Written questions by Holden.

In what ways he plans to use funding previously allocated to the Vetting Transformation Programme to improve United Kingdom Security Vetting.

The funding for the Vetting Transformation Programme (VTP) was provided by United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) customers. Prior to the closure of the VTP, investments were made in digital system enhancements, resulting in increased assurance and improvement in the applicant user journey. Funding not used will be returned to UKSV customers.In line with the practice followed by successive administrations, the Government does not otherwise comment on security matters.

How many business units are in his Department; what the names are of those business units; what their allocated full-time equivalent headcounts were for each month in 2024-25; and what their actual headcounts were for each month in 2024-25.

The information you requested can be found from the quarterly transparency publication on Cabinet Office structure which can be found via the following link: Organogram of Staff Roles & Salaries - data.gov.uk

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 February 2025 to Question 29146 on Department for Work and Pensions: Equality, if she will list (a) each item of expenditure on (i) specific equality and diversity training needs and (ii) external memberships and (b) the titles of any training courses undertaken by her staff in relation to equality and diversity-related training in the 2023-24 financial year.

DWP is committed to being an inclusive employer with a workforce that is representative of the communities and customers we serve. To support with these commitments, we have invested a total of £69,198 in supporting our employees with specific equality and diversity related external memberships and training within the 2023-2024 financial year, the breakdown of which is below: DWP EDI Expenditure Breakdown (including external memberships and accreditations) FY 23/24 a:gender 22/23 funding contribution£19715BITC Race Membership£13000Employer for Carers membership£2500Membership Renewal for PurpleSpace£950Renewal of the Business Disability Forum Subscription 2023 – 2024£20500The Social Mobility Foundation Employer Index contribution£1000UK VAT - UK VAT£11533TOTAL£69198 In addition, the DWP Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) internal e-learning module is mandatory for all new starters during their induction and aims to increase important knowledge of the PSED legal duties incumbent on colleagues both at an individual level and DWP at a collective level. All new starters are also required to complete Civil Service Expectations training. This learning helps colleagues understand the behaviours expected of all Civil Servants and summarises the legislation that informs our work, policy and services for citizens. It is mandatory learning for all new Civil Servants at all grades. There are no associated costs for this training.

With reference to his Department's press release on making the state more like a start up, published on 9 December 2024, what his target is for the number of secondments; and over what time period.

Secondments into the Civil Service from other sectors are encouraged as a means of bringing in individuals from outside the Civil Service to contribute to the work of Government by sharing critical capabilities and innovative thinking for a set period of time. All departments, functions, and professions have been encouraged to embed secondments as a key part of their resourcing strategies. The Test, Learn and Grow Programme, will use an inward secondment programme for public service delivery experts working near the frontline to help drive public service reform in their field. The scheme will be flexible in terms of duration and location, and specifically for those with experience relevant to the public service reform project. We do not have a specific target for the number of secondments over the course of the programme.

With reference to the consultation entitled UK Green Taxonomy, published on 13 November 2024, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of a green taxonomy on trends in the level of divestment in the defence sector.

The proposed green taxonomy aims to promote market integrity and transparency, and mobilise further investment to help the UK achieve its sustainability goals. This Government has been clear that we see no conflict between sustainable investment and investment in our world-leading defence sector, of which we are rightly proud. The Defence Industrial Strategy Statement of Intent, published in December 2024, identified the ‘crowding-in’ of private sector investment as critical to the Government’s agenda to grow our economy and strengthen our nation’s defences. The Trade Association ADS recently released their first defence Environment, Social and Governance Charter Report, highlighting the positive contribution that the defence industry is making to supporting our environment and our communities.

With reference to the transparency data entitled Rt hon. Sir Keir Starmer KCB KC MP and Rt hon. Rishi Sunak MP official charity receptions, July to September 2024, updated on 30 January 2025, if he will publish the (a) names and (b) organisations of people who attended the (a) business reception on 23 July, (b) missions receptions on 27 July and (c) London Fashion Week reception on 16 September.

As under previous administrations, details of official receptions are published in quarterly transparency returns on gov.uk.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 February 2025 to Question 29025 on Department for Work and Pensions: Political Impartiality, what her Department's timetable is for the conclusion of the local investigation into political campaigning during the Rochdale by-election in 2024.

The DWP will not comment further on matters pertaining to individual members of staff.

Pursuant to the Answers of 14 January and 20 February 2025 to Questions 22185 and 30473 on Prime Minister: Furniture and Prime Minister: Press Conferences, for what reason a Labour Party lectern was used at the Plan for Change event; and whether the Labour Party was involved with the organisation of that event.

This was an official government event organised by officials and special advisors, as has been the case under successive administrations and in line with the relevant guidance. The lectern was loaned by the Labour Party.

Pursuant to the Answer of 19 February 2025 to Question 30700 on Department for Business and Trade: Staff, how many officials in his Department worked in roles relating to international trade in each year since its creation.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) operates a flexible resourcing model to support for matters relating to international trade, and not every employee in scope solely supports this function, full time. DBT defines the scope of this question to be employees whose primary profession has been recorded as “International Trade".Statistics are available from the DBT Annual Civil Service Employment Survey and are published on Gov.uk.The DBT was created in 2023, and official professions data specific to this department is only available from the 2024 survey. The figure provided includes payroll domestic, and UK based overseas staff in-post in DBT on 31 March 2024.Professions data prior to 2024 was provided by DBTs predecessors, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Department for International Trade. This data is readily available on Gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/civil-service-statisticsPublication YearHeadcount20241550

With reference to the document entitled Cabinet Office: The Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer KCB KC MP Gifts - 5 July to 31 October 2024, published on 19 February 2025, on what date the Prime Minister purchased the Taylor Swift merchandise he was given by Universal Music Operations Ltd.

Gifts and hospitality declarations are made in line with guidance in the Ministerial Code.

What (a) restoration, (b) renovation and (c) building works are currently taking place at No. (i) 10, (ii) 11 and (iii) 12 Downing Street.

A repair project is underway to preserve the integrity of this Grade 1 listed building. This followed a survey in December 2023 which indicated that work must be completed for safety reasons, with the work commencing in January 2024. Repair of exterior window frames will be undertaken at the same time.

Pursuant to the Answer of 26 November 2024 to Question 14635 on Prime Minister: Official Gifts, if he will list the gifts and hospitality received by the Prime Minister within the remit of the Ministerial Code regime that was subsequently repaid or returned, broken down by (a) the nature of each gift or hospitality donated, (b) value, (c) donor, (d) date accepted and (e) date returned or reimbursed since 4 July 2024, excluding gifts where the Prime Minister made a payment to the department to purchase the gift.

Any hospitality or gifts received by Ministers in their ministerial capacity is declared in accordance with the Ministerial Code. The Cabinet Office publishes details of ministers’ hospitality and gifts on a monthly basis. Hospitality and gifts received by ministers in a non-ministerial capacity are published on the parliamentary registers in line with the parliamentary codes of conduct.

Pursuant to the Answer of (a) 26 November 2024 to Question 14635 on Prime Minister: Official Gifts and (b) 21 January 2025 to Question 24487 on Members' Interests, where the Register of Members’ Financial Interests lists repaid or returned gifts and hospitality received by the Prime Minister.

Any hospitality or gifts received by Ministers in their ministerial capacity is declared in accordance with the Ministerial Code. The Cabinet Office publishes details of ministers’ hospitality and gifts on a monthly basis. Hospitality and gifts received by ministers in a non-ministerial capacity are published on the parliamentary registers in line with the parliamentary codes of conduct.

Whether his Department has agreed a data protection agreement between the Cabinet Office and the Labour Party.

Discussions on a data protection agreement between the Cabinet Office and the Labour Party are in progress.

When 10 Downing Street cleaners are due to strike; and whether temporary cover will be organised for the Prime Minister’s (a) offices and (b) residence during the strike action.

The PCS trade union is in dispute with ISS and G4S. As is longstanding practice, the Government does not provide an ongoing commentary on industrial disputes.

Whether he plans to ensure that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency uses (a) placenta-on-a-chip and (b) other modern test methods in drug testing.

In the development of new medicines, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) does not, itself, carry out experimental studies. Its role is to review reports of studies supplied by drug developers characterising safety and potential efficacy of the drug; these can include placenta-on-a chip, or other methods using human cells.To be able to make such judgements, MHRA staff need to maintain and develop their knowledge about modern testing methods and to this end, MHRA staff have contributed to organising and have attended meetings where these methods are discussed. For instance, Agency staff contributed to a multi-stakeholder meeting in London in November 2024 organised in conjunction with the National Council for the 3Rs and with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry for which a publication is now under preparation. MHRA staff will attend the Microphysiological Systems World Summit in Brussels in June 2025, where drug testing methods will be a major topic of discussion.The MHRA’s own laboratory activities include the independent testing of certain biological products, for example, vaccines and anti-toxins, to ensure they meet acceptable standards prior to each batch being released for use. In the small number of products where this work currently relies on use of animals, development of acceptable, validated, alternatives is a major priority; the numbers of animals used in our regulatory science has more than halved in the last 10 years.

How many animals were housed in UK (a) laboratories, (b) breeding centres and (c) universities but not used in scientific procedures in 2023; and how many animals were not used in scientific procedures and euthanised in 2023.

The available data in this area was most recently set out in Annual Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals, Great Britain 2023, published on 11 September 2024. The statistics provide full details on the number of licensed procedures carried out, the species of animals and the purposes for which the procedures have been undertaken. The 2023 Annual Statistics show that 2.68 million scientific procedures involving living animals were carried out in Great Britain in 2023; this is a decrease of 3% on last year and the lowest number since 2001.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring the largest (a) private and (b) public companies to publish a triennial Audit and Assurance Policy mandating them to report (i) internal audit and (ii) other assurance capabilities.

The Government announced that it would publish a draft audit reform and corporate governance bill in the King’s Speech, which is expected to include extending enhanced Public Interest Entity audit requirements to very large private companies. The Government is currently undertaking a review of non-financial reporting and aims to consult later in 2025 on reforms to simplify the UK’s corporate reporting framework. This will provide an opportunity to consider the potential merits of additional reporting requirements like an Audit and Assurance Policy statement. The financial resilience of major suppliers to government, including firms working on infrastructure projects, is monitored on an ongoing basis by the Crown Commercial Service.

What steps he is taking to help resolve issues around the administration of ISG; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring construction firms awarded major public infrastructure projects to have an internal audit function.

The Government announced that it would publish a draft audit reform and corporate governance bill in the King’s Speech, which is expected to include extending enhanced Public Interest Entity audit requirements to very large private companies. The Government is currently undertaking a review of non-financial reporting and aims to consult later in 2025 on reforms to simplify the UK’s corporate reporting framework. This will provide an opportunity to consider the potential merits of additional reporting requirements like an Audit and Assurance Policy statement. The financial resilience of major suppliers to government, including firms working on infrastructure projects, is monitored on an ongoing basis by the Crown Commercial Service.

If she will postpone changes to taxation to double-cab pick-up trucks for 12 months.

Double Cab Pick Up vehicles (DCPUs) have been treated as goods vehicles for tax purposes, rather than cars. Following a judgement by the Court of Appeal, Double Cab Pick Ups must be treated as cars, rather than goods vehicles, for certain tax purposes, based on their primary suitability.The government has no plans to legislate to treat DCPUs as goods vehicles as this would depart from the broader principles underpinning the Court of Appeal’s judgement, and be a significant tax break worth hundreds of millions per year. The transitional arrangements mean that this will not affect the capital allowances treatment of any business that already owns a DCPU, or that purchases one before April 2025; and businesses that purchase a DCPU after this date will still be able to deduct the cost from their taxable profits at 18% or 6% per year. Under the transitional arrangements for Benefit-in-Kind, anyone who has accessed a DCPU before April 2025 will not be impacted until the sooner of disposal of the vehicle, April 2029 or when their lease expires. The Government has no plans to legislate to postpone the changes. However, there are alternatives to DCPUs (such as Single Cab Pick Ups) that are still treated as goods vehicles.