Written questions by Burghart.

When the Prime Minister plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar dated 29 November 2024.

A response will be sent in due course.

With reference to the press release entitled New partnership between statistical authorities of the UK and the EU, published by the Office for National Statistics on 9 October 2024, if he will publish the agreement between the Office for National Statistics and Eurostat.

On 9 October 2024, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and Eurostat signed an agreement on statistical cooperation. This arrangement is provided for under Article 730 of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The publication of the text is a matter for the UK Statistics Authority, which operates independently as a Non Ministerial Department. I refer the honourable gentleman to Parliamentary Question 13803.

With reference to the press release entitled New partnership between statistical authorities of the UK and the EU, published by the Office for National Statistics on 9 October 2024, whether the agreement with Eurostat was approved by Ministers in his Department.

On 9 October 2024, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and Eurostat signed an agreement on statistical cooperation. This arrangement is provided for under Article 730 of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The publication of the text is a matter for the UK Statistics Authority, which operates independently as a Non Ministerial Department. I refer the honourable gentleman to Parliamentary Question 13803.

Whether members of the Senior Salaries Review Body have made declarations of political activity.

Political party activity is declared by all members of the Senior Salaries Review Body and is publicly available in the Pay Review Body members’ register of interests: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ome-review-body-members-register-of-interests

With reference to the Answer of 18 September 2024 to Question HL835 on Government Departments: Remote Working, whether the Civil Service meets the requirement to attend the office or work face-to-face with colleagues at least 60% of the time.

The Civil Service Headquarters (HQ) Occupancy statistics are published quarterly on GOV.UK.

Whether there is a Framework Agreement between his Department and the Senior Salaries Review Body.

A Framework Agreement between the Cabinet Office and the Senior Salaries Review Body will be finalised in due course.

If he will make it his policy that the Civil Service Commission should be informed of recent political donations from people appointed to the Civil Service by exception.

The Civil Service Commission’s prior approval is required for appointments by exception at SCS PB2 or above. Individual Civil Service departments and organisations have delegated authority to appoint by exception at grades below SCS PB2. For appointments by exception delegated to departments, the department is responsible for both carrying out background checks on individuals who may be appointed, and addressing any potential propriety matters.

Whether his Department has issued guidance on non-contingent labour contracts.

Departments are directed that Contingent labour contracts should only be used in government where better value alternatives are not available and that a justifiable need to use contingent labour has been identified as part of their workforce plans. Cabinet Office manages a spend control for contingent labour for which guidance is set out at gov.uk.

In what circumstances people in receipt of a civil service pension who re-join the civil service are subject to abatement.

The circumstances have not changed since the Rt Hon Gentleman was a Minister in the department, and can be found at https://www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/.

Whether his Department plans to issue Outcome Delivery Plans.

The Government has published its Plan for Change, which sets out clear and ambitious milestones to reach over this Parliament from each of the Government’s national missions. Detail on wider government commitments will continue to be provided by relevant departments.

Whether he plans to publish the civil service EDI dataset.

We are considering the Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Review commissioned by the previous Government.

How many reviews under the National Security and Investment Act 2021 have resulted in the Government requiring companies to take mitigation measures since 5 July 2024.

Transparency is a crucial part of the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act, whilst also balancing commercial and reputational 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. The NSI Annual Report 2023-24 was published on 10 September 2024. The period from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 will be covered in next year’s annual report. The annual reports include the proportion of notifications for each sector, however, cybersecurity falls under the artificial intelligence sector and is not reported separately. 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.

How many referrals to his Department under the National Security and Investment Act 2021 of acquisitions of UK firms in the (a) defence, (b) cybersecurity and (c) AI sectors have resulted in a transaction being (i) modified, (ii) delayed and (iii) blocked since 5 July 2024.

Transparency is a crucial part of the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act, whilst also balancing commercial and reputational 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. The NSI Annual Report 2023-24 was published on 10 September 2024. The period from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 will be covered in next year’s annual report. The annual reports include the proportion of notifications for each sector, however, cybersecurity falls under the artificial intelligence sector and is not reported separately. 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.

If he will publish an updated transparency report on decisions made under the National Security and Investment Act 2021.

Transparency is a crucial part of the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act, whilst also balancing commercial and reputational 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. The NSI Annual Report 2023-24 was published on 10 September 2024. The period from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 will be covered in next year’s annual report. The annual reports include the proportion of notifications for each sector, however, cybersecurity falls under the artificial intelligence sector and is not reported separately. 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.

How many and what proportion of transactions under review under the National Security and Investment Act 2021 relate to links to a company owned in (a) part and (b) whole by a foreign state.

Transparency is a crucial part of the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act, whilst also balancing commercial and reputational 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. The NSI Annual Report 2023-24 was published on 10 September 2024. The period from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 will be covered in next year’s annual report. The annual reports include the proportion of notifications for each sector, however, cybersecurity falls under the artificial intelligence sector and is not reported separately. 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.

How many acquisitions of UK firms in the (a) defence, (b) cybersecurity and (c) AI sectors have been referred to his Department under the National Security and Investment Act 2021 since 5 July 2024.

Transparency is a crucial part of the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act, whilst also balancing commercial and reputational 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. The NSI Annual Report 2023-24 was published on 10 September 2024. The period from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 will be covered in next year’s annual report. The annual reports include the proportion of notifications for each sector, however, cybersecurity falls under the artificial intelligence sector and is not reported separately. 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.

Whether (a) he and (b) the Paymaster General has met the Ulster Farmers Union since the general election.

Details of official meetings held in a ministerial capacity with external organisations or individuals are published quarterly on GOV.UK

Whether senior representatives of Tiktok are classified as as senior media executives for the purposes of gov.uk transparency returns by Ministers, special advisers and senior officials.

Guidance on ministers’, special advisers’, and senior officials’ transparency returns is published on GOV.UK and includes details of who would be considered senior media figures for these purposes.

Whether non-executive director appointments to HM Revenue and Customs are classified as regulated public appointments.

The bodies and offices that are classified as regulated appointments are listed, by department, in Schedules 1 and 2 of the Public Appointments (No. 2) Order in Council 2023. Appointments to the Board of HM Revenue and Customs, as a non-ministerial department, are not classified as regulated public appointments.

If he will publish a list of the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals' sub-committees.

The Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals (known as the HD Committee) has one sub-committee, the Advisory Military Sub-Committee. The terms of reference for this committee can be found on gov.uk.