Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the answer of 9 June 2026, to Question 5777, on Opportunity Mission Board, if she will list the attendees of the Mission Board in the most recent meeting since the Mission Board was re-designated as a Cabinet Committee.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its committees, including their attendance and how often they have met, is not normally shared publicly.

Question to the Leader of the House:

To ask the Leader of the House, with reference to the Answer of 13 April 2026 to Question HL15584 on Budget November 2025: Disclosure of Information, what assessment he has made of the impact of the trailing or announcing of Budget policy ahead of the Budget without a statement to Parliament on (a) paragraph 9.1 of the Ministerial Code and (b) the Cabinet Office guide to Parliamentary Work, paras 121-122.

Answered by Alan Campbell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons

The Government takes its obligations to Parliament seriously. I regularly remind Cabinet of the importance of these obligations, and of the associated need to ensure that Parliament is respected, that Members on all sides of the House are well informed and that the Government is able to be scrutinised effectively.

In response to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee report on Ministerial Statements and the Ministerial Code (available at: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/327/public-administration-and-constitutional-affairs-committee/publications/), the Government made a commitment to look to update the language in Chapter 9 of the Ministerial Code, recognising the need to strike a balance between Parliament's vital constitutional role and Ministers' responsibility to keep the public informed about policy changes.

Changes to the language in the Ministerial Code would be reflected in the Guide to Parliamentary Work.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, with reference to the Ministerial meeting between the Rt hon. Member for Lothian East and Flint Global of 4 March 2025, whether James Purnell was in attendance; and which of the declared firms listed in the gov.uk return were Flint Global clients.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The meeting was hosted by Flint Global and James Purnell was in attendance. It formed part of a wider programme of engagement from the Minister to help develop the UK’s Trade Strategy. Engagement with business stakeholders on issues affecting their ability to trade, including in a changing global context, is standard practice and has informed our approach to our Trade Strategy.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's report entitled Review into the Organisation, Performance and Transformation of the Permanent Civil Service, published on 1 July 2026, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on (a) the review and (b) its terms of reference.

Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

There are regular discussions with colleagues on a range of issues, including how to ensure the government is best equipped to deliver the Prime Minister’s priorities.

The Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service will lead a wide-ranging, fundamental review into the constitution, organisation and performance of the permanent Civil Service, with the aim of setting out a vision for its future as a world class institution serving the duly elected government of the day, building on its existing strengths.

The review will report before summer 2027 and the final report will be made available to the public.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 30 June 2026 to Question 13166 on Government Departments: Aviation, what the cost was of each of the 32 flights commissioned through the Central Travel Contract since July 2024.

Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

In accordance with the Ministerial Code, departments publish costs related to all overseas Ministerial travel as part of their Quarterly Transparency Returns.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2026 to Question 8052 on Permanent Secretary: Pay, for what reason is the DHSC Permanent Secretary salary of £310,000 to £314,999 set above the SSRB pay range of £155,000 to £220,000.

Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The salary of the DHSC Permanent Secretary was approved in line with the senior pay control process.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the answer of 5 June 2026, to Question 1174, on the Opportunity Mission Board, whether any of the meetings referenced in the answer were formal meetings of the Breaking Down Barriers to Opportunity Mission Board, or whether the Mission Board itself has been discontinued since November 2025.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Since the Opportunity Mission Board ceased to be a Cabinet Committee in November 2025, the Board has not met.

Since the Opportunity Mission Board last met, the department has published a number of major strategies, including the Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life strategy and the Every Child Achieving and Thriving White Paper, which set out the government's approach to delivering these priorities.

Ministers have convened a number of meetings with ministerial colleagues from across government to oversee progress on these priorities. Delivery is now managed through a range of ministerial, official and departmental governance arrangements, rather than through a dedicated Mission Board. These include the Departmental Board, chaired by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education. Ministers also work across government through ministerial forums, including the Keeping Children Safe Ministerial Board.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether equality, diversity and inclusion managers are included in the Skilled Worker immigration route.

Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Occupations skilled to RQF 6 (graduate level) are eligible for the Skilled Worker route, providing other requirements (such as sponsorship and salary) are met. These occupations include Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code 1136, “Human resource managers and directors”, which could include equality, diversity and inclusion managers.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to the Answer of 16 September 2025, to Question HL10121, on Passports: Sex, whether any changes will be made to HM Passport Office's policy in light of the Supreme Court judgement of April 2025 on biological sex.

Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the response to PQ 12710 of 24 June 2026.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the answer of 10 April 2026 to Question 120329 on Opportunity Mission Board, how the Board has been reformed.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The Opportunity Mission is now led through delivery-focused forum benefiting from external and sector expertise. The Board ceased to be a Cabinet Committee in November 2025.

Delivery is now managed through a range of ministerial, official and departmental governance arrangements, rather than through a dedicated Mission Board. These include the Departmental Board, chaired by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education. Ministers also work across government through ministerial forums, including the Keeping Children Safe Ministerial Board.

Since the Opportunity Mission Board last met, the department has published a number of major strategies, including the Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life and the Every Child Achieving and Thriving White Paper which set out the government's approach to delivering these priorities.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what powers (a) the Prime Minister and (b) Ministers have to dismiss civil servants.

Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Under Section 3 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, the statutory power to manage the Civil Service, is vested in the Prime Minister in their capacity as Minister for the Civil Service, and a parallel power exists for the Secretary of State in relation to the Diplomatic service. However, day-to-day management functions, including the authority to appoint, manage and dismiss individual civil servants, are delegated to Heads of Departments provided for under statutory powers in the Civil Service (Management Functions) Act 1992.

Decisions regarding individual employment matters, including disciplinary action and dismissals, are handled directly by employing departments and agencies as the employer in accordance with their policies and employment law.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 26 June 2026 to Question 10641 on National School of Government and Public Services, whether he plans to roll out the clay modelling and ethnography across the Civil Service.

Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

There are no plans for the National School of Government and Public Services to roll out clay modelling and ethnography across the Civil Service.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 13 July 2026, to Question 12791, on Government: Policy, publish the Cabinet Secretary letter and guidance.

Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

There are no plans to publish internal-facing correspondence and guidance.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 7 July 2026 to Question 14355 on Public Appointments: Equality, whether socio-economic background of an applicant is a material consideration in the appointment process for (a) regulated public appointments and (b) civil servants.

Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The socio-economic background of an applicant is not a material consideration in the regulated public appointment process. Applicants are assessed against the advertised criteria for the role.

On civil service recruitment, while data on candidate socio-economic background status is collected during a recruitment campaign, it is for recording and monitoring purposes only. It is not shared with those involved in the appointment process of civil servants for individual candidates and is not a determining factor for appointments.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, further to the Government Property Agency's press release entitled 14 government buildings closed in the past year, as savings for the taxpayer reach over £43 million, published on 13 July 2026,if he will place in the Library a copy of the Outline Business Case for Manchester Digital Campus formally approved by the Treasury.

Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

As of 11 June 2025, Publishing Business Cases, Guidance for Departments states all projects and programmes on the GMPP are required to publish a Summary Business Case or the Full Business Case. It has been confirmed with the Head of Green Book and Major Projects Unit that this applies to the Manchester Digital Campus.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether the Government plans to appoint a Minister for Investment.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Chris McDonald MP is the current Minister of State for Science, Innovation and Investment in the United Kingdom, as appointed July 21, 2026.

Question to the Leader of the House:

To ask the Leader of the House, which of the Private Member's Bills introduced in the last session were originally Government handout Bills, and which in this session is the Government putting forward to Hon Members and noble peers; and whether the Assisted Dying legislation was a handout.

Answered by Alan Campbell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons

Private Members’ Bills provide an invaluable opportunity for Members to promote the causes they support.

In the first session, the Government supported eight Private Members’ Bills which reached Royal Assent: Absent Voting (Elections in Scotland and Wales) Act, Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Act, Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act, Space Industries (Indemnities) Act, Unauthorised Entry to Football Matches Act, Secure 16 to 19 Academies Act, Licensing Hours Extensions Act and the Rare Cancers Act. The Government also supported three Private Members’ Bills which did not reach Royal Assent last session: Controlled Drugs (Procedure for Specification) Bill, Courts (Remote Hearings) Bill and Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill.

For Private Members’ Bills being introduced this session, the Government will make its position known at Second Reading in the usual way.

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill in the previous session was introduced without drafting or policy support from the Government. The Government is neutral on the issue of assisted dying but has an obligation to ensure that any Bill passed by Parliament is operable and workable in order to fulfil its duty to the statute book. In line with this duty, the Government provided advice on matters of legal and technical workability during the passage of the Bill in the last session. The Bill introduced in this session reflects the progress of the Bill in the last session.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much the Pension Protection Fund has spent on public affairs services provided by FleishmanHillard UK since July 2024; and for what purposes.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Fleishman Hillard provided specific support for two activities the Pension Protection Fund would classify as public affairs during the period July 2024 to April 2026 at a total cost of £33,736 excluding VAT.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether each Permanent Secretary plans to publish their objectives on gov.uk.

Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

No decision has been taken on publishing permanent secretary objectives.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 4 June 2026 to Question 4161 on Government departments: marketing, how much has been spent on branded goods and merchandise by the Department, including Downing Street, since the Government Chief Commercial Officer letter was sent; on what items.

Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Since 24 April 2025, the Cabinet Office has spent a total of £4,584.12 (excluding VAT) on branded goods and merchandise. No expenditure was incurred by 10 Downing Street.

1. Government People Group, Pull Up Banners for Future Leaders Scheme. £596.14.
2. Government Commercial Function, Panel Table Cover and lectern for GCF Conference. £752.00.
3. Civil Service Strategy Unit, Pull Up Banners for One Big Thing 2025. £432.64.
4. Civil Service Strategy Unit, Profession stickers divided into 11 professions to be given to visitors to the CSSU market stall in 6 Civil Service Live events as a collaboration and networking tool. £773.68.
5. Cabinet Office, Commemorative coins for attendees of a multinational event. £466.44.
6. Government People Group, Branded t-shirts for Pride events across the UK. £540.74.
7. Government Commercial Function, Glass Recognition trophies required for Rising Star Awards at the GCF Regional Conferences, arranged throughout October 2025 across three regions (North, Northern Ireland, South and Wales). £62.48
8. Government People Group, 174 Civil Service LGBT+ Network branded t-shirts. £905.83.

   
   

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 29 May 2026 to Question 2052 on Sanctions, whether any of the general licences granted by OFSI allow for the ancillary provision of public relations and public affairs.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Office of Financial Sanctions (OFSI) general licences authorise certain categories of payments and financial services that would otherwise be prohibited under UK financial sanctions regulations. OFSI does not provide exemptions from wider trade sanctions or other regulatory restrictions, but it may fall within the remit of other parts of Government.

Whether a particular service may be provided under a general licence depends on the scope and conditions of that licence. Regarding public relations and public affairs, the Government has made clear that there is a presumption that applications for specific licences for legal fees relating to defamation and similar cases will be rejected and OFSI’s Russian and Belarusian Legal Services General Licence does not authorise legal fees for such cases. Further information is set out in the Written Ministerial Statement of 30 March 2023.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the UK Asset Resolution Annual Report and Accounts 2025-2026, published 19 August 2026, what proportion of the assets in each of the (a) NRAM and (b) B&B funded defined benefit pension schemes are held in UK equities.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The NRAM and B&B pension schemes are managed independently from government by Trustees responsible for the schemes’ investment strategy. The schemes’ investments are concentrated in UK-based bonds, with no current equity holdings, reflecting their status as defined benefit schemes closed to new members.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to HM Treasury closed consultation, Future regulatory regime for benchmarks and benchmark administrators, December 2025, and with reference to the answer of 12 January 2026, to Question 102334, on Defence: Climate Change, if he will make it his policy to repeal Article 12(1)(a) of assimilated Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/1818 excluding companies involved in activities related to ‘controversial weapons’.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

As set out in response to PQ UIN 102334 on 12 January 2026, the UK Benchmarks Regulation sets out regulatory regime for benchmarks. It includes requirements for labels such as UK Climate Transition Benchmarks and UK Paris-aligned Benchmarks.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) monitors and supervises benchmark administrators according to the Benchmarks Regulation. The FCA published a statement regarding their position on sustainability regulations and UK defence investment on 11 March 2025.

The Treasury launched a consultation on the future regulatory regime for benchmarks and benchmark administrators on 17 December 2025. This consultation sought views on proposals to reform the UK’s existing benchmarks regime, including the Climate Transition Benchmark and Paris-Aligned Benchmark labels. The Government will publish its response to the consultation in due course.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the UK sanctions against Roman Abramovich allow for expenditure on (a) public relations and (b) public affairs firms, under the term of the OFSI consents and licences.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) can only issue licences where specific licensing grounds exist within the relevant sanctions regime and where the conditions of those grounds have been met.

Licensing of professional services of this kind may be permissible under one of a number of licensing purposes. Depending on the facts of any particular application this could be: basic needs, extraordinary expenses, prior obligations, or the routine holding and maintenance of frozen funds or economic resources. It would be for the applicant to demonstrate that the criteria of any licensing purpose were met in their particular circumstances.

It should also be noted that since 10 October 2024, the Office for Trade Sanctions Implementation (OTSI) has been responsible for trade sanctions licensing of standalone services prohibited under the UK's trade sanctions, including professional and business services under the Russia sanctions regime covering areas such as: accounting, auditing, engineering, management consulting, and public relations, as well as energy-related, infrastructure, interception, and shipping services across a range of other sanctions regimes.

It is not possible for OFSI to give a breakdown into granular service categories of previously issued licences. Information on the number of licences issued by financial year is available in OFSI’s Annual Review documents, which are published here: OFSI Annual Reviews - GOV.UK

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Prime Minister was advised of the letter sent by Lord Glasman to Morgan McSweeney and Paul Ovenden on the appointment of Lord Mandelson as Ambassador to the United States.

Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the Government’s statement and release of information on 1st June, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The documents published in the first and second tranches contain the entirety of the documents the Government has available for disclosure, except those being withheld at the request of the Metropolitan police.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the answer of 4 March 2026 to Question 111932 on Lord Mandelson, what discussions (a) Morgan McSweeney and (b) Paul Ovenden had via email on that matter.

Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the Government’s statement and release of information on 1st June, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The documents published in the first and second tranches contain the entirety of the documents the Government has available for disclosure, except those being withheld at the request of the Metropolitan police.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 24 June 2026, to Question 10076, on Cabinet Office: Public Relations, whether there has been any expenditure on external public relations or external public affairs since July 2024 using existing contracts or frameworks.

Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Public relations activity is a subset of communication spend. As such, this data is not held in the requested format.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 30 June 2026, to Question 12159, on Cabinet Office: Marketing, whether the Government Commercial Agency has undertaken any expenditure on branded goods since the Government Chief Commercial Officer letter.

Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Since the Government Chief Commercial Officer’s letter, the Government Commercial Agency (GCA) has incurred expenditure on one item of branded material valued at £261.56.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make it is policy to publish figures for the cost of each official reception held in 10 Downing Street since July 2024.

Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

As under previous administrations, details of official receptions are published in quarterly transparency returns on gov.uk.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether 2025-26 Departmental annual reports and accounts will include data on trade union facility time spending.

Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

There is no requirement to report trade union facility time spending in the 2025-26 annual report and account so this information will not be included when it is published.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 6 July 2026, to Question 11721, on DFT: Departmental Responsibilities, what requirements departments have to produce internal Strategic Plans and what content should be included within them.

Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Departments are required to produce Strategic Plans under the reforms to the spending control and accountability framework set out at Budget 2025. Central guidance for strategic plans asks departments to set out their outcomes, metrics, risks and strategies for delivering their outcomes using their agreed resources, but grants departments discretion to adapt the approach to their needs - this is essential to ensuring plans are tailored and useful to individual departments rather than serving as a prescriptive paper exercise.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what is the percentage of desks provided for Cabinet Office staff as a proportion of the number of assigned staff in London.

Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The current provision of desks across the Cabinet Office’s London estate represents a 70% proportion of the number of Cabinet Office staff based in London.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make his policy to review the business appointment provisions of the Gambling Commission as part of the response to the Ethics and Integrity Committee’s July 2026 submission to the Government on business appointment rules.

Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Ethics and Integrity Commission’s review makes no recommendations or findings specific to the business appointment provisions of the Gambling Commission.

As set out in the terms of reference, the Government will consider the report’s findings and present the Government’s response to Parliament in due course thereafter.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 24 June 2026 to Question 7429 on Cabinet Office: Audit, what the nature of the serious breach relating to the Central Digital and Data Office was; and what the job title of the position was.

Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

A serious breach of the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles was recorded in relation to the Central Digital and Data Office due to a procedural error in the sequencing of the recruitment process.

Further details, including the job title, cannot be provided as disclosing this information would risk identifying the individual concerned, in accordance with data protection obligations to protect personal data.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, further to the Government Property Agency annual report and accounts 2025-26, HC489, of 13 July 2026, where will the civil servants allocated to the Manchester Digital Campus be housed prior to the estimated completion in 2032.

Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Prior to the anticipated completion of the Manchester Digital Campus in 2032, civil servants allocated to the campus will continue to be accommodated within the existing government estate in Manchester and the wider region. The Government Property Agency is working closely with affected departments to ensure that any interim arrangements bear no additional commercial lease costs to the taxpayer.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will review (a) his Department's and (b) the Prime Minister’s Office's compliance with the Cabinet Office Guidance for the management of Private Office information and records, published in December 2023.

Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Records management policy compliance is reviewed on a quarterly basis.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment has been made by the (a) Civil Service People Group and (b) Cabinet Office of whether the normal processes were followed when Oliver Robbins was dismissed as Permanent Secretary.

Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

It is a longstanding policy not to comment on HR matters.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the foreign influence registration scheme captures foreign funding donated to UK sources seeking to influence the actions of local councils, including divestment policies in (a) Local Government Pension Schemes and (b) Trident.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)

The Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS) is designed to increase transparency around foreign power-directed activities in the UK. The provision of foreign funding alone does not require registration under either tier of FIRS. Only where an individual or organisation is provided funding by a foreign power and is directed to use that funding to carry out political influence activities, or a wider set of activities for Russia or Iran, may that individual or organisation be required to register.

Political influence activities that have been directed by a foreign power and seek to influence Ministerial and non-ministerial departments, as set out in paragraph 37 of the political influence tier guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/foreign-influence-registration-scheme-political-influence-tier), could be in scope of the scheme. This list does not include local councils.

However, activities targeted at local councils may be in scope of FIRS, where directed by Russia or Iran. It would not be appropriate to speculate further on individual scenarios.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which Minister is responsible for the efficiency of the UK Statistics Authority.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 16th July is attached.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Information Commissioner Decision Notice, 7 October 2025, Ref: IC-363007-Q0B5, what was the final total cost of the event in 10 Downing Street.

Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

As under previous administrations, details of official receptions are published in quarterly transparency returns on gov.uk.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether a peer can be removed from the Roll of the Peerage if they do not (a) volunteer and (b) consent for their removal.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The June 2004 Royal Warrant provided for the creation and maintenance of the Roll of the Peerage. Under the terms of the Warrant, any person entered on the Roll may apply to be removed from it.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance has been given to local authorities by HM Government on (a) civil or (b) criminal penalties for urination in a public place in (i) England and (ii) London, including through (1) Public Space Protection Orders and (2) council bye-laws.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Local authorities are responsible for determining if there is a need to make a byelaw and the relevant powers for doing so. The government’s published guidance on byelaws is available on GOV.UK. Local authorities seeking to make a byelaw on public urination may refer to model byelaw set 8, which includes a clause on urinating in public.

The Home Office provides statutory guidance to support the effective use of Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPO). Through the Crime and Policing Act, the Government has increased the maximum Fixed Penalty Notice for breach of a PSPO from £100 to £500. The statutory guidance will be updated to reflect this change and to help ensure the power is used proportionately in line with local circumstances.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the answer of 10 July 2026 to Question 15242 on Universities: Admissions, if she will publish the Office for Students guidance on the use of TUNDRA.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department does not issue guidance to higher education providers on the use of tracking underrepresentation by area (TUNDRA) in admissions decisions. Universities are autonomous institutions and are responsible for their own admissions policies and decisions. The Office for Students (OfS) already publishes information and guidance on area-based measures of higher education participation, including participation of local areas (POLAR) and TUNDRA, available at: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/young-participation-by-area/about-tundra/, https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/media/mesjucep/regulatory-advice-6-how-to-prepare-an-access-and-participation-plan-may-2025.pdf

The OfS recommends the use of TUNDRA where an area-based measure of young participation is needed, as it provides more precise targeting and improved consistency with other participation measures, although POLAR may still provide additional insights in some circumstances. Higher education providers remain responsible for determining whether and how such measures are used in admissions processes.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether HMRC's new international student levy will be charged on (a) EU students and (b) Erasmus+ students studying in the UK.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The international student levy, payable by English higher education (HE) providers, will be introduced from the 2028/29 academic year to raise revenue to be reinvested into the HE and skills system, including the reintroduction of maintenance grants. The government has already announced that transnational education delivered outside of the UK will be out of scope of the levy. As part of the ongoing policy development, the department is considering the merits of exempting any additional groups of international students and will update on this in due course.

The UK has committed to participate in Erasmus+ in the 2027/28 academic year. This is the year prior to the levy coming in, meaning providers will not be required to pay the levy for Erasmus+ students in 2027/28. Any continued UK participation in Erasmus+ thereafter will need to be agreed under the next Multiannual Financial Framework and interactions with the levy would be clarified as part of this.

Found: Jessica Morden (in the Chair) Lilian Greenwood Gen Kitchen Sir Mark Tami Christian Wakeford Mike Wood