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 15 December 2025 to Question 95644 on Cabinet Office: OCS Group, whether the (a) Cabinet Office and (b) Government Property Agency have access to the information entered onto the Social Value Portal.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office does not have access to the information entered onto the Social Value Portal in relation to OCS Group.
However, The GPA has access to the Social Value Portal in respect of its OCS Group contracts.
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 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for government’s most important contracts, Data for July to September 2025, published on 25 December 2025, for what reason (a) using soft copy and (b) travelling by rail is a key performance indicator for the covid inquiry contract with Burges Salmon LLP.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The CCLL23A10 contract with Burges Salmon LLP was procured under Public Contract Regulations 2015. The KPI referenced refers to the contract's Social Value KPI. A Social Value KPI was included in the contract as per para 4.6 of the 'Guide to using the Social Value Model'.
As per the ‘Social Value Model’, Social Value KPIs must be informed by the themes and policy outcomes chosen for the procurement. In the case of the procurement of the CCLL23A10 contract with Burges Salmon LLP, the Social Value KPI was informed by theme 3 ‘Fighting Climate Change’ and the ‘Effective stewardship of the environment’ policy outcome. Working in soft copy (where possible) and choosing travel by rail (where the most time efficient method of transportation) were the measurables chosen to encourage minimised environmental impact and demonstrate that the supplier can provide social value under this contract.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Cabinet Office publication, Public Appointments made by or of interest to the Prime Minister, of 30 October 2025, what does the inclusion of a regulated public appointment in that list entail for the process of that appointment; and whether the No10 Public Appointments Unit is consulted by the sponsor department on the (a) panel members, (b) longlist, (c) shortlist and (d) proposed final appointment by the sponsor department.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
This Government is continuing to ensure the highest standards in the public appointments process.
The process for public appointments is set out on gov.uk, including a transparent list of appointments that by their nature may be of interest to the Prime Minister’s Office.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the transparency data, Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer KCB KC MP official charity receptions, July to September 2025, updated on 19 December 2025, what was the cost to the public purpose of each of the listed official receptions.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
As under previous administrations, details of official receptions are published in quarterly transparency returns on gov.uk.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to negotiate the harmonisation of the amount of time that UK nationals can spend in the EU under the 90 in 180 day Schengen rule with the amount of time that EU nationals can spend in the UK with her EU counterparts.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
HMG officials and Ministers, including myself, regularly engage the EU and EU Member State counterparts on a range of issues affecting UK nationals. The UK and the EU allow for visa-free, short-term travel in line with their respective arrangements for third country nationals.
The UK allows EU citizens visa-free travel for up to six months; the EU allows for visa-free travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period which is standard for third nationals travelling visa-free to the EU. UK nationals planning to stay longer will need permission from the relevant Member State. The UK Government will continue to listen to and advocate for UK nationals.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing prior public notice of visits by members of the Royal Family to Northern Ireland, in the context of practice in other parts of the UK.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
As with all Royal visits across the UK, announcement timelines take into account a number of factors, including security advice.
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 20 November 2025, to Question 90744, on Government Departments: Social Media, which influencers have been used by his Department through the two agencies since July 2024.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
As digital and social media become central to how people consume information, the government is adapting its communications approach to meet audiences where they are.
The government recognises content creators as an important way to reach and engage audiences online.
Please note, some data has been withheld due to commercial and wider sensitivities.
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 Q341 of the oral evidence session of the Foreign Affairs, Commonwealth and Development Committee, on Oral evidence: Work of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, HC 385, 3 November 2025, if he will make it Government policy that Parliamentary select committees can question direct ministerial appointments in an oral evidence session.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The government recently published guidance on making Direct Ministerial Appointments, which sets out the principles for this route into government. This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/direct-ministerial-appointments
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 documents entitled House of Lords Appointments Commission - Independent Member (up to 2), opening date 3 January 2025, and the Governance Code on Public Appointments, updated on 30 October 2025, if he will state who was the independent panel member.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
As published on the GOV.UK Public Appointments webpage when the campaign was first advertised, the Independent Panel Member for the House of Lords Appointments Commission - Independent Member (up to 2) was initially Lord Adebowale.
Althea Loderick (Southwark Council CEO) took on the role in July 2025, when Lord Adebolwale became unavailable in the latter stages. The Public Appointments webpage was updated accordingly.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, Pursuant to the answer of 15 December 2025, to Question 96790, on Tim Allan, how Tom Baldwin is classified in the published list of external meetings.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Special Adviser Code of Conduct sets out the categories of meetings, gifts and hospitality that are declared publicly. Any relevant meetings within this category will be published via this process in the normal way.