Written questions by Glen.

What the Government's policy is on trade union facility time allowances.

The Government is committed to ensuring there is sufficient facility time for all trade union representatives, in both the public and private sector, so that they have capacity to represent and defend workers, negotiate with employers and conduct training. There are no monetary allowances for trade union facility time other than paid time to carry out their duties. Public sector organisations are required to publish transparency data on facility time each year.

Whether plans to increase trade union facility time allowances in the Civil Service.

The Government is committed to ensuring there is sufficient facility time for all trade union representatives, in both the public and private sector, so that they have capacity to represent and defend workers, negotiate with employers and conduct training. There are no monetary allowances for trade union facility time other than paid time to carry out their duties. Public sector organisations are required to publish transparency data on facility time each year.

Whether he plans to introduce a five year lobbying ban on Ministers and special advisers who leave Government.

The government has committed to reviewing and updating the post-government employment rules. This will include restrictions on ministers lobbying for the companies they used to regulate, with meaningful sanctions for breaching the rules.

Innovation and Technology, whether the Government has plans to use AI to help read responses to consultations.

The Incubator for Artificial Intelligence (i.AI) is building an AI tool called Consult, which uses topic modelling to extract common themes from consultation responses. To ensure transparency for users, Consult presents these themes alongside the raw data. The tool is currently being tested with past consultations, whether it goes on to be used will depend on the outcomes of extensive testing and evaluation.

Whether (a) ministerial meetings with, (b) hospitality provided by and (c) hospitality provided to trade unions will be reported in quarterly transparency returns.

Details of Ministers’ meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK alongside details of all hospitality received in a ministerial capacity.Hospitality expensed to departments by Senior Officials at the level of SCS2 and above is also reported in Senior Officials’ quarterly transparency returns.

How many (a) full-time equivalent and (b) total staff are employed by each public corporation that is not part of the civil service in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Data on the number of total staff employed by each public corporation is not held centrally by the Cabinet Office.

Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to use Al to (a) increase productivity and (b) reduce headcount in the civil service.

The Digital Centre and individual departments are exploring the potential benefits of AI to enhance productivity. CDDO has and will continue to assess the potential impacts of AI on public service productivity, and is collaborating with departments to explore AI opportunities aimed at enhancing Civil Service productivity, including trials to assess the real-world impact. Decisions on the future size of the Civil Service will form a key part of the next comprehensive Spending Review. Therefore, a proper and full consideration, including AI, will be given to this in due course, and the Cabinet Office will work closely with HM Treasury on the development of these plans.

Whether he plans to reduce the size of the civil service.

Decisions on the future size of the Civil Service will form a key part of the next comprehensive Spending Review. Therefore, a proper and full consideration will be given to this in due course, and the Cabinet Office will work closely with HM Treasury on the development of these plans.

With reference to the written ministerial statement of 14 May 2024 on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the Civil Service, HCWS464, if he will publish the data on historic spending on equality, diversity and inclusion referred to in that statement.

We are currently considering the Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Review commissioned by the previous Government.

With reference to the Written Statement of 14 May 2024, HCWS464, on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the Civil Service, if he will publish the review of EDI expenditure across the Civil Service commissioned by the previous Government.

We are currently considering the Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Review commissioned by the previous Government.

Whether he plans to extend the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to private sector organisations.

The Government is committed to Freedom of Information and will keep the scope of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 under consideration.

How many (a) full-time equivalent and (b) total staff are employed by each non-Departmental public body that is not part of the civil service in the most recent period for which figures are available.

An updated version of the Public Bodies landscape, covering data from 2022-23, will include data on FTE staff employed by NDPBs, and will be published on gov.uk in due course.

What was the (a) headcount and (b) full time equivalent size of the civil service in the most recent period for which figures are available by (i) department and (ii) agency.

National Statistics on the number of civil servants, both overall and by government department and agency, are published each quarter by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) as part of their Public Sector Employment statistical release. The latest available statistics were published 11 June 2024 and showed the number of civil servants as at 31 March 2024.The latest statistics and all previous and upcoming releases can be found on the ONS website at https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/datasets/publicsectoremploymentreferencetable

What estimate he has made of the (a) mean and (b) median gender pay gap for special advisers in pay bands (i) 1, (ii) 2, (iii) 3 and (iv) 4.

The gender pay gap for special advisers is published annually in the Cabinet Office’s Gender Pay Gap Report. The latest published report is for 2023 and is available on gov.uk; the mean pay gap was 4.62%, and the median pay gap was 10.89%.This was not broken down by pay band, due to the small numbers of individuals in each pay band.

With reference to HM Treasury's press release entitled End to Civil Service expansion and review of equality and diversity spending announced in productivity drive, published on 2 October 2023, what his policy is on reductions to the size of the civil service.

Decisions on the future size of the Civil Service will form a key part of the next comprehensive Spending Review. Therefore, a proper and full consideration will be given to this in due course, and the Cabinet Office will work closely with HM Treasury on the development of these plans.

What the gender pay gap is for special advisers employed by the Government.

The gender pay gap for special advisers is published annually in the Cabinet Office’s Gender Pay Gap Report. The latest published report is for 2023 and is available on gov.uk; the mean pay gap was 4.62%, and the median pay gap was 10.89%.This was not broken down by pay band, due to the small numbers of individuals in each pay band.

Whether ethnicity and disability pay reporting will apply to special advisers.

Special advisers are employees of their appointing minister’s department, and would be included in new pay reporting requirements in the same way as other employees.

Whether ethnicity and disability pay reporting will apply to special advisers.

Special advisers are employees of their appointing minister’s department, and would be included in new pay reporting requirements in the same way as other employees.

How many faxes have been received on the public faxline in 10 Downing Street since 4 July 2024; and how that correspondence is responded to.

As was the practice under the previous Administration, any faxes are converted into emails on receipt. There have been 3 in the period requested. These have been transferred to the relevant authorities.

What his timetable is for the implementation of the infected blood compensation scheme.

The Victims and Prisoners Act requires the Government to make regulations to establish a compensation scheme by 24 August 2024. These regulations are subject to the made affirmative procedure which will provide Parliament with the opportunity to debate the details of the Scheme. The Infected Blood Compensation Authority is established in law and the interim chief executive and his team are working hard to put the operational systems in place with the aim of beginning payments by the end of this year.