Every parliamentary written question tabled by Richard Holden this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 241–260 of 775 · Cabinet Office
Pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2025 to Question 64569 on 9 Downing Street: Repairs and Maintenance, whether the (a) provisional and (b) final cost of the works has been agreed.
The (a) provisional cost of works has been approved, but the (b) invoice for the works has not yet been submitted. The final cost of works will be included in the Cabinet Office spend transparency reporting once invoiced by the supplier.
If he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the timeliness of payments of compensation to the victims of infected blood.
The Government is committed to ensuring that all those eligible to receive compensation receive an award as quickly as possible. As of 15 July, the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) has contacted 2,215 people to begin their claim for compensation, with 1,934 having started the claim process. 808 offers of compensation have been made, with a total value of over £602 million. 587 people have accepted their offer and received payment, with over £411 million paid in compensation. This means approximately 60% of infected people registered with a support scheme have been contacted to begin their claim.For other groups, IBCA will continue their test and learn approach, bringing different people in at different stages to start their compensation claim. They set out further details of this in their community update on 21st July.
How his Department measures the diversity performance of the College for National Security; and whether there are safeguards to help ensure that oversight mechanisms do not (a) create bias and (b) unlawfully process protected data.
The College for National Security provides the national security community and wider civil service access to learning and development. The College’s offer is open to all civil and crown servants and safeguards are in place to ensure content is only accessed by staff with appropriate clearances. Diversity data of learners engaging in this initial offer is not currently collected as standard and is not used for performance purposes. In some cases, additional information such as location, disability or nationality information may be collected for operational purposes, for example to ensure we meet accessibility requirements. Personal data is currently collected and processed in line with the College’s Privacy Notice, which can be accessed on GOV.UK here.
Pursuant to the Answer of 2 July 2025 to Question 62087 on Lobbying, whether his Department plans to formally respond to the report.
The Government continues to keep transparency around lobbying under review, and we will factor into consideration the recommendations from PACAC's report as any policy reforms are considered. However, the report was conducted and published under the previous administration, and framed in the context of policy restraints imposed by that administration, therefore the Government will not be providing a full report response.
Pursuant to the Answer of 2 July 2025 to Question 62334 on Cabinet Office: Labour Party, what the journeys were.
As is longstanding practice, specific details regarding the allocation of vehicles are not disclosed due to security considerations.
Pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 19 June 2025, on House of Lords Appointments, HCWS718, whether the Prime Minister has a target size for the number of sitting peers in the House of Lords.
As appointments are for life, the second chamber has become too big. The Government’s manifesto therefore included a commitment to introduce a retirement age for members of the House of Lords. The Government intends to propose the establishment of a dedicated select committee in the House of Lords to look at how best to implement the manifesto commitments on a retirement age and participation requirement, following the passage of the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill.
Pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2025 to Question 62990 on House of Lords Appointments Commission, what the Government’s policy is on the number of Non-Party Political Life Peers proposed by HOLAC who will be created each individual year of this Parliament.
The Prime Minister will continue to invite nominations from HOLAC, and future appointments will be announced in the usual way.
Whether Number 10 has an operational Bloomberg terminal.
HMT has Bloomberg terminals and subscriptions to support the provision of economic advice to the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Whether he has issued guidance to Ministers on attending office workplaces during periods of strike action.
No such guidance has been issued by the Cabinet Office.
With reference to page 185 of the report entitled Census 2021: General report for England and Wales, published on 21 June 2025, which local authorities had a confidence interval of (a) up to 5%, (b) up to 6% and (c) 6% or more.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 10th July is attached.
Pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2025 to Question 62084 on Government Departments: Procurement, which public bodies have undertaken expenditure through framework RM6125 since 4 July 2024.
Information on individual contracts, including any agreed through a Crown Commercial Service framework, are publicly available on Contracts Finder at the following link: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk. Contracts Finder provides information about contracts worth over £12,000 (including VAT) with the government and its agencies.It is the responsibility of the relevant contracting authority to upload contract information on Contracts Finder.
Pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2025 to Question 62283 on Cabinet Office: Pay, whether the Civil Service Statistics 2025 document will publish the annual wage costs of the EU relations secretariat.
Salary data for the Civil Service is published annually as part of Civil Service Statistics. This statistical bulletin presents mean and median salary data for Civil Service departments and their Executive Agencies overall. A detailed breakdown for the structure and associated payscales for the European Relations Secretariat is available as part of the Cabinet Office organogram of Staff Roles & Salaries on gov.uk.
Pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2025 to Question 62083 on House of Lords Appointments Commission, for what reason the competition to recruit members of the House of Lords Appointments Commission is not listed on webpage on gov.uk entitled Apply for a public appointment.
The campaign to recruit up to two independent members to the House of Lords Appointments Commission was launched on 3 January 2025. The competition then closed on 5 February 2025. As such, it is no longer open to new applicants. The advert can be found on the public appointments website: https://apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/roles/8519
With reference to page 186 of the Census 2021: General report for England and Wales, published on 21 June 2025, which local authorities had a response rate below 95%.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 9th July is attached.
Whether the (a) UK Statistics Authority and (b) Office for National Statistics plan to respond to the second part of the Professor Sullivan report entitled Barriers to research on sex and gender, published on 2 July 2025.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 9th July is attached.
Pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 54808 on Civil Service: Photographs and Video Recordings, whether unpublished content can be used by Ministers for party political purposes.
I refer the Hon Member for Basildon and Billericay to the answer on 9 June 2025 (PQ54808).
Pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2025 to Question 62339 on Aviation, which Departments have used the Airbus A321-253NX with registration G-OATW.
Since assuming the registration G-OATW in October 2023, the aircraft has been chartered under various contracts with other government departments to support their official business. However, this data is not held by the Cabinet Office, as each department is responsible for its own contracting arrangements.
Pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2025 to Question 60479 on Deputy Prime Ministers: Official Residences, whether broadband is provided to the ministerial residence.
We do not routinely set out what services are provided at official residences, as doing so might compromise their security.
Pursuant to the Answer of 21 May 2025 to Question HL7244 on Prime Minister: Staff, when the No10 Implementation Unit was disbanded; and whether it was replaced.
There has not been an Implementation Unit in 10 Downing Street for at least 15 years. It would not be appropriate to comment on the decision made by a previous government to disband the unit. This Government has established the Mission Delivery Unit.
Pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2025 to Question 62771 on Cabinet Office: Maray Restaurant, if he will publish that invoice.
In line with the approach of successive administrations, Government Procurement Card spend data over £500 is declared in relevant transparency publications.