Asked by: Lord Blunkett (Labour - 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 9 April (HL6031), whether the Cabinet Office has issued guidance in respect of departmental headcount reduction to ensure that outsourced services match the cost reduction and efficiency gains imposed on in-house services.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
There are numerous government arms-length bodies and agencies that spend public money, including to deliver services on behalf of government departments. These bodies have specified budgets and are accountable to the relevant government department. Financial planning for these bodies is therefore part of each department’s spending review process.
Asked by: Lord Blunkett (Labour - 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 9 April (HL6031), whether they have issued guidance to departments to avoid headcount and expenditure reductions arising not from internal efficiency and increased productivity, but from outsourcing activities.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
There are numerous government arms-length bodies and agencies that spend public money, including to deliver services on behalf of government departments. These bodies have specified budgets and are accountable to the relevant government department. Financial planning for these bodies is therefore part of each department’s spending review process.
Asked by: Lord Blunkett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of their announcement of a 15 per cent reduction in Civil Service running costs over the next four years, what plans they have to monitor a similar cost reduction in government activities carried out under outsourcing arrangements.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
As the Chancellor announced in the Spring Statement, Government departments will aim to reduce their administrative budgets by 15% by the end of the decade. Savings on back‑office functions are expected to total £2.2 billion in 2029-30 whilst ensuring that front line services are prioritised. Individual departments are responsible for delivering these reductions in administrative budgets, which can include savings relating to outsourced providers.
More generally, as part of ongoing contract and commercial management of the suppliers providing services into Government buildings, costs are consistently reviewed and where changes to services or efficiencies identified, these are implemented.
Asked by: Lord Blunkett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the current geographic locations, where known, for the residences of all living recipients of Companions of Honour.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
There are currently 63 living recipients of the Companion of Honour. Data is collected using the region that the recipient gave as their correspondence address when the honour was originally awarded, therefore current address data for recipients prior to the New Year Honours 2025 round is not held. In the New Years Honours 2025 list, there was 1 Companion of Honour awarded to a recipient in the London region.
Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of recipients at all levels for the King’s New Year Honours List 2025 can be found below. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal point. Data for CBE and higher levels has been aggregated and is also included below. Data reflects the correspondence address provided by recipients.
Data is collected using city/town and county, then aggregated into regional figures at the time that the recipients were sounded for an award, not when they were originally nominated. There were 17 individuals who noted their location as South Yorkshire in the New Year Honours 2025 List, none of which were above OBE level. There were 11 individuals who noted their location as Sheffield, none of which were above OBE level.
Information on the number of nominations by mayoral authority in South Yorkshire is not captured, as we are unable to break down the data in that way. However, of those who listed their location as South Yorkshire, 1 individual received an award above MBE level.
56 recipients of honours in the New Year's Honours List 2025 received recognition in previous honours lists.
This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office.
Transparency data for the list by county, the level of award received and the service for which each recipient has been recognised, as well as information on recipients recognised in previous honours lists, is publicly available on gov.uk.
Honours are awarded on merit basis. A key aim of the honours system is to ensure that it is more representative of the country as a whole and we will continue to encourage more nominations from every corner of the UK, including South Yorkshire, in future honours lists.
Asked by: Lord Blunkett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many honours, by each award level, were received in each region or nation of the UK in the New Year’s Honours List 2025; and what percentage of the population of each such region or nation that number represents.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
There are currently 63 living recipients of the Companion of Honour. Data is collected using the region that the recipient gave as their correspondence address when the honour was originally awarded, therefore current address data for recipients prior to the New Year Honours 2025 round is not held. In the New Years Honours 2025 list, there was 1 Companion of Honour awarded to a recipient in the London region.
Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of recipients at all levels for the King’s New Year Honours List 2025 can be found below. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal point. Data for CBE and higher levels has been aggregated and is also included below. Data reflects the correspondence address provided by recipients.
Data is collected using city/town and county, then aggregated into regional figures at the time that the recipients were sounded for an award, not when they were originally nominated. There were 17 individuals who noted their location as South Yorkshire in the New Year Honours 2025 List, none of which were above OBE level. There were 11 individuals who noted their location as Sheffield, none of which were above OBE level.
Information on the number of nominations by mayoral authority in South Yorkshire is not captured, as we are unable to break down the data in that way. However, of those who listed their location as South Yorkshire, 1 individual received an award above MBE level.
56 recipients of honours in the New Year's Honours List 2025 received recognition in previous honours lists.
This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office.
Transparency data for the list by county, the level of award received and the service for which each recipient has been recognised, as well as information on recipients recognised in previous honours lists, is publicly available on gov.uk.
Honours are awarded on merit basis. A key aim of the honours system is to ensure that it is more representative of the country as a whole and we will continue to encourage more nominations from every corner of the UK, including South Yorkshire, in future honours lists.
Asked by: Lord Blunkett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many honours above OBE level were awarded to people who were (1) living in, or (2) working or providing service to, the Sheffield City Region at the time of their nomination for an honour in the New Year’s Honours List 2025.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
There are currently 63 living recipients of the Companion of Honour. Data is collected using the region that the recipient gave as their correspondence address when the honour was originally awarded, therefore current address data for recipients prior to the New Year Honours 2025 round is not held. In the New Years Honours 2025 list, there was 1 Companion of Honour awarded to a recipient in the London region.
Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of recipients at all levels for the King’s New Year Honours List 2025 can be found below. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal point. Data for CBE and higher levels has been aggregated and is also included below. Data reflects the correspondence address provided by recipients.
Data is collected using city/town and county, then aggregated into regional figures at the time that the recipients were sounded for an award, not when they were originally nominated. There were 17 individuals who noted their location as South Yorkshire in the New Year Honours 2025 List, none of which were above OBE level. There were 11 individuals who noted their location as Sheffield, none of which were above OBE level.
Information on the number of nominations by mayoral authority in South Yorkshire is not captured, as we are unable to break down the data in that way. However, of those who listed their location as South Yorkshire, 1 individual received an award above MBE level.
56 recipients of honours in the New Year's Honours List 2025 received recognition in previous honours lists.
This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office.
Transparency data for the list by county, the level of award received and the service for which each recipient has been recognised, as well as information on recipients recognised in previous honours lists, is publicly available on gov.uk.
Honours are awarded on merit basis. A key aim of the honours system is to ensure that it is more representative of the country as a whole and we will continue to encourage more nominations from every corner of the UK, including South Yorkshire, in future honours lists.
Asked by: Lord Blunkett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in the combined Mayoral authority of South Yorkshire, how many residents have received an award above the level of MBE in the New Year’s Honours List 2025.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
There are currently 63 living recipients of the Companion of Honour. Data is collected using the region that the recipient gave as their correspondence address when the honour was originally awarded, therefore current address data for recipients prior to the New Year Honours 2025 round is not held. In the New Years Honours 2025 list, there was 1 Companion of Honour awarded to a recipient in the London region.
Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of recipients at all levels for the King’s New Year Honours List 2025 can be found below. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal point. Data for CBE and higher levels has been aggregated and is also included below. Data reflects the correspondence address provided by recipients.
Data is collected using city/town and county, then aggregated into regional figures at the time that the recipients were sounded for an award, not when they were originally nominated. There were 17 individuals who noted their location as South Yorkshire in the New Year Honours 2025 List, none of which were above OBE level. There were 11 individuals who noted their location as Sheffield, none of which were above OBE level.
Information on the number of nominations by mayoral authority in South Yorkshire is not captured, as we are unable to break down the data in that way. However, of those who listed their location as South Yorkshire, 1 individual received an award above MBE level.
56 recipients of honours in the New Year's Honours List 2025 received recognition in previous honours lists.
This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office.
Transparency data for the list by county, the level of award received and the service for which each recipient has been recognised, as well as information on recipients recognised in previous honours lists, is publicly available on gov.uk.
Honours are awarded on merit basis. A key aim of the honours system is to ensure that it is more representative of the country as a whole and we will continue to encourage more nominations from every corner of the UK, including South Yorkshire, in future honours lists.
Asked by: Lord Blunkett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many of the recipients of honours in the New Year's Honours List 2025 have already received recognition in previous honours lists.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
There are currently 63 living recipients of the Companion of Honour. Data is collected using the region that the recipient gave as their correspondence address when the honour was originally awarded, therefore current address data for recipients prior to the New Year Honours 2025 round is not held. In the New Years Honours 2025 list, there was 1 Companion of Honour awarded to a recipient in the London region.
Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of recipients at all levels for the King’s New Year Honours List 2025 can be found below. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal point. Data for CBE and higher levels has been aggregated and is also included below. Data reflects the correspondence address provided by recipients.
Data is collected using city/town and county, then aggregated into regional figures at the time that the recipients were sounded for an award, not when they were originally nominated. There were 17 individuals who noted their location as South Yorkshire in the New Year Honours 2025 List, none of which were above OBE level. There were 11 individuals who noted their location as Sheffield, none of which were above OBE level.
Information on the number of nominations by mayoral authority in South Yorkshire is not captured, as we are unable to break down the data in that way. However, of those who listed their location as South Yorkshire, 1 individual received an award above MBE level.
56 recipients of honours in the New Year's Honours List 2025 received recognition in previous honours lists.
This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office.
Transparency data for the list by county, the level of award received and the service for which each recipient has been recognised, as well as information on recipients recognised in previous honours lists, is publicly available on gov.uk.
Honours are awarded on merit basis. A key aim of the honours system is to ensure that it is more representative of the country as a whole and we will continue to encourage more nominations from every corner of the UK, including South Yorkshire, in future honours lists.
Asked by: Lord Blunkett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many honours above OBE level were awarded to people who were (1) living in, or (2) working or providing service to, the South Yorkshire area at the time of their nomination for an honour in the New Year’s Honours List 2025.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
There are currently 63 living recipients of the Companion of Honour. Data is collected using the region that the recipient gave as their correspondence address when the honour was originally awarded, therefore current address data for recipients prior to the New Year Honours 2025 round is not held. In the New Years Honours 2025 list, there was 1 Companion of Honour awarded to a recipient in the London region.
Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of recipients at all levels for the King’s New Year Honours List 2025 can be found below. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal point. Data for CBE and higher levels has been aggregated and is also included below. Data reflects the correspondence address provided by recipients.
Data is collected using city/town and county, then aggregated into regional figures at the time that the recipients were sounded for an award, not when they were originally nominated. There were 17 individuals who noted their location as South Yorkshire in the New Year Honours 2025 List, none of which were above OBE level. There were 11 individuals who noted their location as Sheffield, none of which were above OBE level.
Information on the number of nominations by mayoral authority in South Yorkshire is not captured, as we are unable to break down the data in that way. However, of those who listed their location as South Yorkshire, 1 individual received an award above MBE level.
56 recipients of honours in the New Year's Honours List 2025 received recognition in previous honours lists.
This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office.
Transparency data for the list by county, the level of award received and the service for which each recipient has been recognised, as well as information on recipients recognised in previous honours lists, is publicly available on gov.uk.
Honours are awarded on merit basis. A key aim of the honours system is to ensure that it is more representative of the country as a whole and we will continue to encourage more nominations from every corner of the UK, including South Yorkshire, in future honours lists.
Asked by: Lord Blunkett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have for individuals and organisations to make, and have properly acknowledged, submissions to the Child Poverty Taskforce.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Tackling Child Poverty: Developing Our Strategy sets out the approach to building expertise into the child poverty strategy from across and outside Government.
This includes: engagement directly with the Child Poverty Ministerial Taskforce across the Strategy’s four core themes; working with leading organisations, charities and campaigners with child poverty expertise, such as Save the Children, IPPR, Citizens Advice, Child Poverty Action Group, Barnardo’s, and the National Children’s Bureau, who are bringing together their networks through roundtables or other forums to discuss the drivers and experience of child poverty, and what action is needed to reduce it; and work to hear directly from parents, carers and children.
This engagement is in addition to the large existing evidence base on child poverty in the UK and internationally, which the Taskforce is building understanding from.
As set out in the October publication referenced above, organisations and individuals are also welcome to submit specific evidence to childpoverty.secretariat@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.