Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance has been issued to (a) Ministers and (b) officials on the retention of (i) social media and (ii) other content on phones provided to them for official use.

Departments set guidance on the retention and disposal of information, for both their ministers and officials, based on the requirements of the Public Records Act 1958.

In order to support Departments, the Cabinet Office has previously published Guidance on the Management of Private Office Papers and Guidance to departments on use of private emails. In addition, a revised Code of Practice on Records Management, issued under Section 46 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, was laid on 15 July 2021 by the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.