24 Oct 2024·Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office·Answered
AskedCommonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2024 to Question 2067 on Government Hospitality: Wines, what the (a) full name, (b) vintage and (c) cost was of each (i) wine and (ii) s
ReplyThe Government Wine Cellar has not been used for hospitality at Downing Street since the general election.
24 Oct 2024·Treasury·Answered
AskedPursuant to the Answer of 9 September 2024 to Question 4258 on Treasury: public appointments, if she will provide this data by the recruitment principles exception used by each grade.
ReplySince 30 May 2024, the following appointments by exception have been made:Exception 1 (Temporary Appointments) – 22 appointments. The grades of these appointments are Student, Senior Executive Officer, Grade 7, and SCS2.Exception 3 (Secondments) – 8 appoi...
24 Oct 2024·Cabinet Office·Answered
AskedPursuant to the Answer of 25 September to Question 5051 on Civil Servants: Trade Union Officials, whether the Government plans to (a) issue new guidance on and (b) renegotiate existing facility time agreements.
ReplyThe Government is committed to ensuring there is sufficient facility time for all trade union representatives in the public sector. Existing guidance remains in place.
24 Oct 2024·Cabinet Office·Answered
AskedWhether the Civil Service has employed any (a) staff and (b) contractors on zero-hours contracts since 5 July 2024.
ReplyThe number of (a) civil servants and (b) contractors employed on zero hour contracts is not held centrally by the Cabinet Office. Zero hours contracts are not the normal practice or a recommended approach within the Civil Service. Departments may use them...
24 Oct 2024·Cabinet Office·Answered
AskedPursuant to the answer of 17 September 2024 to Question 4655 on Public Sector: Directors, which Non-Executive Board Members have left which Departments since 4 July 2024.
ReplyThe list of Non-Executive Board Members who have left government departments since 4 July 2024 was provided in my previous answer of 13th November, PQ 9162.
23 Oct 2024·Cabinet Office·Answered
AskedPursuant to the answer of 2 September 2024 to Question 2301 on Cyber-security: EU law, whether the National Cyber Security Centre has made an assessment of the potential risks to (a) public and (b) private secto
ReplyTechnical experts at the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) have reviewed this issue, including in the context of the global IT outage that occurred in July. Allowing third party software into the kernel is still necessary to ensure a vibrant, diverse,...
23 Oct 2024·Cabinet Office·Answered
AskedWhat the (a) substantive information requested and (b) decision was for each (i) Freedom of Information Act and (ii) Environmental Information Regulation request received by his Department since the general elec
ReplyI refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer I gave on 22 October. (UIN 8811)
23 Oct 2024·Cabinet Office·Answered
AskedPursuant to the Answer of 23 September 2024 to Question 5009 on Government Departments: Disclosure of Information, whether he has issued guidance to Departments on the frequency of publishing (a) core and (b) ot
ReplyTransparency reporting requirements remain in place, with data regularly being published on GOV.UK. I refer the Right Honourable Member to the debate in the House on Reporting Ministerial Gifts and Hospitality, debated on Monday 14 October 2024. The Gover...
23 Oct 2024·Cabinet Office·Answered
AskedPursuant to the Answer of 17 September 2024 to Question 4682 on Prime Minister's Chief of Staff: Workplace Pensions, whether other public bodies hold information on the Cash Equivalent Transfer Value of civil se
ReplyI refer the RH member to PQ9163.
23 Oct 2024·Treasury·Answered
AskedWhether the Covid Corruption Commissioner will be a direct Ministerial appointment.
ReplyThe government will shortly appoint a Covid Corruption Commissioner - this follows an open competition that closed on 30 September. The details can be found at https://apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/roles/8362?titleSearch=&bodySearch=&...
23 Oct 2024·Cabinet Office·Answered
AskedWhether direct ministerial appointments are eligible for the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
ReplyDirect ministerial appointments are not employees of their sponsor department, and therefore not members of the civil service.It is only civil servants and persons serving in an office or employment listed in Schedule 1 to the Superannuation Act 1972 who ...
23 Oct 2024·Cabinet Office·Answered
AskedWhat guidance has been provided by (a) the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff or (b) Cabinet Office special adviser HR to special advisers on the Alpha Civil Service Pension scheme.
ReplyAs with other Civil Servants, special advisers are provided with guidance regarding Civil Service Pension schemes and are directed to published Civil Service Pension scheme resources.
23 Oct 2024·Cabinet Office·Answered
AskedWith reference Answer of 26 September 2024 to Question HL978 on Ministers: Members' Interests, whether declarations made by Ministers to the House of Commons or House of Lords register of Members’ interests cons
ReplyThe ministers’ interests process, which is set out in the Ministerial Code, is distinct from the parliamentary regimes that exist for Members of the House of Commons and House of Lords to register interests as parliamentarians. All ministers must comply w...
23 Oct 2024·Cabinet Office·Answered
AskedWith reference to the answer of 16 September 2024 to Question HL667 on Government Departments: Remote Working, when he plans to provide an update on future publication plans.
ReplyCivil Service Headquarters (HQ) Occupancy Data publication resumed on 24 October 2024, for the period July - September 2024, with further publications to now happen on a quarterly basis. Data can be found on GOV.UK.
23 Oct 2024·Cabinet Office·Answered
AskedPursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2024 to Question 2633 on Admiralty House, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) renting out the empty flats and (b) converting the empty flats to off
ReplyThe Cabinet Office currently has no plans to rent out or convert the flats in Admiralty House.
23 Oct 2024·Cabinet Office·Answered
AskedPursuant to the Answer of 16 September 2024 to Question 5052 on Government Departments: Disclosure of Information and with reference to the when he plans to start to publish (a) transparency data for (i) Ministe
ReplyTransparency reporting requirements remain in place, with data regularly being published on GOV.UK.I refer the Right Honourable Member to the debate in the House on Reporting Ministerial Gifts and Hospitality, debated on Monday 14 October 2024. The Govern...
23 Oct 2024·Cabinet Office·Answered
AskedWhich categories of (a) individual and (b) organisation are eligible to join the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
ReplyThe answers to the questions raised are available in the public domain and can be found on the member and employer sections of the Civil Service Pension website and also the UK Government Legislation website.
23 Oct 2024·Cabinet Office·Answered
AskedHow many evaluations relating to Government policies, projects or programmes have been exempted from publication due to national security concerns in the last 12 months; and what steps his Department is taking t
ReplyDepartments are responsible for making determinations about whether evaluation plans and findings should be withheld from publication on the grounds that publication would threaten national security. In cases where departments determine that evaluation pl...
23 Oct 2024·Cabinet Office·Answered
AskedPursuant to the Answer of 31 July 2024 to Question 1214 on Ministers: Official Residences, whether the Prime Minister has allocated the remaining official residences.
ReplyThe following official residences have been allocated by the Prime Minister since the Answer of 31 July 2024 to Question 1214: Chequers, Chevening, Dorneywood, Hillsborough Castle, 1 Carlton Gardens; and a flat in Admiralty House on a time limited basis.
22 Oct 2024·Cabinet Office·Answered
AskedHow many people will be subject to an annual allowance tax charge due to the retrospective application of the McCloud remedy on Civil Service pensions.
ReplyIt is not possible for the Cabinet Office to determine which members are subject to a tax charge. This will depend on their personal circumstances and in particular the total pension contributions (including other pension schemes they might contribute to)...