Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the contribution by the Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs of 23 October 2025, col 1111, on the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund, whether her statement on promoting and supporting the seafood sector so that it can export across the world referred to the promotion of Scottish seafood by the Government.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
At the Inter-Ministerial Group for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 23 June 2025, Devolved Government Ministers set out their view that shares of the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund (FCGF) should be devolved and administered by Devolved Governments.
On the 20 October 2025, it was announced that the FCGF would be devolved and delivered by Devolved Governments. Ahead of the announcement, the Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs confirmed allocations, using the Barnett formula in line with HM Treasury guidance for devolved policy areas such as fisheries, with Scotland expected to receive £28 million. The Government has no plans to review this level of funding.
This funding is in addition to the wider Spending Review settlements, which provide devolved governments with at least 20% more per person than equivalent UK Government spending.
Each administration has full discretion to target its share in line with local priorities, including seafood promotion and exports, and is responsible for engaging with its own industry. The Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs continues to meet stakeholders across the UK and supports collaboration to maximise benefits for fishing and coastal communities.
The FCGF is being developed to support coastal communities. As part of this, officials are exploring how the fund might align with broader place-based approaches, including principles similar to those used in the Pride in Place programme.
We are working to finalise the necessary arrangements for the allocation of the FCGF and will provide an update on this to all Devolved Governments as soon as we are able to.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the contribution by the Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs of 23 October 2025, col 1111, on the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund, whether the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund allocation for England will be used to promote the (a) UK or (b) English seafood sector.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
At the Inter-Ministerial Group for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 23 June 2025, Devolved Government Ministers set out their view that shares of the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund (FCGF) should be devolved and administered by Devolved Governments.
On the 20 October 2025, it was announced that the FCGF would be devolved and delivered by Devolved Governments. Ahead of the announcement, the Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs confirmed allocations, using the Barnett formula in line with HM Treasury guidance for devolved policy areas such as fisheries, with Scotland expected to receive £28 million. The Government has no plans to review this level of funding.
This funding is in addition to the wider Spending Review settlements, which provide devolved governments with at least 20% more per person than equivalent UK Government spending.
Each administration has full discretion to target its share in line with local priorities, including seafood promotion and exports, and is responsible for engaging with its own industry. The Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs continues to meet stakeholders across the UK and supports collaboration to maximise benefits for fishing and coastal communities.
The FCGF is being developed to support coastal communities. As part of this, officials are exploring how the fund might align with broader place-based approaches, including principles similar to those used in the Pride in Place programme.
We are working to finalise the necessary arrangements for the allocation of the FCGF and will provide an update on this to all Devolved Governments as soon as we are able to.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the contribution by the Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs of 23 October 2025, col 1111, on the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund, which stakeholders informed the decision to devolve that funding; and what proportion of those were based in devolved countries.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
At the Inter-Ministerial Group for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 23 June 2025, Devolved Government Ministers set out their view that shares of the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund (FCGF) should be devolved and administered by Devolved Governments.
On the 20 October 2025, it was announced that the FCGF would be devolved and delivered by Devolved Governments. Ahead of the announcement, the Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs confirmed allocations, using the Barnett formula in line with HM Treasury guidance for devolved policy areas such as fisheries, with Scotland expected to receive £28 million. The Government has no plans to review this level of funding.
This funding is in addition to the wider Spending Review settlements, which provide devolved governments with at least 20% more per person than equivalent UK Government spending.
Each administration has full discretion to target its share in line with local priorities, including seafood promotion and exports, and is responsible for engaging with its own industry. The Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs continues to meet stakeholders across the UK and supports collaboration to maximise benefits for fishing and coastal communities.
The FCGF is being developed to support coastal communities. As part of this, officials are exploring how the fund might align with broader place-based approaches, including principles similar to those used in the Pride in Place programme.
We are working to finalise the necessary arrangements for the allocation of the FCGF and will provide an update on this to all Devolved Governments as soon as we are able to.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she had with the Scottish (a) fishing and (b) seafood sector prior to the announcement of the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund on 20 October 2025.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
At the Inter-Ministerial Group for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 23 June 2025, Devolved Government Ministers set out their view that shares of the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund (FCGF) should be devolved and administered by Devolved Governments.
On the 20 October 2025, it was announced that the FCGF would be devolved and delivered by Devolved Governments. Ahead of the announcement, the Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs confirmed allocations, using the Barnett formula in line with HM Treasury guidance for devolved policy areas such as fisheries, with Scotland expected to receive £28 million. The Government has no plans to review this level of funding.
This funding is in addition to the wider Spending Review settlements, which provide devolved governments with at least 20% more per person than equivalent UK Government spending.
Each administration has full discretion to target its share in line with local priorities, including seafood promotion and exports, and is responsible for engaging with its own industry. The Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs continues to meet stakeholders across the UK and supports collaboration to maximise benefits for fishing and coastal communities.
The FCGF is being developed to support coastal communities. As part of this, officials are exploring how the fund might align with broader place-based approaches, including principles similar to those used in the Pride in Place programme.
We are working to finalise the necessary arrangements for the allocation of the FCGF and will provide an update on this to all Devolved Governments as soon as we are able to.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure AI-based systems used by public authorities comply with legal standards and protect citizens' rights.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The government is committed to ensuring that the adoption of artificial intelligence across the public sector is safe, effective, efficient and ethical. This work is guided by the AI Opportunities Action Plan and the AI Playbook for Government, which provide departments and public sector organisations with accessible technical guidance on the responsible use of AI.
The AI Playbook includes ethical and legal guidance for all civil servants on how to use AI safely and responsibly. This covers data protection, privacy, cybersecurity and sustainability, alongside the principles set out in the government’s pro-innovation approach to AI regulation. Departments are required to follow existing civil service-wide standards and policies, such as the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard, to ensure compliance and maintain accountability when deploying AI systems.
Asked by: Baroness Shawcross-Wolfson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government (1) what the Civil Service headcount was in (a) 2023–24 and (b) 2024–2025; and; (2) what is the expected headcount for (a) 2025–26, (b) 2026–27, (c) 2027–28, (d) 2028–29, and (e) 2029–2030.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Please see the table below for 2024, 2025 and latest available figures on Civil Service employment sourced from ONS Public Sector Employment Statistics.
| 31 March 2024 | 31 March 2025 | 30 Sept 2025* |
Full-time equivalent | 510,720 | 516,470 | 520,440 |
Headcount | 543,530 | 550,150 | 554,315 |
*latest available
Each department will take a decision on its future size and shape as per the financial settlements that were agreed with HM Treasury in the Spending Review. These plans will take a whole workforce approach based on the cost of civil servants, Contingent Labour, Consultancy and Managed Services, and will be finalised through the business planning process that is currently underway.
Asked by: Baroness Shawcross-Wolfson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what work they plan to undertake to make arm's-length bodies and the arm's-length body landscape more effective, efficient and accountable.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
As announced on 6th April 2025, the Government is conducting a full-scale review of arm's-length bodies in order to reduce the duplication of work by public bodies, improve efficiency, reduce unnecessary costs, and improve transparency. This review is ongoing, but some changes have already been announced such as the closure of NHS England to reduce bureaucracy, make savings and empower NHS staff to deliver better care for patients.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of redundancy plans for civil servants working at grades (a) AA/AO, (b) EO, (c) HEO/SEO, (d) G6/G7 and (e) SCS in each Government department.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Each department will take a decision on its individual size and shape as per the financial settlements that have now been agreed with HMT in the Spending Review.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to introduce the new safe and legal routes set out in Restoring Order and Control, updated on 21 November, and what estimate they have made of the number of refugees who will be able to enter through those routes.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The UK has a proud history of providing protection and we continue to welcome refugees and people in need through our safe and legal routes.
As announced in Restoring Order and Control, we are developing new capped sponsored refugee pathways across education, labour and community routes. This transformative change to safe and legal routes will revolutionise the way in which we offer opportunities to refugees. Policy development is underway, and the Home Office is working at pace with partners to design and operationalise these routes as soon as practicable.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance was guidance in place in August 2019 on keeping a written record of meetings between the Prime Minister and external individuals where public policy, procurement, or government contracts were discussed.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Guidance on management of records for official ministerial meetings is published on gov.uk, and available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-management-of-private-office-information-and-records/guidance-for-the-management-of-private-office-information-and-records-html.
The guidance in place in August 2019 is available in the National Archives: https://cdn.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/popapersguidance2009.pdf