Written questions by Glen.

Whether the Cabinet Secretary has responded to the letter from the former Prime Minister, Liz Truss, of 18 July 2024.

A response has been issued.

What the average length of a recruitment competition is from advertisement to recruitment of the winning candidate for a Civil Service job advertised on the (a) public and (b) civil service-only version of Civil

In April 2024, Civil Service departments were commissioned to report on a common definition of Time To Hire. Civil Service Time To Hire measures the duration from the closing date of an advert, to the date a provisional offer is made. The first Civil Serv...

What the Government’s policy is on the use of contingent labour in the Civil Service.

Contingent labour contracts should only be used in government where better value alternatives are not available. The Government will stop all non-essential expenditure on consultants, and reduce the reliance on contingent labour.

Pursuant to the Answer of 30 July 2024 to Question 936 on Civil Service: Equality, whether he plans to implement the previous Government's planned reductions on equality, diversity and inclusion spending in the

The Civil Service Equality Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Guidance published on 14 May, remains in place.

Pursuant to the Answer of 30 July 2024 to Question 919 on Civil Service, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of working from home on Civil Service productivity.

We have reviewed the wide range of studies available on the benefits of hybrid working, which has been used to inform the expectation for 60% office attendance for Civil Servants.

If he will provide a list of each appointment by (a) department, (b) payband, (c) job title, (d) exception used, (e) appointment length and (f) civil servant name that has been approved by the Civil Service Comm

Information on appointments made by exception and requiring approval by the Civil Service Commission at Pay Band 2 and above will be published on the Commission’s website by the end of October 2024.

Pursuant to the Answer of 22 July 2024 to Question 902 on Public sector: trade unions, whether it is the Government's policy to (a) amend and (b) repeal the check-off provisions from the (i) Trade Unio

The Government is committed to repealing the Trade Union Act 2016. Further information on implementing this will be outlined in due course.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of ending the Trade Union Act 2016 requirement for industrial action ballot thresholds on trends in the level of industrial action.

The Government is committed to repealing the Trade Union Act 2016. Further information on implementing this will be outlined in due course.

Whether (a) the Prime Minister, (b) the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff, (c) a civil servant, (d) a special adviser (i) requested and (ii) authorised the allocation of a Downing Street pass to Lord Alli.

I refer the Rt Hon Member and Hon Member to the answer given by the then Prime Minister on 7 February 2017, Official Report, PQ 62542.

Pursuant to the Answer of 31 July 2024 to Question 1208 on Government Communication Service, if he will place a copy of the audit in the House of Commons Library that (a) redacts the names of junior civil servan

No, there are currently no plans to do this.

Food and Rural Affairs, what his policy is on EU fishing rights in UK waters, in the context of the Government's plans to change its relationship with the EU.

The Government is committed to managing fishing access to its waters in a way that balances sustainable management with the interests of the UK fishing industry, as per our obligations under the Fisheries Act 2020 and Joint Fisheries Statement. The UK-EU ...

Pursuant to the Answer of 26 July 2024 to Question 1260 on Senior Civil Servants: Recruitment, whether the Director of Special Advisers and Chancellor Engagement role was open to external candidates.

The grade of the Director of Special Advisers and Chancellor Engagement post is SCS pay band 2. The appointment of the Director of Special Advisers and Chancellor Engagement followed the correct processes. The postholder has been a civil servant for 7 yea...

What the (a) job description and (b) pay band is for the Director of Special Advisers and Chancellor Engagement.

The grade of the Director of Special Advisers and Chancellor Engagement post is SCS pay band 2. The appointment of the Director of Special Advisers and Chancellor Engagement followed the correct processes. The postholder has been a civil servant for 7 yea...

Whether her Department's Director of Special Advisers and Chancellor Engagement post was advertised (a) externally or (b) internally; and whether the post was filled by open and fair competition.

The grade of the Director of Special Advisers and Chancellor Engagement post is SCS pay band 2. The appointment of the Director of Special Advisers and Chancellor Engagement followed the correct processes. The postholder has been a civil servant for 7 yea...

If he will place in the House of Commons Library a copy of the (a) terms of reference and (b) responsibilities of the Cabinet Office’s Propriety and Ethics Team.

The Propriety and Ethics Directorate is part of the Propriety and Constitution Group in the Cabinet Office.Its responsibilities include providing advice to the Prime Minister and Cabinet Secretary on maintaining the highest standards of propriety and ethi...

Whether he plans to meet the Public and Commercial Services Union pay demands for 2024-25 of a (a) 35 days annual leave minimum and (b) significant shortening of the working week with no loss of pay.

Departments are responsible for setting the terms and conditions of employment for their civil servants, in accordance with the rules of the Civil Service Management Code. The Civil Service already provides a competitive leave offer that supports building...

Pursuant to the answer of 26 July 2024, to Question 1260, on Senior Civil Servants: Recruitment, for how many days a job must be advertised publicly to be considered as open to external candidates.

There is no mandated period for a vacancy to be advertised, either externally or internally.The Civil Service Recruitment Principles state that ‘The media chosen to publicise appointment opportunities and the time allowed for advertising must be suitable ...

Pursuant to the Answer of 30 July 2024 to Question 939 on Civil Service, whether he has a target size for the Civil Service in headcount or full-time equivalent terms relative to the planned reductions of the pr

Decisions on the future size of the Civil Service will form a key part of the comprehensive Spending Review.

With reference to his Department's guidance entitled Classification Of Public Bodies: Guidance For Department, published on 27 April 2016, whether it is his policy that setting up new public bodies should be a l

It is for the relevant Ministers to decide if policy within their portfolio should be delivered through the creation of a new public body. The Cabinet Office and the Treasury have a detailed process in place for the approval of new public bodies to ensure...

Pursuant to the answer of 31 July 2024 to Question 1251 on the Ethics and Integrity Commission, whether the Ethics and Integrity Commission will replace the (a) the Committee on Standards in Public Life and (b)

I refer the right honourable member to the answer given to PQ 1251 on 23 July 2024.