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 601–620 of 775 · Cabinet Office
Pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2025 to Question 23475 on 10 Downing Street: Shops, which items were manufactured in China; if he will provide a description of each item; and what the retail price is of each items.
Many of the items sold in the 10 Downing Street gift shop are made in the UK. A very small number of items, such as water bottles from a well known British supplier, are made globally, including in China. This was the case under the previous government.
Whether his Department has issued guidance on the publication of declarations of political activity for public appointees.
I refer the Rt Honorable Gentleman to the answer to PQ 25696, answered on 30th January 2025.
Whether any staff in his Department are seconded from the London Borough of Camden.
Secondments are part of a range of ways of bringing talent and experience into the civil service for short periods of time and have been used by successive governments. Secondments are arranged at a business unit level and must follow the processes as set out in the Civil Service Recruitment Principles. Under the Plan for Change, the Cabinet Office is drawing together multi-disciplinary teams across the country including front line public service workers, policy officials and those with digital and data skills to pioneer public service reform.This includes one secondee from the London Borough of Camden.
Pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2025 to Question 26089 on Ministers and Public Appointments, whether that legal advice was sought.
I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 30 January in response to PQ 26089.
Whether the Government has received legal advice on the compatibility of (a) Ministerial and (b) special adviser appointments with section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006.
As is a longstanding practice under successive administrations, Civil Service or legal advice on appointments is treated in confidence.
Pursuant to the Answer of 27 December 2024 to Question 20833 on 10 Downing Street: Art Works, if he will issue a Ministerial Correction with a working weblink to the Government Art Collection works from Downing Street.
The Government Art Collection lists artwork under the search term 'Downing Street' here: https://artcollection.dcms.gov.uk/?s=downing+street&display=artworkonly
If the Prime Minister will ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer to return part of her salary.
No. The Chancellor is paid according to the usual arrangements for ministerial salaries, which are unchanged since the previous government.
What diversity and inclusion (a) days and (b) weeks (i) his Department and (ii) the Office for Equality and Opportunity plans to mark in 2025.
In January, February and March the Carers’ networks are planning coffee drop-in sessions, but these are not linked to any particular days or weeks. We also expect to find appropriate ways to mark external events such as International Women’s Day on 8 March. We currently have no forward look of such events beyond the end of March.
Pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2024 to Question 16512 on Government Communication Service and his Department's statistical bulletin entitled Civil Service Statistics: 2024, last updated August 2024, for what reason the figure of Government communicators differs between the answer provided and the headcount of all civil servants working in the Communications profession listed in the statistical bulletin.
The figures differ due to the different collection methodologies utilised, for example GCS’ data includes a greater number of organisations including public servants, public corporations and the NHS.
Whether the Prime Minister has met members of the 48 Group Club.
Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on gov.uk as part of the government’s transparency agenda.
With reference to his Department's policy document entitled Governance Code on Public Appointments, published on 8 February 2024, whether recruitment competitions for public appointments can be re-opened once closed.
The Governance Code on Public Appointments, which has not changed since the General Election and is publicly available on gov.uk, advises that, as a recruitment competition closes, ministers should be consulted on the quality and diversity of the field and whether a competition should be extended. The Code also allows ministers to reject an Advisory Assessment Panel’s advice following the completion of a competition, and not appoint any candidates recommended to them, and if they desire to re-run a competition.
Pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2024 to Question 12231 on 10 Downing Street: Art Works, if he will list each of the other (a) works of art and (b) portraits that have been removed for restoration.
No further works of art or portraits have been removed for restoration.
What the policy of the Government Property Agency is on (a) retaining or (b) removing gender neutral toilets from the Government Estate, in the context of building regulations on toilets for new and refurbished buildings which came into effect in October 2024.
This policy is currently being reviewed following the launch of ‘Approved Document T: Toilet Accommodation’, including close consultation with MCLHG, the Health and Safety Executive and the Building Safety Regulator.
Whether his Department has issued guidance on whether breaching the Business Appointment Rules is grounds for consideration by the Forfeiture Committee for the revocation of an honour.
Honours, by their very nature, are a form of recognition for creditable actions or service by an individual. The Forfeiture Committee considers cases put to it when the holder of an honour may be deemed to have brought the honours system into disrepute. This might include being found guilty of a criminal offence, behaviour which results in censure by a regulatory or a professional body, or any other behaviour that is deemed to bring the honours system into disrepute. The Cabinet Office provides wide-ranging guidance relating to the handling of potential forfeiture cases to all government departments. Each case is considered individually.
How many (a) people and (b) organisations were sent a hard copy official Christmas card delivered by Royal Mail from (i) the Prime Minister, (ii) the Cabinet Secretary, (iii) the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, (iv) him, (v) the Permanent Secretary of his Department and (vi) the National Security Adviser in 2024.
As was the case with previous Prime Ministers, Christmas cards are sent by the Prime Minister in an official capacity. Christmas cards sent by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and the Minister for the Cabinet Office were sent in their capacity as Members of Parliament and did not make any use of Government resources. Neither the Cabinet Secretary, National Security Adviser, nor the Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Office sent any Christmas Cards in an official capacity.
Pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2024 to Question 14712 on Honours: Public Appointments, what discussions he had with the Commissioner for Public Appointments on the closure and reopening of competitions for appointments to the (a) Community and Voluntary Service, (b) Parliamentary and Political Service and (c) Diversity and Outreach (formerly called Representation and Outreach) honours committees.
The Commissioner for Public Appointment regulates appointments listed on the Order in Council. Honours Committee appointments are not listed on the Order in Council. The Order in Council was last updated in November 2023. As appointments to the Honours Committee are not part of the Commissioner for Public Appointment’s regulatory remit, no discussions took place with the Commissioner regarding the campaigns listed in the question. Even for regulated roles, the decision to close or restart a competition lies with the relevant Minister, and would not require engagement with the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
With reference to the Register of Members' Financial Interests, on what dates he stayed in Lord Alli's accommodation since becoming Prime Minister.
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the Prime Minister's entry in the Register of Members' Financial Interests.
With reference to para 3.3 of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Cabinet Office and the UK Statistics Authority, published on 30 April 2020, and pursuant to the Answer of 7 January 2025 to Question 21345 on Eurostat: Office for National Statistics, whether the Office for National Statistics plans to publish the agreement with Eurostat on statistical cooperation.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 14th January is attached.
Pursuant to the Answer of 28 November 2024 to Question 15191 on Prime Minister: Anacta, where on gov.uk his Department publishes details of special advisers' meetings.
As was the case under the previous administration, details of Cabinet Office special advisers’ meetings with senior media figures are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/special-advisers-transparency-publicationsData for the period of July to September 2024 will be published shortly.
What criteria was used to allocate locations for test-and-learn pilots; and how much funding will be allocated to each local authority.
The pilots were selected due to their potential impact and alignment with a new way of working (Test, Learn and Grow). No funding has been allocated in this initial phase but there is in kind resource from the Government complementing local teams. The Cabinet Office and MHCLG will be working across government and with local partners to co-design the detailed approach to the allocation of the Public Service Reform and Innovation Fund for next financial year. We will partner with the Local Government Association (LGA) on this process.