Asked by: Lord Watson of Invergowrie (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to including multi academy trust chief executives in the remit of the Senior Salaries Review Body.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Senior Salaries Review Body has not received any request for Multi Academy Trust Chief Executives to be included in their remit.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment his Department has made of the long‑term financial sustainability of the Civil Service Pension Scheme; and whether further reforms are being considered to ensure value for money for both members and taxpayers.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Public Service Pension policy is the responsibility of HM Treasury, including the Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS). Any reform of the scheme must align with or ensure legal compliance with HM Treasury policy, and no further reforms are being considered at this time.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether any civil servants hired by his Department were recruited over another person on the basis of a protected characteristic in each of the last three years.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Civil Service recruitment is governed by the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaGA) 2010, which requires that all appointments to the Civil Service are made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition.
The Cabinet Office does not recruit candidates on the basis of protected characteristics. All appointments are made on merit, in line with the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. Compliance with these principles is overseen by the independent Civil Service Commission.
Asked by: Baroness Finn (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether their response to the Humble Address on 4 February regarding Lord Mandelson will make redactions on grounds other than matters likely to prejudice international relations or national security; whether other exemptions similar to those under the Freedom of Information Act will be applied; and whether there is guidance to officials which sets out what information is and is not in scope of the response to the Humble Address.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
I refer the Noble Lady to the Government's response to the Urgent Question tabled on 12th February (Hansard Volume 853, Column 364), the Written Ministerial Statement in the name of the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister that same day (HLWS1344), and the Oral Statement on the 23 February (repeated on 24th February, Hansard Volume 853, Column 494), which sets out an update on the Government's process. We will set out further details in due course. The Government wishes to ensure that Parliament's instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 27 January (HL13589), what was the rationale for removing the former Duke of York from the Roll of the Peerage and not Lord Mandelson.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was removed from the Roll of the Peerage on 5 November 2025 and his title is no longer used officially. The Government supports this decision taken by His Majesty The King.
The Prime Minister has been clear that Peter Mandelson should not be a member of the House of Lords or use the title. Bespoke legislation is currently required to remove a peerage but the Prime Minister has announced that the Government will create a mechanism to remove peerages from disgraced peers; this work is continuing.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on how many days in 2025 did the Pride Flag fly on the main Whitehall building operated by his Department.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Pride Flag was displayed for the following dates across the following building.
70 Whitehall – 30.06.25 – 05.07.25 (6 Days)
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether any box notes were provided to the Prime Minister by the National Security Advisor regarding the alleged China Spy Case.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 23 October 2025, Official Report, column 1087.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether bereavement cases where a civil servant retired on ill health grounds prior to death are being prioritised in addressing the Civil Service Pensions Scheme backlog; and what steps he is taking to ensure that surviving spouses in such cases receive pensions payments from the Scheme.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.
The delays faced by pension scheme members in accessing their pensions are unacceptable.
We recognise the significant pressure on surviving spouses, particularly in cases involving a prior ill-health retirement. Capita has prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. A similar position will be reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March.
This prioritisation extends to the surviving spouses of these members; once an ill-health retirement is processed, any subsequent survivor benefit claims are fast-tracked within the highest priority recovery stream to ensure payments reach the bereaved without further undue delay.
We have set up a dedicated team to work urgently with Capita, with 650 full time staff across Government and Capita and restoring normal service as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery.
Alongside these arrangements, Capita has prioritised payment of tax-free pension lump sums for members who had received quotations but were not in receipt of their benefits, with the vast majority of these having been paid in February.
The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update (2 March 2026) is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-update-2-march-2026
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to provide an answer to Question 111938.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
I refer the honourable gentleman to the answer to PQ 111938.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what information his Department holds that was provided by the (a) security and (b) intelligence services regarding the appointment of Lord Mandelson as the UK Ambassador to the United States.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
It is long-standing practice that UK Security Vetting, the body responsible for National Security Vetting across government does not disclose information provided by the security and intelligence services.