Written questions by Lowe.

Whether any procurement contracts over £1 million were awarded without competitive tender in the last two years.

Details of central government contracts above £12,000 for procurements commenced before 24 February 2025 are published on Contracts Finder (https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder). Contracts procured under the Procurement Act 2023 above £12,000 inc VAT are published on the Central Digital Platform Find a Tender service (https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Search). The details published online include whether each contract was let through competitive tendering.

How many and what proportion of civil servants work from home for more than 80% of their contracted hours.

This information is not held centrally. Decisions on terms and conditions of employment, including flexible working arrangements, are made by the employing department. Heads of departments have agreed that 60% minimum office attendance for most staff continues to be the best balance of working for the Civil Service. Data on Civil Service Headquarters (HQ) occupancy is collected and published quarterly on GOV.UK for all HQ buildings of Whitehall Departments, Office for Scotland, Office for Wales and Northern Ireland Office. Data for the latest period for which data is available can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-hq-occupancy-data

How many and what proportion of freedom of information requests made to her Department have exceeded the statutory deadline in the past year.

The Home Office’s Freedom of Information (FOI) performance data, including request volumes and timeliness, is published quarterly and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-foi-statistics

What the total value was of fraud detected across NHS procurement systems in each year since 2020.

The following table shows the value of the procurement fraud detected in the National Health Service in England for each of the last five years:YearProcurement fraud detected2020/21£9,100,0002021/22£9,300,0002022/23£3,200,0002023/24£5,800,0002024/25£3,000,000Source: the data is derived from the NHS related Consolidated Data Return. Notes:the table details the financial value of fraud detected in each financial year where the fraud area matches Cabinet Office fraud taxonomy where procurement is referenced; andfigures shown in this table are gross losses that do not include monies subsequently recovered as a result of loss recovery activity.

What the total value is of (a) unused and (b) expired PPE stock held by the NHS.

Data on personal protective equipment (PPE) items held in storage within individual National Health Service trusts is not held centrally. As of 16 June 2025, PPE items with a value of £24,496,465 are being held in storage by NHS Supply Chain for sale to NHS trusts. This stock is all in date. The programme to dispose of excess COVID-19 related PPE concluded in January 2025. Some excess stock was used to replenish the Department’s pandemic PPE stockpile, where possible and appropriate, based on anticipated PPE requirements during a pandemic. The value of in-date PPE held in the Department’s Pandemic Preparedness stockpile by NHS Supply Chain as of 16 June 2025 is £172,923,563. The value of expired PPE held in the Pandemic Preparedness stockpile is £12,514,945, pending replacement and disposal. Dynamic stockpiling will be the default for any new PPE we buy for the pandemic stockpile. Stockpiled PPE is being sold for use in the NHS wherever possible, before it expires. This represents better value for money by reducing costs for storage, procurement of new products, and disposal of expired products, as well as reducing waste.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much their Department has spent on (a) translation and (b) interpretation for languages other than (i) British Sign Language and (ii) languages native to the UK for people contacting (A) their Department and (B) its agencies in 2025.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spent around £215,000 on direct, external Interpreter and Translator costs, for the financial year 2024-25. Indirect Interpreter and Translator costs (for example, staff time, particularly where translation or interpreter type activities is not their primary role) are not included in this figure.The information required to delineate between Interpreter and Translator spend, as well as to which language spend pertains, is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

How much their Department has spent on (a) translation and (b) interpretation for languages other than (i) British Sign Language and (ii) languages native to the UK for people contacting (A) their Department and (B) its agencies in 2025.

In 2025 HMT has spent the following amounts against each category requested; (a) £0(b) (i) £0(b)(ii) £0 For our agencies this information is not held centrally to the required level of detailed needed to answer this question on their behalf.

Communities and Local Government, how much their Department has spent on (a) translation and (b) interpretation for languages other than (i) British Sign Language and (ii) languages native to the UK for people contacting (A) their Department and (B) its agencies in 2025.

MHCLG spent £59,064.46 on translation and interpretation services in FY24/25, excluding the languages specified in the question. MHCLG does not report on translation and interpretation separately. MHCLG does not pay for these costs for any of its agencies. Language service needs and spend are assessed to ensure these services offer good value for money for taxpayers while maintaining high standards of service delivery.

How much their Department has spent on (a) translation and (b) interpretation for languages other than (i) British Sign Language and (ii) languages native to the UK for people contacting (A) their Department and (B) its agencies in 2025.

In 2025 so far, within the stipulations, there has been spent on: (a) Translation = £470,542.73(b) Interpretation = £3,248,467.21 Language service needs and spend are assessed to ensure these services offer good value for money for taxpayers while maintaining high standards of service delivery.

How much their Department has spent on (a) translation and (b) interpretation for languages other than (i) British Sign Language and (ii) languages native to the UK for people contacting (A) their Department and (B) its agencies in 2025.

The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

Media and Sport, how much their Department has spent on (a) translation and (b) interpretation for languages other than (i) British Sign Language and (ii) languages native to the UK for people contacting (A) their Department and (B) its agencies in 2025.

DCMS does not hold information to the level of detail requested within its finance system or procurement system.Language service needs and spend are assessed to ensure these services offer good value for money for taxpayers while maintaining high standards of service delivery.

Innovation and Technology, how much their Department has spent on (a) translation and (b) interpretation for languages other than (i) British Sign Language and (ii) languages native to the UK for people contacting (A) their Department and (B) its agencies in 2025.

Language service needs and spend are assessed to ensure these services offer good value for money for taxpayers while maintaining high standards of service delivery. However, no contracts have been awarded for the core department in 2025.

How much their Department has spent on (a) translation and (b) interpretation for languages other than (i) British Sign Language and (ii) languages native to the UK for people contacting (A) their Department and (B) its agencies in 2025.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero does not record this data in a way in which we can determine what proportion of the spend on translation services in 2025 so far was for services other than (i) British Sign Language and (ii) languages native to the UK.

How much their Department has spent on (a) translation and (b) interpretation for languages other than (i) British Sign Language and (ii) languages native to the UK for people contacting (A) their Department and (B) its agencies in 2025.

The Department and its agencies have spent £298,446.92 on translation and interpretation costs in 2025 (this covers the period from 1st January 2025 to 31st May 2025). The table below outlines the split of costs between the Department and each Agency. It should be noted that information is not held at the level requested.AreaTranslation and Interpretation costsDfTc£196,794.16DVSA£86,581DVLA£12,218.31MCA£2,853.45VCA£0ATE£0Total£298,446.92

How much their Department has spent on (a) translation and (b) interpretation for languages other than (i) British Sign Language and (ii) languages native to the UK for people contacting (A) their Department and (B) its agencies in 2025.

The Department for Business and Trade does not record the costs for translation and interpretation at this level of detail. We can confirm the Department for Business and Trade spent £58,149.01 on translation services from 1 January 2025 – 27 June 2025. As the department for economic growth, we support businesses to invest, grow and export, creating jobs and opportunities across the country. This figure includes providing translation services and also where the Department required translations or interpreters. DBT employ teams based in priority markets around the world and those teams often use local language skills to help UK businesses access opportunities to export their goods and services globally. Likewise, they will use local language skills to promote the UK to a global audience, and in particular to attract high value investment to the UK. Language service needs and spend are assessed to ensure these services offer good value for money for taxpayers while maintaining high standards of service delivery.

How much their Department has spent on (a) translation and (b) interpretation for languages other than (i) British Sign Language and (ii) languages native to the UK for people contacting (A) their Department and (B) its agencies in 2025.

The Ministry of Justice has a statutory duty to provide language services to enable access to justice for users for whom English is not their first language and those who require visual and tactile services, under the provisions of the Equality Act.Language service needs and spend are assessed to ensure these services offer good value for money for taxpayers while maintaining high standards of service delivery.The total cost of translation and interpretation services in FY24/25 was £30,208,228.05, excluding British Sign Language and the Welsh language.To support the answer to part b, the below tables show the split per contract and per commissioning body for FY 24/25. These tables include interpretation and translation services only.Lot 1 Contract (Face to Face)Excludes: EnglishCommissioning Body Total FY 24/25 HM Courts and Tribunals Service£25,921,301.19The Probation Service£1,116,839.04Crown Prosecution Service£316,223.31Cafcass£241,885.26HM Prison Service£105,849.83Legal Aid Agency£77,950.08Office of the Public Guardian£3,510.95HM Inspectorate of Prisons£815.90Official Solicitor and Public Trustee£189.34Prisons and Probation Ombudsman£329.20Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority£50.65Total £27,784,944.75Translation & Transcription ContractExcludes Language pairs:English (United Kingdom) > Welsh (United Kingdom)Welsh (United Kingdom) > English (United Kingdom)English (United Kingdom) > English (United Kingdom)Commissioning Body Total FY 24/25 HM Prison Service£1,485,869.95Official Solicitor and Public Trustee£284,540.39The Probation Service£280,647.57Crown Prosecution Service£143,853.76Cafcass£116,820.56HM Courts and Tribunals Service£64,112.15Independent Monitoring Authority£6,057.43HQ£4,012.18Office of the Public Guardian£6,496.96Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority£1,095.89Prisons and Probation Ombudsman£24,431.67HMIPEW£3,479.31Independent Monitoring Board£270.13Legal Aid Agency£11.56Parole Board£1,382.34HM Inspectorate of Prisons£201.45Total £2,423,283.30

How much their Department has spent on (a) translation and (b) interpretation for languages other than (i) British Sign Language and (ii) languages native to the UK for people contacting (A) their Department and (B) its agencies in 2025.

The Department’s expenditure with external suppliers of translation or interpretation services for the 2025 calendar year to date was £7,196, excluding British Sign Language expenditure. In addition, there was no expenditure for languages native to the United Kingdom. This was expenditure mainly for providing accessible, easy to understand versions of technical and legal documents for patients and the public, commissioned by different directorates within the Department.

Food and Rural Affairs, how much their Department has spent on (a) translation and (b) interpretation for languages other than (i) British Sign Language and (ii) languages native to the UK for people contacting (A) their Department and (B) its agencies in 2025.

The amount of expenditure recorded for translation services in the 2023/24 financial year, which runs from 1 April to 31 March, is £1,699.13.

How much their Department has spent on (a) translation and (b) interpretation for languages other than (i) British Sign Language and (ii) languages native to the UK for people contacting (A) their Department and (B) its agencies in 2025.

The total cost incurred by the department in providing translation services, other than British Sign Language and languages native to the UK, is £180.Language service needs and spend are assessed to ensure these services offer good value for money for taxpayers while maintaining high standards of service delivery.

How much their Department has spent on (a) translation and (b) interpretation for languages other than (i) British Sign Language and (ii) languages native to the UK for people contacting (A) their Department and (B) its agencies in 2025.

The Department has spent on (a) translation and (b) interpretation (excluding Arm’s Length Bodies) £27,611,694.85 ex VAT in FY24/25 Excluding (i) British Sign Language and (ii) languages native to the UK for people contacting the Department has spent on (a) translation and (b) interpretation (excluding Arm’s Length Bodies) £27,596,855.85 ex VAT in FY24/25. Within Strategic Command, the Permanent Joint Headquarters has an ongoing requirement for interpreters and written translation services to support operational activity overseas and in the UK. Within the contract, over 99% of the value is spent on interpreters who support training and Headquarters activity. Estimated Annual spend against this contract is £30 million.