Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2025, to Question 22450, on Cabinet Office: Senior Civil Servants, what is the maximum amount of time that a Senior Civil Servant can remain in post on a temporary promotion.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Normally covering a role at a higher grade should not exceed 6 months and be reviewed every 3 months, exceptions would be in line with “lifecycle events” for example maternity leave cover.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, by when will his department answer question 113290, published on 12 February 2026.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
A response has been issued here.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason Simon Case and Alex Chisholm were given differing exit payments.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
I refer to my answer to 108238, as set out in the Cabinet Office accounts (page 86), the payment for the former Cabinet Secretary, Simon Case, was a severance payment, with the value calculated using the Civil Service Compensation Scheme tariff.
In answer to the second part of your question, I refer to my answer to 112182. The Business Appointment Rules for Crown Servants set out that Permanent Secretaries are required to observe a three month waiting period, and the Rules set out that it may be appropriate to pay former civil servants who are required to observe a waiting period before taking up an external role.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to answer question 113304, published on 12 February 2026.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
A response has been issued here.
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 press release entitled Dame Antonia Romeo appointed as first female Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service to drive change and implement the government’s agenda, of 19 February 2026, if he will publish the guidance on the new enhanced due diligence process.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
There are no plans to publish the guidance on the due diligence process followed during the appointment of the Cabinet Secretary.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he will respond to Question 109579 tabled on 29 January 2026.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
A response has been issued here.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he will respond to Question 109580 tabled on 29 January 2026.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
A response has been issued here.
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 10 March 2026 to Question 117004, whether those provisions applied to the recent Cabinet Secretary recruitment process.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
I refer to my answer 115556, the Cabinet Manual sets out that the Cabinet Secretary is appointed directly by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister receives advice from the First Civil Service Commissioner, but is the final decision maker.
The announcement (here) explained that “this appointment was made following a full fair and open external competition, chaired by the First Civil Service Commissioner.”
The announcement of the current Cabinet Secretary (here) explained that “the Prime Minister and the First Civil Service Commissioner agreed a process to appoint a new Cabinet Secretary. Once this process was complete, the First Civil Service Commissioner confirmed that Dame Antonia Romeo is an exceptional candidate of the highest calibre, having run two of the largest operational departments in Government, and confirmed her track record makes her the right candidate for the role.
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 publish his Department's guidance on Mutually Agreed Exits.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Guidance on the use of Mutually Agreed Exits is available on the Civil Service Pensions website. This is applicable to all employers who use the Civil Service Compensation Scheme.
This document, and others, are included in the CSCS Employers page on the Civil Service Pensions Scheme website here https://www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/employerhub/employer-responsibilities/member-support/civil-service-compensation-scheme-cscs/
The Annex 6F document is published on the CSPS website here https://www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/annex-6f
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to answer written question 115846, submitted on 24 February 2026.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
A response has been issued here.