Every parliamentary written question tabled by Charlie Dewhirst this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 661–680 of 818 · this parliament
Pursuant to the Answer of 14 January 2025 to Question 22200 on Ministers: Aviation, what quantity of carbon emissions have been offset since 5 July 2024; and what the cost to the public purse has been of this offsetting.
I refer the Hon Member to the response I gave to PQ22200. At this time there is nothing further to add.
Pursuant to the Answer of 14 January 2025 to Question 22191 on Public Bodies: Reviews, which reviews (a) are in progress and (b) have been paused; and what the status is of reviews in the 2024-25 financial year.
Of the reviews planned for 2024/25, four are completed. Nine remain in progress and ten are paused. The government has also announced the first zero-based review of government spending in 17 years, with departments expected to go line-by-line to find savings and efficiencies, including in bodies and agencies that they sponsor. The Chief Secretary to the Treasury has also announced regular, thematic reviews of areas of spending to ensure value for money.
Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the public appointment advertisement for Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, published on 19 December 2024, for what reasons equality, diversity and inclusion are listed as a desirable criteria for this position.
Equality, diversity and inclusion are a priority for this Government, as they were under the last. Defra wants Kew’s Board to continue to have skills in those areas, in order for Kew to effectively implement their ten-year Manifesto for Change, which was launched in 2021. For example, one aim of the ten-year plan is to increase the number of visitors to Kew from under-represented communities whilst another is to train the next generation of plant experts, attracting a wide range of people to a career working in and with nature.
Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 12 December 2024 to Question 18221 on Supreme Court: Judgments, whether he plans to change his Department's workforce policies.
While legal proceedings remain ongoing, and there will be a need to assess the position on an ongoing basis, there is currently no intention to change the Defra policy on the provision of the check-off facility.
Pursuant to the Answer of 14 January 2025 to Question 22184 on Cabinet Office: 48 Group, if he will make it his policy to provide guidance to (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) civil servants on engagement with the 48 Group in the context of the Special Immigration Appeals Commission judgment of 12 December 2024.
The Cabinet Office routinely assesses and updates advice on engagement with external organisations to support ministerial and official engagement.
Pursuant to the Answer of 11 December 2024 to Question 18402 on Freedom of Information, if he will place in the Library a copy of the most recent FOI Round Robin list, redacting the personal names of any requester.
As with the previous administration, this Government does not publish Freedom of Information round robin lists. Freedom of Information round robin lists contain a reference number, the text of the request, and any advice or guidance on the approach to be taken. The lists do not include the names of the requestor. Further information on round robin lists can be found on GOV.UK at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-and-freedom-of-information.
Whether the Second Permanent Secretary, European Union and International Economic Affairs has made a declaration of political activity; and if he publish the declared interests of the Second Permanent Secretary.
There are established processes in place to declare and manage interests in the Civil Service, which were followed during the Second Permanent Secretary's appointment.
Pursuant to the answer of 27 November 2024, to Question 15236, on Cabinet Office: Staff, how many individuals are registered with the Skills Match Hub; what grades those individuals hold; what the average time is for an individual to spend in the hub before being redeployed; how many individuals have been redeployed since 4 July 2024; what steps his Department is taking to reduce the time individuals spend in the hub; and how many individuals have been without a substantive post for more than six months.
At any point in time, there is likely to be a small number of individuals who have been displaced due to restructures within their business units or, for example, have returned from a loan from another department and their role no longer exists. The exact number changes on a day-to-day basis. The grades of the individuals range from Executive Officer to SCS2. The average time for an individual to spend in the hub is fluid. Whilst these individuals are attached to the Skills Match Hub, they remain in their business units and are managed by their line managers to ensure they continue to receive meaningful work and are appropriately supported, while they work through the redeployment process. The department is increasing emphasis and priority on more swiftly matching displaced people to new vacancies before any formal recruitment is undertaken. As was the case under the previous administration, any new vacancies in Cabinet Office cannot be advertised until the role has been reviewed first by the Skills Match Hub for a possible match to anyone registered. If there are no suitable candidates registered, the vacancy can then be advertised.
If he will ask the Office for National Statistics to make an assessment of the potential impact of the purchase of the Wylfa power station site by Great British Nuclear on the public sector classification of the borrowing for that nuclear programme.
Great British Nuclear purchased the Wylfa site in 2024, which is recorded as an asset on the Government's balance sheet. As part of its SMR competition, GBN is negotiating with four shortlisted companies, with final decisions to be taken in the spring. No decisions have yet been taken on projects or sites.
What oversight his Department provides towards the Government's progress on the Places for Growth targets; and whether his Department produces RAG ratings for each Department based on their performance in meeting those targets.
Places for Growth is overseen by the Places for Growth Portfolio Oversight Board, led by Beth Russell, the Second Permanent Secretary at HM Treasury. Departments provide updates on their commitments to relocate roles, including relocation data. This information is published on gov.uk.
Pursuant to the Answer of 11 December 2024 to Question 17545 on Prime Minister: Public Appointments, what the (a) bodies and (b) offices are.
There is nothing further to my answer of 11 December 2024, Official Report, PQ 17545. Individual appointments made by the Prime Minister are publicly announced on gov.uk at the time of appointment.
Pursuant to the Answer of 12 December 2024 to Question 18216 on Senior Civil Servants: Training, where the two SCS Leadership Conferences took place; and what the cost was of each event.
The two SCS Leadership Conferences were delivered as part of a wider leadership development programme. The SCS Conference (Summer 2024) took place at the DeVere Grand Connaught Room, London. The venue hire and catering for this event cost £12,520.42. The SCS Conference (Autumn 2024) took place at The Royal Horseguards Hotel, & One Whitehall Place, London. The venue hire and catering for this event cost £11,250.00.
Whether public appointment competitions under the Governance Code for Public Appointments can be (a) extended before the public deadline for the closure of applications and (b) re-opened to new applicants after the public deadline has passed.
I refer the honourable member to the answer given in my Named Day Written Answer on 20 January (PQ 24247).
If he will make it his policy to reduce the size of the Government Communications Service as part of the Spending Review Phase 2.
The Government Communications Service constantly assesses all teams to ensure they are delivering value for money and operating in the most effective and efficient way possible. Decisions on the outcome of Spending Review Phase 2 will be announced in the normal way.
Pursuant to the Answer of 25 November 2024 to Question 13808 on 9 Downing Street: Media, what (a) alterations and (b) other works have taken place in the media room since November 2024; what the cost of those works was; which contractors were used; and which Department authorised the cost of these works.
A one-off refresh of the facility was undertaken in December 2024. This has restored the room back to its original politically neutral state. The cost of these works will be published in due course in Cabinet Office transparency returns. The works were carried out by OCS, and authorised by the Cabinet Office.
If he will make an assessment of the (a) efficiency and (b) effectiveness of the propriety and ethics team.
All teams within the Cabinet Office are subject to the department's performance management processes.
Pursuant to the answer of 2 December 2024 to Question 8803 on Cabinet Office: Software, whether additional work under existing contracts has been awarded to Fujitsu since 4 July 2024.
Details of central government contracts where the contract value is above £12,000 are published on Contracts Finder: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search As with any service, during the life of the contract there may be periods when suppliers are required to perform more work, as allowed under the contract, and periods when they do less. The ability of the authorities to vary the amount of work is detailed in each specific contract. If there is significant additional work required, which exceeds what is allowed under the contract, that is also published on Contracts Finder, in line with the publication requirements.In January 2024, Fujitsu said it would withdraw from bidding for contracts for new work with new Government customers until the Post Office Horizon inquiry concludes – it would only bid for work with existing Government customers where it already has a contract with them, or where there is an agreed need for Fujitsu’s skills and capabilities.Fujitsu's bid approach is detailed in this letter, deposited in Parliament. For more details, please see here.
Food and Rural Affairs, how many farm visits he has made since his appointment; and where those farms were located.
Since the Secretary of State’s appointment, he has visited: the Great Yorkshire Agriculture Show on 10 July 2024a farm in Essex on 25 September 2024a farm in Oxford on 8 January 2025a farm in Gloucestershire on 7 March 2025a farm in Herefordshire on 7 March 2025. As well as visiting 3 farms, he has spoken at 3 farming conferences, and has had 5 meetings with the NFU, 3 with the CLA and, 7 with other organisations and farming representatives.
Whether guidance has been issued to Government Departments on the difference between (a) positive action and (b) positive discrimination in recruitment processes.
Under the previous administration, guidance for employers was published in regards to positive action in the workplace which highlights the difference between positive action and positive discrimination.It is the responsibility of each department to ensure their recruitment practices align fully with all relevant legislation, including the Equality Act 2010. Managers and vacancy holders are accountable to their HR Director for ensuring that vacancies are filled in accordance with departmental processes and legislation. HR Directors are responsible for assurance of the process.
How many staff are employed in the Policy Profession Unit; what the headcount allocation for that Unit is; what grades each civil servant who works in the Unit is; and how many of these are (a) policy professionals and (b) administrative support staff.
The Policy Profession Unit is the central unit supporting policy professionals across the UK civil service. The Unit holds the competency framework for the profession and supports policy professionals to build, maintain and grow their professional capability. The Unit also supports departments in reviewing the environment in which policy is made. Other examples of projects and initiatives the Unit runs are the new Government Policy Fast Stream, which launched in autumn 2024, the annual Policy Festival, with invited speakers from inside and outside government, and the Policy Awards, which aim to recognise high-quality contributions by individuals and teams across the civil service.The Unit is hosted by the department, as the Permanent Secretary is the Deputy Head of the Government Policy Profession, although the Unit works across government with all departments, agencies and devolved governments.The following table shows:How many staff are employed in the Policy Profession Unit on both a temporary and a permanent basis.The headcount for the Unit (there are currently 8 vacant posts).The grade mix of staff in the Unit.The profession mix of staff in the Unit. GradeCurrent Full Time Equivalent (FTE)Total FTEExecutive Officer6.26.2Higher Executive Officer89Senior Executive Officer812Grade 710.813.8Grade 633SCS 1 (Deputy Director)22Total38.046.0 (headcount) The table below shows the primary government profession for each member of the Policy Profession Unit. Four of these staff provide administrative support across the Unit:Government professionNumber of staffPolicy Profession21Human Resources7Communications6Operational Delivery1Government Science & Engineering1Analysis Function1Knowledge & Information Management1Total38