Written questions by Griffith.

Whether the potential use of eGates set out in the UK-EU Common Understanding will include an exemption from the upcoming EU Entry Exit system requirements for fingerprinting.

UK national travellers will be required to register in the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES). Exemptions will be in place for UK nationals who are Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries or otherwise long-term resident in the EU. Implementation of the EES is a matter for the EU and its Member States, and subject to ongoing EU legislative processes.

How many notifications under the National Security and Investment Act 2021 involving foreign acquirers have been (a) received and (b) cleared unconditionally in each month since the Act came into force.

The Government publishes an annual report with details of activities under the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act each financial year. This includes the number of notifications received by month, number of final notifications (acquisitions which are called in for detailed review and then cleared), and notifications received by origin of investment. Annual reports can be viewed on GOV.UK.

When the Prime Minister plans to respond to the letter of 25 February 2025 from the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs.

A response will be issued in due course.

When the Prime Minister plans to respond to the letter of 13 February 2025 from the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs.

A response was issued on 19 March 2025.

How many UK nationals emigrated from the UK for long-term purposes in the (a) third and (b) fourth quarter of 2024.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 4th March is attached.

How many public contracts awarded by the Crown Commercial Service since 5 July 2024 have included mandatory commitments to publish suppliers’ (a) gender and (b) ethnicity pay gaps.

Contracts are established between the supplier and the individual contracting authority.

What proportion of procurement training for staff in his Department since 5 July 2024 has been delivered by organisations affiliated with trade unions.

Information on supplier organisations’ affiliation with trade unions is not held.

Pursuant to the answer of 20 January 2025 to Question 23923 on Nissan, if he will provide the schedule for the publication of ministerial transparency data on meetings.

Details of ministers’ meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK. Data for the period of July to September 2024 will be published shortly.

Whether his Department offers paternity leave to its staff from their first working day.

To be eligible for statutory paternity leave, Cabinet Office policy currently requires employees to meet a series of qualifying conditions, including the requirement to have worked continuously for the Civil Service for at least 26 weeks by the 15th week before the date the baby is due.As with any changes to employment legislation, internal policies and processes will be updated as appropriate in line with the Government’s legislation on employment rights. .

With reference to his Department’s Corporate report entitled Public Bodies 2020, published on 15 July 2021, if he will update the data on non-departmental public bodies, executive agencies and non-ministerial de

The last public bodies landscape, a publication showing spend and headcount data of arms length bodies, was last published for 2019/20. An updated version of this publication, covering data from 2022-23, will be published on gov.uk in due course.

If he will set out the (a) terms of reference and (b) duration of the appointment of Crawford Falconer KCMG to his Department as Second Permanent Secretary and Chief Trade Negotiation Adviser.

In accordance with the Civil Service policy for Permanent Secretary roles, the DBT Second Permanent Secretary was appointed for a period of five years (August 2017 - August 2022). The period of appointment was subsequently extended to December 2024.

What guidance he issues to the Civil Service Commission on considering the Northcote-Trevelyan principles when assessing applications for appointment made by exception.

The statutory basis for the management of the Civil Service is set out in the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. The Act requires the Civil Service Commission, which is independent of Government, to publish a set of principles to be applied fo...

What the role of the Propriety and Constitution Group is in his Department’s relationship with the Civil Service Commission.

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) is an executive non-departmental public body established in statute by the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (2010). The Commission is independent.The Cabinet Office, through the Propriety and Constitution Group, ...

Which team in the Cabinet Office discharges statutory or contractual duties owed to Cabinet Office employees by the Cabinet Office as their employer whilst they are on secondment to the Civil Service Commission.

Staff recruited by the Civil Service Commission are employed by the Cabinet Office and seconded to the Commission for the duration of the time in their role. The Civil Service Commission is independent; its staff operate under the direction of the First C...

What policies the Civil Service Commission has in place to avoid conflicts of interest when investigating its sponsoring department.

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) is an executive non-departmental public body established in statute by the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (2010) to provide assurance that civil servants are selected on merit on the basis of fair and open comp...

What the terms were for the secondment of Kate Owen as Interim Chief Executive of the Civil Service Commission; and when the secondment will end.

The published Civil Service Commission 2022/2023 Annual Report shows the current Interim Chief Executive began the role on 15 May 2023. An external recruitment process to appoint a permanent Chief Executive was launched in May 2024 and is expected to conc...

What discussions have taken place at (a) official and (b) ministerial level between the Propriety and Constitution Group and the Civil Service Commission (CSC) on the establishment of the CSC’s review of appoint

The Civil Service Commission is the independent regulator of Civil Service recruitment and carries out its functions independently of Government and in line with the provisions of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. On Friday 30 August the ...