Asked by: Lord Kempsell (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much public funding they have provided to public inquires in each of the last five years; and which are the current and anticipated (beginning in 2025) public inquiries to which they are providing, or are expecting to provide, support or funding.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Since 2020, His Majesty’s Government has supported 16 public inquiries under the Inquiries Act 2005. The Cabinet Office does not centrally hold data on the yearly public funding to inquiries as each Government Department is responsible for the inquiries they sponsor.
Four inquiries have been established so far in 2025. The Independent inquiry into Manston short-term holding facility and the Stockport Inquiry will be sponsored by the Home Office, the Nottingham Inquiry will be sponsored by the Ministry of Justice, and the Patrick Finucane Inquiry by the Northern Ireland Office.
Asked by: Lord Kempsell (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government which Ministers are responsible for ensuring the resilience of critical national infrastructure; and if those responsibilities are split, which ministers are responsible for resilience in each sector.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK currently has 13 Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) sectors. Each sector has a Lead Government Department (LGD) that is responsible for sectoral resilience, including risk assessments, policy and guidance and industry engagement. The LGD Minister or Secretary of State for each CNI sector holds overall accountability for their CNI sectoral approach.
The Cabinet Office is responsible for the overarching CNI policy for the UK government, setting strategic cross-cutting priorities and providing assurance to Ministers that LGDs are fulfilling their responsibilities to ensure the security and resilience of their sectors. The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (CDL) is the Cabinet Office Minister with overall responsibility for Resilience. CDL chairs the National Security Council on Resilience, at which CNI topics are routinely discussed and relevant LGDs are represented.
Asked by: Lord Kempsell (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have undertaken an impact assessment or preparatory policy work ahead of their plans to introduce an EU–UK youth mobility scheme, and if so, whether they will publish them.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government set out clear priorities for the reset with the EU in the manifesto. There are no plans for a Youth Mobility Scheme.
Asked by: Lord Kempsell (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have considered rationalising their efficiency efforts in a new department modelled on the Department of Government Efficiency in the USA; and whether they have any plans to learn from that body.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Departments have agreed a 2% productivity, efficiency and savings target in the first phase of the Spending Review and have been set a stretching 5% target in the second phase. This target is to be delivered via efficiencies and savings from innovative technology-driven approaches, such as Artificial Intelligence; more effectively joining up services; and a more strategic approach to government processes, including procurement.
The Chief Secretary to the Treasury has also asked each department to carry out a line-by-line review of existing day-to-day budgets to identify where spending is no longer aligned with this government’s priorities or is poor value for money.
To support these efforts, the Office for Value for Money will work with departments to assess where and how to root out waste and inefficiency, including agreeing plans to deliver technical efficiencies through the Spending Review period. It will also develop recommendations for system reform, informed by lessons learned from the past, international best practice, and the views of external organisations. This will underpin a ruthless focus within government on realising benefits from every pound of public spending.
Asked by: Lord Kempsell (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with EU officials regarding the UK joining the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Convention.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We are always looking at ways to reduce barriers to trade - within our clear red lines - because having a smooth trading relationship with European partners is essential to driving growth at home.
This is one of the options we are open to looking at to reduce barriers, and it’s right and responsible that we are looking at it to determine what is in the UK’s national interest. But we do not currently have any plans to join PEM.
Asked by: Lord Kempsell (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will place in the Library of the House a current organisational chart of the senior staffing structure of the Cabinet Office and 10 Downing Street, including (1) all organisational units and (2) their headcount.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The latest Cabinet Office organisational chart is due for publication on the 30th of January as part of gov.uk transparency publications. This will contain all organisational units, including 10 Downing Street, and headcount. I will arrange for a copy of the organisational chart to be deposited in the house libraries upon publication.
Asked by: Lord Kempsell (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the objectives, work and structure of any units, teams or groups within the Cabinet Office working on European Union matters, relations or policy, and what is the headcount for those units.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
On 24 July 2024, the Prime Minister announced via a Written Ministerial Statement that responsibility for the UK’s relationship with the EU, including co-chairing the ministerial structures under the UK’s treaties with the EU, would move to the Cabinet Office.
The EU Relations Secretariat was established in the Cabinet Office to give effect to the Government's manifesto commitments to reset the relationship with the EU, deliver on our commitments in the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement and Trade and Cooperation Agreement, and implement the Windsor Framework in good faith and protect the UK's internal market.
The EU Relations Secretariat brings together civil servants who were already working on EU relations from across the government. The data on this headcount will be published in 2025. The next update to the Cabinet Office organogram with a breakdown of grades will be published on 30 January 2025.
Asked by: Lord Kempsell (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross of 4 November (HL1812), whether they will place in the Library of the House a list of each artwork or portrait that has been (1) removed from, and (2) added to the Downing Street estate, including Number 9, Number 10, Number 11, Number 12 and the two official residences, since 5 July, including any Government Art Collection reference number, according to records held by the Government Art Collection.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
I refer the Noble Lord to the answer of the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office, Minister Gould, 31 October 2024, Official Report, PQ 8943.
Asked by: Lord Kempsell (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many special advisers are employed by the Government.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
As when the noble Lord was a special adviser under the previous administration, the number of special advisers will be published in the Annual Report on Special Advisers.
Asked by: Lord Kempsell (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the portraits of Elizabeth I, Sir Walter Raleigh, William Gladstone, Margaret Thatcher and William Shakespeare, which formerly hung in 10 Downing Street, have either been (1) rehung elsewhere; or (2) moved into storage; and if so, where.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
I refer the Noble Lord to my answer of 23 September 2024, Official Report, PQ HL1035 and the answer of the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office, Georgia Gould, 31 October 2024, Official Report, PQ 8943. To note, the portrait of William Gladstone was hung in 11 Downing Street, rather than 10 Downing Street.