Written questions by Holden.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2025 to Question 31991 on Public Expenditure, what the proportional target for savings and efficiencies is the 2024-25 financial year is; what the baseline year is for the five per cent target; and whether the five per cent target is before the previous two per cent reduction.

This Government launched a Spending Review last year which is taking place in two phases. Phase 1 of that review concluded last October with departments expected to identify savings and efficiencies of 2% for 2025-26. Phase 2 of the review will conclude this June. As part of this the Chancellor of the Exchequer has set all departments targets of identifying at least 5% savings and efficiencies by 2028-29, using 2025-26 budgets as the baseline.

Whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to permit outdoor religious weddings.

The Law Commission’s 2022 report on weddings raises a number of issues around weddings law, including giving greater choice in how and where individuals can get married.Given marriage will always be one of our most important institutions, it is right that we take the time to carefully consider this report before we set out our position on weddings reform in the coming months.

What the budget will be of the Fair Work Agency; and what the budget is of the (a) Gangmaster and Labour Abuse Authority, (b) Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate and (c) Director of Labour Market Enforcement.

Establishing the Fair Work Agency will create a strong, recognisable single brand so individuals know where to go for help and lead to a more effective use of resources.We are working closely with partners to ensure that the Fair Work Agency will support employers, workers, and unions to get Britain moving forward.We are committed to ensuring that the Fair Work Agency is established on a sound finacial footing and operates effectively in fulfilling its mandate. Detailed annual budgets for the proposed Fair Work Agency are currently under development and will be communicated in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2025 to Question 32970 on Government Departments: Consultants, how the baseline for the communication and marketing spending reductions were calculated; and what the baseline aggregate figure is.

The baseline for communication and marketing spending reductions was calculated using the planned spend figures submitted by departments to the Cabinet Office as part of the advertising, marketing and communications spending control process. As a result, Autumn Budget 2024 confirmed an £85 million saving from reducing unnecessary communications spend in 2024-25 and up to £96m in 2025-26 – exceeding the £50 million target set out in the Chancellor's July 2024 Inheritance speech.

Pursuant to the Answer of 6 January 2025 to Question 20702 on Foreign Investment in UK: National Security, if his Department will modify the National Security and Investment Act 2021 annual reporting to ensure a separate categorisation for sectors grouped within Artificial Intelligence.

Transparency is a crucial part of the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act, whilst also balancing commercial and national security considerations. Sectors are reported in line with definitions presented in the Notifiable Acquisition (Specification of Qualifying Entities) Regulations 2021. Acquisitions are often associated with multiple areas of the economy. Information is only gathered at the sector level as the Act does not define more granular areas of the economy.

Pursuant to the Answer of 6 January 2025 to Question 20698 on Foreign Investment in UK: National Security, if his Department will modify the National Security and Investment Act 2021 annual reporting to include the (a) number and (b) nature of transactions that relate to links to a company owned in (i) part and (ii) whole by a foreign state.

Transparency is a crucial part of the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act, whilst also balancing commercial and national security considerations. By publishing information on the origin of acquirer associated with acquisitions reviewed under the National Security and Investment Act 2021, the Cabinet Office goes beyond its obligations under Section 61 of the Act, providing greater transparency on the nature of acquisitions scrutinised. The reports do not specifically include the number or proportion of transactions that relate to links to a company owned in (a) part or (b) whole by a foreign state, however, they include the number of accepted notifications, call-in notices issued, final notifications issued, withdrawals from a called in acquisition and final orders issued by origin of investment. Information related to publication of final orders is available on GOV.UK and includes the named Parties subject to the final order.

Whether the previous Cabinet Secretary has received approvals from the Advisory Commission on Business Appointments.

In accordance with the Business Appointment Rules, former Cabinet Secretaries are obliged to submit applications to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments for new appointments or employment that they wish to accept during the two year period following their final day of service.The timing of the publication of advice is for ACOBA, who are operationally independent of the Cabinet Office.

How many civil servants jobs the Government plans to remove in this Parliament.

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has made public commitments to a smaller centre of government. The Government is taking forward a number of measures to deliver greater efficiency and transformation in the Civil Service, including setting an admin spend reduction target. Each department will take a decision on its individual size and shape as per the financial settlement it agrees with HMT in the Spending Review, due for conclusion in June 2025.

Whether his Department has a log of the exemptions permitted to the guidance on Civil Service equality, diversity and inclusion expenditure for (a) departments and (b) arm’s length bodies.

Yes, a log of exemptions which have been reported to the Cabinet Office is held. This relates to exemptions reported by Civil Service organisations only.

Whether decisions on Civil Service equality, diversity and inclusion expenditure will be published in Departmental annual reports; and whether his Department has had discussions with Departmental accounting officers on this matter.

Due to the timing of the publication of the EDI Expenditure Guidance, reporting external equality, diversity and inclusion spend in Annual Reporting Accounts will be possible from the 2025/2026 financial year.

How many arms length bodies have been (a) created and (b) abolished since July 2024.

Please see my previous answer of 8 January 2025. Individual departments are responsible for any proposals to open or close ALBs.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 February 2025 to Question 21386 on Workplace Pensions: Inheritance Tax, what the benefits are of the The Pensions Increase (Pension Scheme for Keir Starmer QC) Regulations 2013; and how those benefits differ from the Judicial Pensions and Retirement Act 1993.

The Pensions Increase (Pension Scheme for Sir Keir Starmer QC) Regulations 2013 only provide for pension increases. The pension scheme to which these regulations relate was made by the then Minister for the Cabinet Office and laid before Parliament on 15 March 2012. The terms of the "Pension Scheme for Keir Starmer QC" are akin to those of the Judicial Pensions and Retirement Act 1993 (JUPRA).

With reference to the letter from the Leader of the House to the Rt hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay of 14 April 2025 on Written Parliamentary Questions, reference LP/MP657, if he will provide a substantive reply to the issues raised.

I have nothing further to add to the letter from the Leader of the House to the Rt Hon Member for Billericay and Basildon.

Pursuant to the answer of 26 March 2025 to Question 39118 on Prime Minister: Press Conferences, what his Department’s policy is on the use of political party (a) fittings and (b) furniture at official government events.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the Ministerial Code and Propriety and Ethics Guidance for Government Communicators, available on gov.uk.

Who appointed each member of the Research Advisory Board of the Committee on Standards in Public Life; what the appointment process was; and on what dates each person was appointed.

The Board is no longer a standing body with formal membership. Former members of the Research Advisory Board were appointed by the Committee’s membership at that time.

Who sits on the Research Advisory Board of the Committee on Standards in Public Life; and whether the list of members has been published.

The Board is no longer a standing body with formal membership. Former members of the Research Advisory Board were appointed by the Committee’s membership at that time.

Whether she plans to review the civil resilience of Heathrow airport.

UK aviation operates in the private sector. Therefore, the resilience and contingency plans in place are the responsibility of the industry. However, we recognise the importance of aviation to critical national infrastructure, and our ability to travel and do business. The Energy Secretary has commissioned an urgent investigation which will help to build a clear picture of the circumstances surrounding the recent incident at Heathrow, and the UK’s energy resilience more broadly, so that it’s prevented from ever happening again. Heathrow Airport has also announced an internal review by Ruth Kelly, former Transport Secretary and an independent member of Heathrow's board. This review will be presented to Heathrow’s board in May.

Pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2025 to Question 37428 on Government Departments: Disclosure of Information, if he will ask the Government Digital Service to develop a website database allowing (a) cumulative and (b) cross-Government transparency data to be (i) searched and (ii) exported.

Government integrity data is already published in a format which can be exported. The government publishes this data in CSV files in an accessible open data format, as per the standard and best practice guidance from the Government Digital Service and Central Digital and Data Office. In addition, since January, data on ministers’ gifts and hospitality has been published in one central register. The government does not have current plans to make any further changes to how this data is published.

For what reason agendas for National Security Council meetings are not available to the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy.

It remains longstanding precedent that information relating to discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its sub-committees, including agendas, are not disclosed. This Government is committed to providing spaces for Ministers to debate freely and frankly in private. This convention applies to engagement with Parliament and Select Committees and the Government routinely rejects requests for this information from other Select Committees. Therefore, whilst this Government is actively pursuing greater transparency with Parliament, this principle of non-disclosure continues to cover this matter.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to the section entitled Gender or sex in the Gov.uk Design System, if he will make it his policy to require the Government Digital Service to use sex rather than gender when requesting information on sex.

The GOV.UK Design System provides guidance and components to departments, so that there is a consistent style and experience for users interacting with government information and services online. This guidance is continually iterated with input from external experts and specialists across government, to help ensure that digital services are inclusive, easy to use and comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty. Following the recent Supreme Court ruling in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers, we will review the Design System’s guidance in line with any changes to the Codes of Practice issued by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).