Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Written Statement of 21 July 2025 on Government of service, HCWS870, whether the Prime Minister plans to issue a direction under section 17 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 to give the Civil Service Commission new statutory functions relating to Business Appointment Rules.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Minister for the Cabinet Office wrote to the First Civil Service Commissioner, Baroness Stuart, on behalf of the Prime Minister, on 9 July formally inviting the Civil Service Commission, under Section 17 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, to take on responsibility for the administration and advice on applications from the most senior civil servants (and equivalent special advisers) under the business appointment rules system.

The First Civil Service Commissioner wrote back to the Minister on 11 July on behalf of the Commission to formally agree to take on these additional responsibilities.

The relevant correspondence is published on the Civil Service Commission website. These changes will apply from 13 October.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2025 to Question 82673 on Government Departments: Social Media, on which topics, campaigns and programmes social media influencers have been used by the two agencies since July 2024.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Please see below for the campaigns:

• Breakfast Clubs

• National Minimum and Living Wage

• Warm Home Discount

• GREAT Audacious Kingdom

• GREAT USA

Some work is not included given commercial and wider sensitivities.

These campaigns are used to raise awareness about government schemes and initiatives and promote the UK internationally.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the 2017 Memorandum of Understanding between HMRC and the Cabinet Office has been updated since the introduction of the Data Protection Act 2018; and on what basis data transfers for honours probity checks continues.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

As noted in our answer to PQ 92590, the Memorandum of Understanding between the Cabinet Office and HMRC was last updated in 2023. The Memorandum of Understanding, which is published in full on gov.uk, sets out the legal and lawful basis by which data is transferred.

The 2023 Memorandum of Understanding is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sharing-hmrc-information-to-assist-honours-committees-recommendations/memorandum-of-understanding-accessing-hmrc-information-to-assist-honours-committees-in-making-recommendations-about-awarding-honours-to-individ

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 11 November 2025 to Question 83803 on New Media Unit: Finance, what the estimated expenditure is by (a) his Department and (b) the New Media Unit on social media influencers through third party suppliers since 4 July 2024.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer on 2 December 2025 (PQ 93743).

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many applications for the restoration of (a) honours and (b) medals have been received since February 2021; and how many have been granted.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Since 2021, there have been 24 applications received from, or on behalf of, LGBT Veterans who had forfeited medals. 9 of these cases were found to be eligible for restoration. There have been no applications for the restoration of honours.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what is the annual budget and target headcount for the Office for the Impact Economy.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Prime Minister launched the Office for the Impact Economy in November in a decisive step towards partnering more effectively with the impact economy.

The Office is continuing to scale up, including working collaboratively with impact economy stakeholders and local areas to design its strategy, offer and priorities. This includes reviewing all the recommendations of the Social Impact Investment Advisory Group, as well as bringing in experts on secondment.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 18 November 2025 to Question 90252 on Cabinet Office: Lord-lieutenants, whether his Department handled complaints concerning Lord Lieutenants, Vice Lord Lieutenants and Deputy Lieutenants before 7 October 2025.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Complaints concerning Lord-Lieutenants have been handled by the Cabinet Office since the formal complaints procedure relating to the Lieutenancies was published in 2021. Complaints about Vice Lord Lieutenants and Deputy Lieutenants are handled by the relevant Lord-Lieutenant.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the Government Communications Service Inclusive communications template.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

There are currently no plans to publish this template.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 23 September 2025 to Question 75633,on Disinformation, whether the Storyzy service is used in the Resist 3 framework.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Storyzy is a tool that assists in the application of the RESIST 3 theoretical framework by identifying instances of mis- and disinformation.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the model contract for senior civil servants.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

I refer to my answer to 84232, answered on 31 October 2025.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to use the National Security and Investment Act 2021 to restrict Chinese ownership of companies in (a) water, (b) electricity, (c) gas, (d) telecoms, (e) data centres and (f) nuclear.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Government has powers under the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act 2021 to review and, where required, intervene in investments that may pose a risk to national security.

The NSI Act both facilitates investment into sensitive sectors with appropriate safeguards where needed, and provides powers to act in the interests of national security where necessary and proportionate.

Acquisitions considered under the NSI Act are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and the Government will not hesitate to use its powers where necessary.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2025 to Question 90730 on Ministers: Official Cars, whether vehicles from the Government Car Service are routinely provided to any official in the Cabinet Office other than the Cabinet Secretary.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Government Car Service (GCS) offers vehicles to government departments as a shared resource. Each department independently determines the allocation of these vehicles in line with the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code, as appropriate. For security reasons the details of specific allocations are not released.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department provides guidance to civil servants on personal tax implications for the use of official cars provided by the Government Car Service.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Government Car Service (GCS) does not provide tax guidance. Tax matters are the responsibility of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and individuals are expected to refer to HMRC guidance or seek independent advice as appropriate.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, further to the Freedom of Information response by the Cabinet Office, Ref: FOI2025/18068, published on 5 December 2025, what was the cost to the public purse of influencers for the (a) parent creators on Breakfast Clubs referenced in the guidance and (b) finance content creators on National Living and National Minimum Wage.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The cost of creators for these campaigns was £52,398.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to page 66 of the Cabinet Office Annual report and accounts 2024-2025, HC1372, 23 October 2025, whether the Executive Committee affirmed and documented its understanding of the Department’s purpose and its own role and responsibilities in a board operating framework.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

There is no requirement in the Corporate Governance Code for Executive Committees to have a Board Operating Framework and so the Executive Committee does not have a board operating framework.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2025, to Question 90730, on Ministers: Official Cars, if he will provide equivalent figures for how much has been invoiced to each department in each month since July 2024 for non-Ministerial cars provided by the Government Car Service; and how much has been paid through an internal transfer for the Cabinet Office in each month since July 2024 for the same.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

I refer the Honourable Gentleman to the answer provided on Question 90730. Additionally, an invoice has been sent to the NCA for £9,694.47 for services rendered in October 2025.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many times the Resilience and Security Committee met between April 2024 and March 2025; and what the attendance record of each member was.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

It is a long-established precedent that information about Cabinet and its Committees, including the discussions that have taken place, how often they have met and attendance, is not normally shared publicly. The list of standing members of the National Security Council (Resilience) Committee can be accessed on GOV.UK.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2025 to Question 28585 on Admiralty House, whether the Secretary of State for Defence occupied the residence as a (a) primary or (b) secondary residence from September to November 2024; and whether he occupied the same flat as subsequently occupied by the then Deputy Prime Minister.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

As has been the case under successive administrations, the allocation of official Ministerial residences, including Admiralty House, is determined by the Prime Minister on the grounds of security or to enable Ministers to better perform their official duties. During the period from September to November 2024, the Secretary of State for Defence occupied Admiralty House on a time-limited basis. The property was used on a second residence basis.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2025, to Question 90248, on Official Cars: Prime Minister, if she will set out the reason that disclosing the aggregated figure would impact national security.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ security.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of his Department's (a) leased and (b) owned estate meets a BREEAM rating of A or above.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

BREEAM ratings range from "Pass" to "Outstanding," reflecting performance across key areas such as energy, water, health, transport, and waste. Ratings are achieved by earning credits, with higher ratings indicating superior environmental performance.

In compliance with the Government Buying Standards, the Government Property Agency (GPA) aims to deliver retrofitting to a BREEAM Very Good standard and new capital projects to BREEAM Excellent.

Additionally, where the GPA manages commercial spaces, they aim to meet the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) regulations and produce Display Energy Certificates (DECs) and/or Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) where commercially relevant.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the guidance entitled Fast Stream and Emerging Talent (FSET) data privacy notice, updated on 13 November 2025, what questions are asked to ascertain an applicant's socio-economic background.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The Fast Stream asks the questions recommended by the Social Mobility Commission which are published on gov.uk. This approach is the same as under the previous administration.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the guidance entitled Fast Stream and Emerging Talent (FSET) data privacy notice, published on 13 November 2025, for what reason the Fast Stream data is collected by gender.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The Fast Stream collected data on applicant’s gender until November 2024. As of September 2025 we now collect data on an applicant’s sex. The references to gender remain in our privacy policy as we retain historical records of data in line with this agreement.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants are registered as coaches on the Internal Coaching Service platform.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The current number of coaches recorded on the coaching platform (as of 18/12/2025) is 281.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate the Department has made of the total cost in staff time arising from the Internal Coaching Service, including the time spent by civil servants who act as coaches and the time spent by civil servants who receive coaching; and what assumptions underlie that estimate.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

In July 2025 a centralised, internal coaching database became available to the whole of the Civil Service. Its primary purpose is to match coaches across the Civil Service to appropriate coaches but it also (for the first time) facilitates the capture of hours spent on coaching by civil servants across government. As of 18/12/2025, 866.7 coaching hours have been recorded on the database.

Participation in the coaching service often forms an additional work objective, and coaches are responsible for discussing their participation with their line managers.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of trends in the level of discrimination against civil servants not a member of a trade union in (a) employment and (b) promotion decisions.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

No assessment has been made as information about trade union membership is not collected during the recruitment process. Decisions on permanent employment into and promotion within the Civil Service are made in accordance with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles, which requires appointments to be made ‘on merit on the basis of fair and open competition’.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how his Department checks the office attendance of individual civil servants.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The monitoring of office attendance remains the responsibility of individuals, line managers and business units. Line Managers are expected to be aware of, and ensure compliance with, the minimum 60% expectation for their direct reports.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2025, to Question 87336, on Alex Chisholm and Simon Case, whether Ministers in his Department (a) were consulted on and (b) approved the severance payment.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

I refer to my answer for 87336. All payments were made in line with managing Public Money guidance and the approvals process outlined, with both being approved by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answers of 9 December 2025 to Question 96208 on Public Appointments: Pay and Question 94701 on Baroness Shafik, how many direct ministerial appointments are currently in post in the Cabinet Office and Downing Street; and if he will set out their title, responsibilities and remuneration.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

I refer the Honoural Member to the answer given to PQ UIN 98100.

The responsibilities of these organisations and postholders can be found in their published terms of reference on GOV.UK

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 18 November 2025, to Question 88660, on Elections: Proof of Identity, what is the policy of Government Social Research on using the terms (a) sex and (b) gender.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government Social Research Profession is a professional membership body for social researchers working across government. It supports professional social researchers employed directly by departments through providing opportunities for learning, development, career support and technical development.

The Government Social Research Profession is part of the Government Analysis Function, which sets expectations for analysis, as set out in the Government Functional Standard. In using the terms ‘sex’ and ‘gender’, government analysts should have regard to relevant data harmonisation standards published by the Office for National Statistics and the Government Statistical Service.

The Office for National Statistics and the Government Statistical Service are currently partway through a review of their harmonised standards. That review is focused on developing updated and new harmonised standards for Sex, Gender Identity, Disability and Ethnicity

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will publish the Freedom of Information Act disclosure released by the Government Actuary’s Department on 4 August 2025 with reference Internal Review response to FOI252626.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government Actuary’s Department released information on 4 August 2025 in relation to a Freedom of Information request. The content of that response is provided alongside this PQ response.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Freedom of Information requests his Department has received relating to the Government Car Service since 1 April 2025; and how many have been (a) refused and (b) disclosed.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Government Car Service (GCS) transferred to the Cabinet Office from the Department for Transport, as a result of a machinery of government change, on 1st April 2025. Freedom of Information (FOI) requests relating to GCS prior to that date were answered by the Department for Transport.

Since 1 April 2025, the Cabinet Office has received 15 FOI requests relating to the GCS. Of the 11 requests that have been closed, five requests were granted in full and one request was refused in full. Other outcomes were that the information was already planned for publication, that the information was not held, or that responding to the request would have exceeded the cost limit.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he takes steps to ascertain whether Ministers occupy official Ministerial residences as primary residences.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

I refer the Hon Member to PQ 95895, PQ 81873, and HL 9337.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to pages 131–132 of the Cabinet Office Annual report and accounts 2024-2025, HC1372, 23 October 2025, what the annual cost is of operating the Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists; whether registration fee income was netted off against those costs; and what net (a) surplus and (b) deficit was recorded in each of the last three financial years.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

In each of the last three years - two of which were under the last government - the Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists has recorded a consistent net deficit as shown below:

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Cabinet Office Annual report and accounts 2024-2025, HC1372, 23 October 2025, whether any of the £90 million of Crown Commercial Service dividend income retained by his Department was (a) passed back to CCS, (b) used to subsidise its operations and (c) used to reduce management fees paid by departments and public bodies using CCS frameworks.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

None of the £90 million in Crown Commercial Service (CCS) dividend income retained by the Cabinet Office was returned to CCS. Consequently, none of the dividend was used to subsidise its operations and none was used to reduce management fees paid by departments and public bodies using CCS frameworks.