Written questions by Holden.

What steps he is taking to support dementia-friendly adaptations in pubs and hospitality venues.

We want people with dementia to live well and remain independent for as long as possible in their communities.Through the Dementia Friendly Communities programme, we are making society more inclusive, with communities and organisations committing to support people to continue to do the things they want to do, including going to the pub or attending hospitality venues, for as long as possible.For example, we continue to support initiatives, such as the Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Support initiative, which link people, their families, and carers with local support services.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 May 2025 to Question 48551 on Trade Union Recognition, what criteria he will use to assess whether to lower the recognition threshold.

The Government will consider what criteria to assess whether to lower the recognition threshold in due course, including through the public consultation process.

Pursuant to the Answer of 30 April 2025 to Question 47817 on Ministry of Justice: Equality, if she will publish all documentation associated with the training on creating inclusive virtual teams.

Training materials associated with the Ministry of Justice’s course Creating Inclusive Virtual Teams are subject to copyright and confidentiality considerations.The documentation includes proprietary material provided by third-party training providers under licence and therefore cannot be published in full.

Further to the Answer of 20 May 2025 to Question 51956 on 10 Downing Street: Energy Performance Certificates, (a) what steps have been taken to date and (b) what steps are planned for the future.

10-12 Downing Street is a listed building. The building’s Display Energy Certificate (DEC) shows the building’s energy performance operational rating at C which is above average for a building of this type. Recent energy reduction measures include thermal insulation and installation of low energy lighting.

Pursuant to the Answer of 18 November 2024 to Question 13435 on Military Aircraft: Helicopters, whether there are non-routine circumstances in which (a) Ministers, (b) senior officials and (c) senior members of the armed forces remain eligible to use military helicopters for official travel.

Ministry of Defence policy allows for senior leader use of military helicopters in emergency circumstances, linked to matters of immediate national security only.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the proposed deal with Mauritius on the Chagos Islands amends the status of (a) the waters of the British Indian Ocean Territory's Water and (b) the Blue Belt Programme.

The agreement will be supported by an enhanced partnership between the UK and Mauritius on conservation. This partnership will prioritise high conservation standards, with the UK supporting Mauritius' ambitions to establish a Marine Protected Area (MPA) that protects the globally significant ecosystems in the Chagos Archipelago.

With reference to the press release of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament of 1 May 2025, whether he plans to re-locate the Committee's secretariat to outside the Cabinet Office.

We are engaging constructively with the Intelligence and Security Committee and will continue to do so over the coming months.

Pursuant to the Answer of 1 May 2025 to Question 47348 on Conditions of Employment, what comparative estimate he has made of the workload of the (a) Fair Work Agency and (b) existing bodies being merged into Fair Work Agency.

The Fair Work Agency will take over responsibility for the labour market enforcement currently undertaken by the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority and HMRC’s National Minimum Wage team. It will also, in time, take on enforcing additional rights such as holiday pay and sick pay. The specific legislation the Fair Work Agency will enforce is set out in Part 1 of Schedule 7 of the Employment Rights Bill.More detail will be provided around the details of how the Fair Work Agency will operate including workload and funding in due course.

Media and Sport, what her planned timetable is for future public appointment competitions for the Charity Commission when existing terms expire.

Preparations are currently being made to launch the process to appoint a new Chair of the Charity Commission for England and Wales and the role will be advertised on gov.uk in due course. This will be a fair and open process, run in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

Whether the Prime Minister has scheduled a meeting with the Intelligence and Security Committee.

The Prime Minister has written to the Intelligence and Security Committee inviting members to a meeting at 10 Downing Street. Cabinet Office officials are working with the Office of the Intelligence and Security Committee to arrange a suitable date.

Whether the Government has amended its risk assessment criteria for foreign-state linked acquisition companies under the National Security and Investment Act since 5 July 2024.

Transparency is a crucial part of the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act 2021, whilst also balancing commercial and national security considerations. Information related to publication of final orders is available on GOV.UK. The government also publishes annual reports to provide information about the transactions that it has been notified about and those it subsequently called in for a national security assessment. Extensive guidance is available on GOV.UK to help those interested understand how they may be affected by the Act, including the NSI Section 3 Statement, which sets out how the government expects to exercise its call-in power under the NSI regime. Decisions made under the Act may be subject to judicial review. By providing businesses and investors with legally defined timelines and processes for decisions on acquisitions, the Act seeks to protect the UK’s national security whilst giving businesses the certainty they need to invest and help to grow the economy. We keep the NSI Act under regular review to ensure it is working effectively.

What steps his Department has taken to improve transparency in the decision making process for foreign acquisitions of UK firms under the National Security and Investment Act 2021.

Transparency is a crucial part of the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act 2021, whilst also balancing commercial and national security considerations. Information related to publication of final orders is available on GOV.UK. The government also publishes annual reports to provide information about the transactions that it has been notified about and those it subsequently called in for a national security assessment. Extensive guidance is available on GOV.UK to help those interested understand how they may be affected by the Act, including the NSI Section 3 Statement, which sets out how the government expects to exercise its call-in power under the NSI regime. Decisions made under the Act may be subject to judicial review. By providing businesses and investors with legally defined timelines and processes for decisions on acquisitions, the Act seeks to protect the UK’s national security whilst giving businesses the certainty they need to invest and help to grow the economy. We keep the NSI Act under regular review to ensure it is working effectively.

Pursuant to the Answer of 10 October 2024 to Question 5278 on Cabinet Office: Departmental responsibilities, whether he plans any further changes.

Any such changes would be announced in the normal way.

Whether his Department plans to expand the methods by which UK companies can appeal decisions made by the Government under the powers of the National Security and Investment Act 2021.

Transparency is a crucial part of the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act 2021, whilst also balancing commercial and national security considerations. Information related to publication of final orders is available on GOV.UK. The government also publishes annual reports to provide information about the transactions that it has been notified about and those it subsequently called in for a national security assessment. Extensive guidance is available on GOV.UK to help those interested understand how they may be affected by the Act, including the NSI Section 3 Statement, which sets out how the government expects to exercise its call-in power under the NSI regime. Decisions made under the Act may be subject to judicial review. By providing businesses and investors with legally defined timelines and processes for decisions on acquisitions, the Act seeks to protect the UK’s national security whilst giving businesses the certainty they need to invest and help to grow the economy. We keep the NSI Act under regular review to ensure it is working effectively.

Whether he plans to establish a Social Value Council.

The Government is determined to ensure the £385 billion of public money spent on public procurement annually delivers economic growth, supports small businesses, champions innovation, creates good jobs and skills opportunities across the country, and maximises social value. To build on progress made to date and the Government’s new National Procurement Policy Statement, we will consult with stakeholders on further reforms to public procurement to drive economic growth.

Pursuant to the Answer of 6 May 2025 to Question 48180 on 10 Downing Street: Flags, whether (a) Downing Street and (b) the Government Property Agency own a NATO flag.

Yes. NATO is the cornerstone of our security and our commitment to the alliance is unshakeable. As a founding signatory, the UK plays a leading role, having contributed to every NATO mission. By increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, we will continue to strengthen our capabilities and contribution to NATO. To mark NATO Day, the NATO Flag was flown above the FCDO and above the MoD Main Building on 4th April 2025.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 May 2025 to Question 48564 on Advisory Committee on Business Appointments and House of Lords Appointments Commission, what his planned timetable is for the recruitment of permanent members to those bodies.

Ministers are considering the next steps for the recruitment of a permanent Chair to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments and for the recruitment of independent members to the House of Lords Appointments Commission. Updates on these campaigns will be made in due course.

How many properties owned by central Government are unoccupied according to information held by (a) the Government Property Agency and (b) the Electronic Property Information Mapping Service; and what the address is of each of these properties.

The Cabinet Office, through the Office of Government Property (OGP), does not centrally collect data on whether individual properties owned by central government departments are entirely unoccupied. InSite, the system that replaced the legacy ePIMS (Electronic Property Information Mapping Service), allows departments to record floor space as vacant, but this does not confirm whether an entire property is unoccupied. InSite does not hold a central record of wholly unoccupied properties or their addresses. Figures on vacant space across the government estate, aggregated from departmental submissions, are published annually in the State of the Estate report. This includes total square metre figures by department, but not individual property-level occupancy or address data.

Pursuant to the Answer of 10 April 2025 to Question 42045 on Cabinet Office: Buildings, what the condition is of the building at 36 Whitehall.

36 Whitehall requires major repairs to bring back into use. Options for the future use of the building continue to be discussed as part of plans for the Government’s London office estate, with any final decisions being made as part of the ongoing Spending Review process.

With reference to the Answer of 10 April 2025 to Question HL6032 on Arms Length Bodies, what the target date is for each of the proposed public bodies to be operational.

Individual departments are responsible for completion of the approval process and any necessary legislation for proposed arm’s-length bodies (ALBs) to become operational. The Cabinet Office does not collect projected launch dates for new bodies.