Written questions by Burghart.

Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether the Electoral Commission has provided (a) guidance and (b) advice on whether Members’ Associations have to declare political donations, if such income is not used for the three political activity tests for Members’ Associations.

The Electoral Commission’s guidance for regulated donees sets out the requirements on members associations regarding the declaration of political donations.Members associations are required to report all permissible donations received for their use or benefit in connection with any of their political activities with a value of over £11,180, and all impermissible donations over £500. The political activities of a members association include promoting or developing policies for adoption by a party or promoting candidates for internal office within the party.Certain payments and services are not treated as donations, and are exempt from the reporting requirements. A full list of exemptions is available on page 16 of the Commission’s guidance; for example, any donation worth £500 or less, and the provision by an individual of their services voluntarily and in their own time.The Commission also provides ongoing advice to members associations on whether their activities fall within the definition of political activities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to Questions 261-263 of the oral evidence session of the Foreign Affairs Committee entitled Oral evidence: Work of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, HC 385, 3 November 2025, if she will list the specific measures that were put in place with Lord Mandelson in relation to his Global Counsel shares and clients.

I refer the Hon. Member to the Government's response to the Urgent Question tabled on 12 February, the Written Ministerial Statement in the name of the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister that same day, and Oral Statement on the 23 February which set out an update on the Government's process. We will set out further details in due course. The Government wishes to ensure that Parliament's instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.

If he will place a copy in the Library of the most recent guidance on undertaking due diligence for a (a) regulated public appointment, (b) direct ministerial appointment and (c) special adviser.

The requirements to conduct appropriate due diligence for regulated public appointments and direct ministerial appointments are set out in the Governance Code on Public Appointments and the Guidance on Making Direct Ministerial Appointments respectively, both of which are publicly available. The specific due diligence processes undertaken in each case will be those standard processes agreed by the Accounting Officer within each department for all appropriate due diligence undertaken by that department. As with other civil servants, special advisers are subject to pre-employment checks and declaration of relevant interests. This is set out in the Code of Conduct and Model Contract for Special Advisers.

When the Parliamentary Secretary is scheduled to end her maternity leave.

Satvir Kaur MP was on maternity leave from her role as Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office from 7 September 2025 until 22 February 2026, with a phased return from January 2026.

With reference to his oral contribution of 23 February 2026 on Labour Together and APCO Worldwide: Cabinet Office Review, Official Report, Columns 28 and 29, whether the Independent Adviser will consider the conduct of the hon. Member for Makerfield before he became a Minister.

The advice and the exchange of letters between the Prime Minister and Josh Simons MP are on gov.uk.

Pursuant to his oral contribution of 23 February 2026 on Labour Together and APCO Worldwide: Cabinet Office Review, Official Report, Column 29, whether a Minister can be investigated by the Independent Adviser whilst having their specific Ministerial portfolio temporarily removed.

The Ministerial Code applies to serving Ministers. If a Minister is removed from office, there would be no avenue for the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards to investigate.

With reference to his oral contribution of 23 February 2026 on Labour Together and APCO Worldwide: Cabinet Office Review, Official Report, Column 27, if he will place a copy in the Library of the (a) referral letter and (b) terms of reference to the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards.

The Ministerial Code sets out processes for the investigation of alleged breaches of the Code by ministers serving in the Government and is published on gov.uk. Paragraph 2.6a of the Code states: “If there is an allegation about a breach of the Code and the Prime Minister, having consulted the Cabinet Secretary, feels that it warrants further investigation, the Prime Minister may ask the Cabinet Office to investigate the facts of the case and/or refer the matter to the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards”. These processes, and further detail on the role of the Independent Adviser, are also included in the Terms of Reference of the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards, which forms part of the Ministerial Code at Annex A.

Whether the current Cabinet Secretary was appointed from a Reserve List in Merit Order.

The Cabinet Manual sets out that the Cabinet Secretary is appointed directly by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister receives advice from the First Civil Service Commissioner, but is the final decision maker. As set out in the Gov.UK announcement of the Cabinet Secretary appointment, “the Prime Minister and the First Civil Service Commissioner agreed a process to appoint a new Cabinet Secretary”. Once this process was complete, the First Civil Service Commissioner confirmed that “Dame Antonia Romeo is an exceptional candidate of the highest calibre, having run two of the largest operational departments in Government, and confirmed her track record makes her the right candidate for the role”. The PM appointed her on the 19th February.

Whether Senior Civil Servants can be temporarily promoted without open and fair competition.

SCS roles can be filled on a temporary basis through temporary promotions without fair and open competition. Cabinet Office issues guidance to departments and agencies, who have the authority to determine promotion and lateral transfer arrangements for their own staff.

Whether the Cabinet Secretary was appointed on the advice of the retiring Cabinet Secretary.

I refer to the Hon. Member to the Gov.uk announcement, “the Prime Minister and the First Civil Service Commissioner agreed on a process to appoint a new Cabinet Secretary.”

What her Department's policy is on the retention of the confidential report on the Consul General to New York.

The Cabinet Office Information and Records Policy stipulates that HR reports are destroyed after seven years.

Whether the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards’ review into Labour Together is being assisted by the Propriety and Ethics Team.

The Prime Minister asked officials in the Cabinet Office to establish the facts in relation to allegations about the conduct of the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State jointly in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Cabinet Office, Josh Simons MP. Following completion of that work, the matter was referred to the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards. The Independent Adviser’s subsequent advice to the Prime Minister is published on gov.uk. The Independent Adviser is independent of government.

With reference 23 February 2026, Official Report, Column 29, on Labour Together and APCO Worldwide: Cabinet Office Review, whether the Government is able to appoint an independent KC to investigate a suspended Government Minister.

I refer the Honorable Member to UIN HL15093.

Pursuant to the answer by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office of 12 February 2026, Official Report, Column 932, on Lord Mandelson: Government Response to Humble Address Motion, if he will publishing the findings of the investigation into Matthew Doyle.

The Government is not conducting an investigation into Lord Doyle. An investigation is being carried out by the Labour Party.

With reference to the Ministerial Direction of 16 February 2026, whether the outgoing Cabinet Secretary will receive an early termination exit payment based on the same methodology as the previous Cabinet Secretary, or whether the payment will exceed Civil Service Compensation Scheme terms.

Details of any payments made to the previous Cabinet Secretary will be published in the Cabinet Office Annual report and Accounts for 2025-26.

Pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2026 to Question 110416 on Government Departments: Publicity, if he will publish the revised branding guidance.

There are currently no plans to publish this guidance.

Pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2026 to Question 109158, if he will publish a breakdown of political activity data of public appointments made in 2024-25.

I refer the Hon. Gentleman to PQ 103784.

With reference to the No10 press release entitled Prime Minister to warn that Europe must move away from overdependence on the US, to interdependence - and a more European NATO, of 13 February 2026, whether the £270 billion includes security spending; whether that figure is in cash terms; and what the monetary amount is in each year of this Parliament.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided on 9 February 2026 to Question 110442, tabled on 3 February 2026 by the hon. Member for South Suffolk (James Cartlidge). All figures provided in the response are in cash terms.

Whether the Office for Budget Responsibility will publish a fiscal mandate assessment alongside the Spring Statement.

As the Chancellor announced at Budget 2025, the OBR will assess performance against the fiscal rules once a year at the Budget, in line with the government’s commitment to a single major fiscal event per year.

|To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 23 December 2025 to Question 98157 on Customs: Digital Technology, how much has been spent on the Single Trade Window programme.

The delivery of the Single trade Window (STW) has been paused and additional funding was not provided in the Spending Review 2025. Therefore, there are currently no HMRC staff assigned to the operational delivery of the STW programme. However, policy development continues with resources from a range of teams including Customs Policy and Strategy and Customer Services and Operations. The government’s policy development work is focussed on understanding industry needs and designing a service that delivers genuine value to businesses and strengthens the UK’s border system. The STW programme had £180 million funding allocated at the 2021 Spending Review across three financial years - 2022/23 to 2024/25. The final spend on STW over 22/23, 23/24 and 24/25 was £111.44 million.