministerial oversight of the EU relationship (existing agreements and the future relationship) will move from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to the Cabinet Office

• Government Car Service will move from the Department for Transport (DfT) to the Cabinet Office

A later Written Ministerial Statement laid on 5th September set out:

• Responsibility for Union and devolution policy across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is moving from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to the Cabinet Office

Cabinet Office staff are now working on the implementation of the above Machinery of Government Changes, including scoping and impact assessment.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 7 August (HL345), how many staffing hours are allocated to the Civil Service LGBT+ Network, and across how many staff members.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Allocation of working time spent on cross-government staff networks is an agreement between the staff network volunteers and their departments as employers.

The majority of staff time spent on the Civil Service LGBT+ Network is voluntary and unpaid. There are no central records on how many staff members participate in the network.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 12 August (HL517), what applications for an equality, diversity and inclusion spending control exemption have been (1) applied for, (2) accepted, and (3) rejected, since the general election.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Applications and decisions about applications for external Equality Diversity and Inclusion expenditure lie with individual departments. No exemptions have been centrally reported since the General Election.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Interests has finished reviewing Ministers’ declared interests, whether all Ministers have now declared their interests, and when they intend to publish the List of Ministers' Interests.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The next List of Ministers’ Interests will be published in due course in line with the established process in place for the declaration and management of private interests held by ministers, which ensures that steps are taken to avoid or mitigate any potential or perceived conflicts of interest.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 31 July 2024 to Question 1253 on 10 Downing Street: Contract, whether he plans to insource contracts for the maintenance of (a) 10 Downing Street and (b) 70 Whitehall.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Government Property Agency’s current maintenance contracts, which were negotiated under the previous Administration, which cover nearly 90 Buildings across the current government estate, commenced on 1st November 2023 for a minimum period of 5 years.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many positions in his Department included (a) diversity, (b) inclusion, (c) equity and (d) equality in their job title in each of the last five years; and what the total cost of the salaries of each such job was in each of those years.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Cabinet Office does not routinely collate information on specific words within job titles and collating this information would come at a disproportionate cost.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many (a) headcount and (b) full-time equivalent staff work in No. 10 digital communications; and at what pay bands.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Information about departmental resourcing is set out in relevant annual reports (or published elsewhere in the relevant document). Decisions about future financial years will be made by the civil service in the usual way.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Prime Minister plans to (a) increase and (b) reduce the (i) spending on and (ii) staff working on digital communications in Downing Street.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Information about departmental resourcing is set out in relevant annual reports (or published elsewhere in the relevant document). Decisions about future financial years will be made by the civil service in the usual way.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the (1) Cabinet Office Government People Group, and (2) Government Equalities Office, has a list of banned words and phrases.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government has no such list. The Government uses terms which are designed to be inclusive, easy to understand and accessible to everyone.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Treasury's Sustainability Reporting Guidance 2024-25, published on 25 July 2024, whether 10 Downing Street plans to report using those metrics.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Prime Minister’s Office is a business unit of the Cabinet Office. Sustainability reporting for 10 Downing Street is completed by the Cabinet Office. Cabinet Office aligns to the Treasury’s Sustainability Reporting Guidance 2024-25, published on 25 July 2024.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 31 July 2024 to Question 1257 on Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman: Public Appointments, who the decision maker is on which appointee to recommend for appointment.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The process to recruit the Ombudsman is led by the House, which convenes an independent panel to identify appointable candidates and make a recommendation to the Prime Minister. It is then for the Prime Minister to decide whether to advise His Majesty The King to formally appoint the recommended candidate.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what disciplinary investigations have taken place in the last 12 months in relation to civil servants breaching political impartiality restrictions by campaigning in (a) Parliamentary by-elections and (b) the general election.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the declaration of interests of the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

As was the case under the previous Administration, interests deemed relevant for publication for special advisers in No10 and the Cabinet Office are published on an annual basis by the Cabinet Office.

For special advisers in other departments, interests deemed relevant for publication are published by the relevant department on an annual basis in, or alongside, the department’s Annual Report and Accounts.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish a register of the interests of special advisers.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

As was the case under the previous Administration, interests deemed relevant for publication for special advisers in No10 and the Cabinet Office are published on an annual basis by the Cabinet Office.

For special advisers in other departments, interests deemed relevant for publication are published by the relevant department on an annual basis in, or alongside, the department’s Annual Report and Accounts.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the European Union to increase the allowance under its visa-waiver policy to allow UK citizens working for UK-based hauliers to remain in the Schengen Area for more than 90 days in any 180-day period.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Both the UK and the EU allow for visa-free short-term travel in line with their arrangements for Third Country Nationals. The Schengen Borders Code allows for third country nationals to travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; this is standard for third countries travelling to the EU. While we recognise that extending the 90-180 day period is a matter for Member States and the EU, the Government will continue to listen to and advocate for UK nationals. In November 2023, officials raised the challenges the 90 days in 180-day limit presents for UK national hauliers and coach drivers through the UK-EU Specialised Committee on Road Transport; the EU Co-Chair noted that there are no plans to change the rules on the conditions of entry of third country nationals to the EU, including for visa-free travel for short-term visits.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the salaries of all special advisers have now been finalised; and when they intend to publish the list of special advisers, as required under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Basildon - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal

In line with the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, the list of special advisers and their pay bands will be published in the relevant Annual Report on Special Advisers.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office on 30 July (HC936), whether they now intend to publish the data gathered from the Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Review.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Basildon - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal

We are currently considering the Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Review commissioned by the previous Government.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to introduce collective bargaining in the civil service.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Pay arrangements for civil servants below the Senior Civil Service are delegated to departments as separate employers. Departments each have their own local pay bargaining units to engage with trade unions as departments deal with many different workforce issues.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the Government's policy is on its special advisers (a) posting political opinions and (b) commenting on Government business on social media.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Code of Conduct for Special Advisers sets out Special Advisers’ obligations with regards to the media, including social media.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many staff (a) excluding and (b) including special advisers are employed by 10 Downing Street broken down by (i) headcount and (ii) full-time equivalent, as of 10 September 2024.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

For management and staffing purposes the Prime Minister’s Office is part of the Cabinet Office. As of 31 August 2024 there are 240 (237.4 FTE) permanent civil servants employed by the Cabinet Office and allocated to the Prime Minister’s Office.

As was the case under the previous Administration, information about Special Adviser numbers will be published in the Annual report on Special Advisers.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 26 July 2024 to Question 1260 on Senior Civil Servants: Recruitment, how many of the appointments for the Director Generals in charge of the five Mission Delivery Boards have been externally advertised; and for what length of time have vacancies been open to apply for those posts.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Five Directors General (DG) have been selected as Senior Responsible Officers (SROs) for each of the five Missions. All five were selected by the Cabinet Secretary and relevant Permanent Secretary, in consultation with their Secretary of State, on the basis of their expertise and experience.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 26 July 2024 to Question 1260 on Senior Civil Servants: Recruitment, how many of the appointments for the Director Generals of the five Mission Delivery Boards have been internally advertised; and how long have those vacancies been advertised.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Five Directors General (DG) have been selected as Senior Responsible Officers (SROs) for each of the five Missions. All five were selected by the Cabinet Secretary and relevant Permanent Secretary, in consultation with their Secretary of State, on the basis of their expertise and experience.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to negotiate a cabotage exemption for the creative industries within the EU.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport is committed to working closely with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Cabinet Office and other relevant Whitehall departments to address key challenges facing the UK’s creative professionals and their support staff when touring in the EU.

We are working hard to reset the relationship with our European friends and know that strengthening this relationship will take time. This Government is ambitious and wants to make swift progress, with clear manifesto priorities for the creative and cultural sectors.

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