Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to prevent the creation of fake Digital IDs.
Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The UK’s digital ID scheme will be built to the highest security standards, following National Cyber Security Centre guidance.
To help guard against fake digital IDs, we propose that any checking of such IDs will be done via a robust digital process. For example, we do not think people should be able to ‘flash’ their digital ID on their phone screen.
This will help ensure a digital ID has not been faked, tampered with or revoked.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many a) Government Departments and b) arms length bodies are registered to sponsor visas.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office does not hold any data on public sector entities that are licensed to sponsor visas. A precise list of organisations licensed to sponsor workers on the Worker and Temporary Worker immigration routes can be found by searching the government’s register of licensed sponsors on gov.uk.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 21 October 2025 to written question 81547, what proportion of those are aged 22 or over.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
In line with Civil Service reporting, age specific data was collected in age brackets so it’s not possible to confirm the proportion that were aged 22 or over. However, we can confirm 85% of 1,635 Level 7 apprentices across the Civil Service noted in the answer of 21 October 2025 to written question 81547 were aged 25 or above.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many visas a) his Department and b) the Office for National Statistics have sponsored since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Between 4 July 2024 and 1 December 2025:
The Cabinet Office has sponsored 43 visas1.
1 This has been counted by the date Cabinet Office has issued a Certificate of Sponsorship. It includes fast streamers, existing employees and employees who have moved to other departments within that period as part of a machinery of government.
As part b of the information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority, a response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 1st of December is attached.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of Ministerial pensions in the 2024-25 financial year.
Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Each government department discloses their ministerial pension benefits in their own Annual Report and Accounts.
Pension benefits of Cabinet Office Ministers for 2024-25 is disclosed on page 90 of the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/690e1f38896fad804b050fba/36.17_CO_ARA_24-25_00-Book_v17_WEB.pdf
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2025 to Question 64583, if his Department will publish the assessment they made to inform the GREAT Campaign’s focus for 2025-26.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Evaluation results for the GREAT Britain & Northern Ireland Campaign have not yet been finalised for financial year 2024/25. We expect initial economic returns generated by the campaign in 2024/25 to have been assessed and validated before the end of the year, and will be published via the GREAT website when appropriate.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2025 to Question 64200, when he expects to publish the evaluation results for 2024-25.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Evaluation results for the GREAT Britain & Northern Ireland Campaign have not yet been finalised for financial year 2024/25. We expect initial economic returns generated by the campaign in 2024/25 to have been assessed and validated before the end of the year, and will be published via the GREAT website when appropriate.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Boosting British jobs and skills key for firms to win major infrastructure projects, published on 16 June 2025, if he will publish an impact assessment for that policy.
Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
This Government is committed to supporting British jobs and industry. As part of this, we have consulted on further reforms to public procurement. If appropriate, impact assessments will be undertaken following our response to the consultation, in accordance with the Better Regulations Framework.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an estimate of levels of wage growth in the (a) public sector and (b) private sector since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 4th November is attached.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 55254 on Public Bodies: Reviews, how many civil servants are involved in the review by grade.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
As of 31st October 2025, the Cabinet Office maintains 1 Deputy Director, 1 Grade 7 and 1 HEO to staff the ALB Review. Information on departmental staffing levels for the ALB Review is not held centrally.