Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government on what dates were the first and last payments they agreed for each of the past five sets of elections, excluding by-elections, for which returning officers received payments from the Consolidated Fund.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

This Government has not agreed any of the initial payments for the last five sets of elections funded from the Consolidated Fund. However, it will be responsible for settling the claims for both the 2024 Police and Crime Commissioner elections and the 2024 UK parliamentary general election. The timing of the final payments will depend on when responses to any queries for the last outstanding claims for each poll are submitted and payments settled.

Payments to statutorily independent Returning Officers (ROs) for UK parliamentary and Police and Crime Commissioner polls are made from the Consolidated Fund. An advance payment – typically 75% of the estimated cost – is issued in advance of the election, meaning ROs are not required to meet election costs upfront or wait a considerable length of time for the majority of the funding. The final payment reflects the balance due, following scrutiny and agreement of the expenses claim.

The table below sets out the dates of the first and last payments agreed for each of the last five sets of elections, based on records held by the Department. These figures relate to claims made by ROs for reimbursement of properly incurred costs.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many requests police forces in England and Wales have made in each of the last three years to (1) Meta, (2) X, (3) Google, and (4) TikTok to identify users of those platforms in cases related to unlawful content; and what proportion of those requests were (a) met by the social media platform, (b) met by the social media platform but only after a court order, or (c) not met.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office does not collect data on the number of requests made by police forces to social media platforms, nor the outcomes of such requests.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the social media network X in line with the guidance SAFE Framework: the 4 principles for HMG Brand Safety, and when that assessment was made of X as an appropriate network for government communications.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government Communications Service (GCS) undertakes assessments of platforms, such as X and Bluesky, when there are significant platform updates. The last assessment on X was made in April 2023.

SAFE is the single, comprehensive framework that the government uses for these assessments, providing thorough guidance and processes to ensure appropriate use of digital advertising environments.

The platform X is currently used for non-paid communications activity only (also known as 'organic' activity). There are currently no government or ministerial accounts on Bluesky and no SAFE Framework assessment has been completed.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance they use in addition to the SAFE Framework: the 4 principles for HMG Brand Safety to evaluate their use of a social media network for non-paid-for posts.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government Communications Service (GCS) undertakes assessments of platforms, such as X and Bluesky, when there are significant platform updates. The last assessment on X was made in April 2023.

SAFE is the single, comprehensive framework that the government uses for these assessments, providing thorough guidance and processes to ensure appropriate use of digital advertising environments.

The platform X is currently used for non-paid communications activity only (also known as 'organic' activity). There are currently no government or ministerial accounts on Bluesky and no SAFE Framework assessment has been completed.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have considered creating a Gov.uk account on Bluesky, and if so, when that consideration took place, and what the outcome was.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government Communications Service (GCS) undertakes assessments of platforms, such as X and Bluesky, when there are significant platform updates. The last assessment on X was made in April 2023.

SAFE is the single, comprehensive framework that the government uses for these assessments, providing thorough guidance and processes to ensure appropriate use of digital advertising environments.

The platform X is currently used for non-paid communications activity only (also known as 'organic' activity). There are currently no government or ministerial accounts on Bluesky and no SAFE Framework assessment has been completed.