Written questions by Holden.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2024, to Question 13759 on Business: Meetings, if he will take steps to publish supplementary guidance to the Ministerial Code on how Ministers should record meetings with business representatives who have paid money to the political party to which they belong to facilitate a meeting.

Details of ministers' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK. Published declarations include the purpose of the meeting and the names of external individuals and organisations in attendance. Updated guidance on ministers' meetings was published to GOV.UK on 30 January 2025 at the following address: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministers-overseas-travel-and-meetings-publication-guidance/ministers-overseas-travel-and-meetings-publication-guidance.

How many civil servants in his Department have been disciplined for (a) plagiarism and (b) making false statements on a CV when applying for a job in the latest 12 month period for which figures are available.

The Cabinet Office has no record of any civil servants in the Department being disciplined in the latest 12 month period for plagiarism or making false statements on a CV when applying for a job.

With reference to page 176 of the National Risk Register 2025 and page 180 of the National Risk Register 2023, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the (a) repeal of the Trade Union Act 2016 and (b) Employment Rights Bill on the risk metrics for the National Risk Register 2025 edition.

All risks in the National Risk Register, which is the public-facing version of the internal, classified National Security Risk Assessment (NSRA) are kept under review to ensure that they are the most appropriate scenarios to inform emergency preparedness and resilience activity.

Pursuant to the Answer of 19 November to Question 6094 on Cabinet Office: Civil Servants, for what reason does the Government not publish details of appointments below SCS2 grade.

Approval is required from the Civil Service Commission for any appointment by exception at SCS2 or above. A list of such appointments by exception (SCS2 and above) are published and updated regularly on the Commission’s website. Aggregated data is published on details of appointments by exception below SCS2 grade. There has been no change to these arrangements since the Rt Hon member was a minister in the department.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 August 2024 to Question 1667 on Prime Minister: Special Advisers, whether special advisers who (a) are part of a trade union and (b) not part of a trade union are permitted to go on strike.

Special advisers are employees of their appointing minister's department and as such have the same legal rights as other employees.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2024 to Question 8434 on Prime Minister: Aviation, which (a) company and (b) commercial facility the Government uses to carbon offset its (i) domestic and (ii) international flights for Ministerial air travel.

All travel using the HMG wet-leased A321 aircraft (known as GBNI) is fully offset. This is done at the end of the financial year to correctly reflect the emissions. The Cabinet Office utilises the HMG Crown Commercial Services (CCS) RM6251 Energy Supply Framework with EDF to offset these emissions.

Pursuant to the Answer of 31 October 2024 to Question 8126 on Trade Union Officials: Facilities Agreements, for what reason the public sector trade union facility time data was not published before the end of 2024; and when that data will be published.

The latest public sector trade union facility time data for the year 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 has been published on gov.uk (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/public-sector-trade-union-facility-time-data)

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2025 to Question HL3924 on Brexit, what steps he is taking in response to each of those active infringement proceedings.

We are committed to the full and faithful implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement and fulfilling our international obligations. Disputes are a normal part of a mature relationship with international partners. It is not appropriate to comment on ongoing legal proceedings.

With reference to his Department's guidance entitled The Approvals Process for the Creation of New Arm’s-Length Bodies, published on 15 March 2018, which of the three tests in Chapter 2 the Industrial Strategy Council meets.

The Department for Business and Trade is currently working through the approval process to establish the Industrial Strategy Council as an Arm’s Length Body.

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2025 to Question 22993 on Cabinet Office: Directors, for what reason the declaration of political activity was not published with the announcement of the appointment.

As was the case under the previous administration, the relevant interests of non-executive board members and public appointments will continue to be updated and published bi-annually as part of an established process as set out in the Non-Executive Board Member declaration of interests process - GOV.UK. (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/non-executive-board-member-declaration-of-interests-process/non-executive-board-member-declaration-of-interests-process)

If he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his Department’s policies of the recent Employment Tribunal settlement between Mrs Eleanor Frances versus the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology.

As a Civil Service Department, the Cabinet Office’s policy in this area is aligned with the Government People Group’s Civil Service model policy. As such, the Cabinet Office policy will be revised in due course to reflect planned updates to the model policy and guidance, which is currently under review.

Pursuant to the Answer of 11 December 2024 to Question 6093 on Civil Servants: Recruitment, what is the process by which a Minister can request a department (a) appoint and (b) consider appointing a specific individual to the Civil Service without open and fair competition.

The Commission’s Recruitment Principles allow for specific time-limited ‘Exceptions’ to the legal requirement to recruit on merit on the basis of a fair and open competition. Appointment by exception must be either to meet the needs of the government or to enable the Civil Service to participate in a government employment initiative. In such instances, ministers are important stakeholders in the appointment process. Ministers can also, with agreement from the Civil Service Commission, bring in experts and specialist talent without competition - for up to two years – to meet an urgent business need. In most cases, departments determine the case for an Exception themselves. The Civil Service Commission audits departmental use of exceptions as part of its audit programme. The Commission’s approval is however required for: Any appointment by Exception at Senior Civil Service Pay Band 2Any extension or variation of any fixed-term appointment previously agreed by the Commission at Senior Civil Service Pay Band 2 or aboveThe use of an Exception within 12 months of an earlier Exception for the same individualAny fixed-term appointment by Exception in excess of two years

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 January 2025 to Question 21401 on Public Bodies: Finance, if he will list specific hyperlinks for where this information is published on gov.uk.

The Cabinet Office does not hold a central list of where sponsoring departments publish information regarding public bodies reviews and efficiency savings. Sponsoring departments determine the format, contents, and publishing location of this information.

If he will list (a) each (i) scheme and (ii) programme for the Civil Service Fast Stream and (b) how many people were recruited to the civil service through each in 2024.

There were 15 separate Fast Stream schemes in 2024. The information requested is publicly available within the Fast Stream Annual Report 2024 linked below: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-fast-stream-recruitment-data-2024

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2024 to Question 18670 on DCMS: Official Visits and with reference to the guidance entitled Ministers’ gifts (given and received), travel, hospitality received and meetings with external organisations and individuals, published on 2 April 2024, for what reason data from 1 July to 30 September 2024 was not published by the end of December 2024.

Transparency data for Ministers, Special Advisers and Senior Officials, including for the period of 1 July to 30 September 2024, was published on GOV.UK on 30 January 2025. This data was published alongside the new monthly Register of Ministers' gifts and hospitality, which can be found at the following address - https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/register-of-ministers-gifts-and-hospitality.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2025 to Question 23481 on Government Departments: Directors, what steps his Department is taking to avoid conflicts of interest in relation to consultant lobbyists serving as a non-executive director of a Department.

The interests of non-executive board members and public appointments will continue to be updated and published bi-annually as part of an established process as set out in the Non-Executive Board Member declaration of interests process - GOV.UK. All financial interests and all remunerated outside employment, work, memberships and appointments should be declared. Disclosure requirements and clear conflict of interest policies are detailed in the guidance to support the department in managing any conflicts of interest. These include recusal from relevant matters, limitations on any gifts, transparent lobbying practices and robust mechanisms for ethics enforcement within government.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2025 to Question 24650 on Special Advisers: Pay, what changes were made to special adviser pay policy since October 2024.

The updated pay ranges for Special Advisers will be published in the next Annual Report on Special Advisers, which will include the changes referenced in answer to Question 24650.

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2025 to Question 21390 on Armed Forces: Equality and with reference to the written ministerial statement of 14 May 2024, HCWS464, on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the Civil Service, whether his Department's review of the cost of equality, diversity and inclusion expenditure by civil service organisations in the 2022-23 financial year included the Armed Forces.

The review into Equality, Diversity and Equality (EDI) expenditure carried under the previous administration did not include the Armed Forces.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2025 to Question 23478 on Admiralty House, for what reason the Secretary of State for Defence occupied Admiralty House on a time-limited basis.

As has been the case under successive administrations, the Prime Minister allocates official residences to ministers, either on the grounds of security or to allow them to better perform their official duties.

What discussions the (a) Cabinet Office and (b) 10 Downing Street had with the French Government on the renaming of HMS Agincourt.

The name was proposed by the Royal Navy Ships Names and Badging committee and approved by His Majesty the King.