Written questions by Burghart.

With reference to the consultation paper on Digital ID, published on 10 March 2026, CP1498, which company will be administering the People’s Panel for Digital ID; and what cost the cost will be.

We need to make sure digital ID works for everyone, and that’s why we’re establishing a People’s Panel on digital ID, which brings together a diverse group of people - selected to be broadly representative of the population of the UK - to consider different perspectives and debate trade-offs. The People’s Panel will cost approximately £630,000 This will be covered under a pre-existing contract with Ipsos, which is the primary vendor, signed in March 2024. The vendor is a significant long-term government contractor, including under the last administration.

Pursuant to the answer of 2 December 2025 to Question 94697, whether the temporary promotion to the Director General position was made via full and open competition.

As set out in the Recruitment Principles, temporary promotions are an exception to the requirement for fair and open competition.

Whether the Intelligence and Security Committee has authority to publish unredacted information from the Government response to the Humble Address if it disagrees with the Government’s proposed redactions.

I refer you to the Oral Statement on the 23rd February and the Government's statement and release of information on 11th March, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The Government is working to ensure that Parliament’s instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves. The Government continues to work with the Intelligence and Security Committee and is grateful for its assistance on this matter.

Whether the Prime Minister was advised of the letter sent by Lord Glasman to Morgan McSweeney and Paul Ovenden on the appointment of Lord Mandelson as Ambassador to the United States.

I refer the Hon Member to the Government's statement and release of information on 11th March, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The Government is working to ensure that Parliament’s instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.

With reference to paragraph 17 of the Civil Service Recruitment Framework, updated 2022, whether the appointment of a Senior Civil Servant SCS3 (a) on temporary promotion and (b) without open and fair competition requires Ministerial approval.

Appointments of existing civil servants on temporary promotion are internal moves and permissible within fair and open recruitment. Paragraph 17 of the Civil Service Recruitment Framework relates to permanent redeployment moves.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether the (a) sale and (b) marketing of meat-branded products that do not contain meat will be permitted under the proposed sanitary and phytosanitary deal with the EU; and whether other types of product may be banned.

part of the UK-EU SPS Agreement currently being negotiated, the Government is making a sovereign choice in the national interest to align in some areas where it makes sense to do so, as set out in the Government’s recently published announcement on legislation in scope. This includes the marketing standards elements of Regulation (EU) 1308/201, which will apply to GB once the agreement is implemented. The hon. Member refers to the EU’s draft legislation seeking to amend these rules, including proposals to prevent use of meat-related terms for the marketing of products which do not contain meat. This would not prevent these products being sold altogether, only how they are marketed for sale. Defra cannot speculate on what other products may be captured in scope of these proposals as they have not yet been adopted, but the department is monitoring their progress through the EU legislative process.

With reference to the consultation entitled Making public services work for you with your digital identity, of 10 March 2026, CP1498, whether there are circumstances in which private companies would have access to individual citizen’s data for payment of a fee.

The new digital ID system will help to personalise and join up public services. The UK has a strong set of data protection laws that will apply to this system, and robust enforcement of those laws. We won't be watering them down for this system and there are no circumstances in which the Government will sell the public’s digital ID data to private companies.

Pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2025, to Question 22450, on Cabinet Office: Senior Civil Servants, what is the maximum amount of time that a Senior Civil Servant can remain in post on a temporary promotion.

Normally covering a role at a higher grade should not exceed 6 months and be reviewed every 3 months, exceptions would be in line with “lifecycle events” for example maternity leave cover.

Pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2026, to Question 115872, on Peerages, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the removal of Sir Ian Horobin from the peerage in 1962.

Sir Ian Horobin’s life peerage was announced on 29th March 1962 and he subsequently withdrew his acceptance voluntarily before Letters Patent were sealed and dated. His peerage was therefore never created nor subsequently removed. There is no established precedent of the Government withdrawing a peerage nomination after it has been announced.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of enabling announced life peerages to be withdrawn before Letters Patent.

There is no established precedent for withdrawing a peerage nomination after it has been announced.

If she will make an assessment of whether Jeffery Epstein was (a) passing information to the Russian Government and (b) was otherwise compromised by Russian hostile actors.

It would not be appropriate for the Government to comment on matters of intelligence or national security. It is the longstanding policy of government not to comment on such issues.

Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether the Electoral Commission has provided (a) guidance and (b) advice on whether Members’ Associations have to declare political donations, if such income is not used for the three political activity tests for Members’ Associations.

The Electoral Commission’s guidance for regulated donees sets out the requirements on members associations regarding the declaration of political donations.Members associations are required to report all permissible donations received for their use or benefit in connection with any of their political activities with a value of over £11,180, and all impermissible donations over £500. The political activities of a members association include promoting or developing policies for adoption by a party or promoting candidates for internal office within the party.Certain payments and services are not treated as donations, and are exempt from the reporting requirements. A full list of exemptions is available on page 16 of the Commission’s guidance; for example, any donation worth £500 or less, and the provision by an individual of their services voluntarily and in their own time.The Commission also provides ongoing advice to members associations on whether their activities fall within the definition of political activities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to Questions 261-263 of the oral evidence session of the Foreign Affairs Committee entitled Oral evidence: Work of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, HC 385, 3 November 2025, if she will list the specific measures that were put in place with Lord Mandelson in relation to his Global Counsel shares and clients.

I refer the Hon. Member to the Government's response to the Urgent Question tabled on 12 February, the Written Ministerial Statement in the name of the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister that same day, and Oral Statement on the 23 February which set out an update on the Government's process. We will set out further details in due course. The Government wishes to ensure that Parliament's instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.

If he will place a copy in the Library of the most recent guidance on undertaking due diligence for a (a) regulated public appointment, (b) direct ministerial appointment and (c) special adviser.

The requirements to conduct appropriate due diligence for regulated public appointments and direct ministerial appointments are set out in the Governance Code on Public Appointments and the Guidance on Making Direct Ministerial Appointments respectively, both of which are publicly available. The specific due diligence processes undertaken in each case will be those standard processes agreed by the Accounting Officer within each department for all appropriate due diligence undertaken by that department. As with other civil servants, special advisers are subject to pre-employment checks and declaration of relevant interests. This is set out in the Code of Conduct and Model Contract for Special Advisers.

With reference to his oral contribution of 23 February 2026 on Labour Together and APCO Worldwide: Cabinet Office Review, Official Report, Columns 28 and 29, whether the Independent Adviser will consider the conduct of the hon. Member for Makerfield before he became a Minister.

The advice and the exchange of letters between the Prime Minister and Josh Simons MP are on gov.uk.

When the Parliamentary Secretary is scheduled to end her maternity leave.

Satvir Kaur MP was on maternity leave from her role as Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office from 7 September 2025 until 22 February 2026, with a phased return from January 2026.

With reference to his oral contribution of 23 February 2026 on Labour Together and APCO Worldwide: Cabinet Office Review, Official Report, Column 27, if he will place a copy in the Library of the (a) referral letter and (b) terms of reference to the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards.

The Ministerial Code sets out processes for the investigation of alleged breaches of the Code by ministers serving in the Government and is published on gov.uk. Paragraph 2.6a of the Code states: “If there is an allegation about a breach of the Code and the Prime Minister, having consulted the Cabinet Secretary, feels that it warrants further investigation, the Prime Minister may ask the Cabinet Office to investigate the facts of the case and/or refer the matter to the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards”. These processes, and further detail on the role of the Independent Adviser, are also included in the Terms of Reference of the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards, which forms part of the Ministerial Code at Annex A.

Pursuant to his oral contribution of 23 February 2026 on Labour Together and APCO Worldwide: Cabinet Office Review, Official Report, Column 29, whether a Minister can be investigated by the Independent Adviser whilst having their specific Ministerial portfolio temporarily removed.

The Ministerial Code applies to serving Ministers. If a Minister is removed from office, there would be no avenue for the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards to investigate.

Whether the current Cabinet Secretary was appointed from a Reserve List in Merit Order.

The Cabinet Manual sets out that the Cabinet Secretary is appointed directly by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister receives advice from the First Civil Service Commissioner, but is the final decision maker. As set out in the Gov.UK announcement of the Cabinet Secretary appointment, “the Prime Minister and the First Civil Service Commissioner agreed a process to appoint a new Cabinet Secretary”. Once this process was complete, the First Civil Service Commissioner confirmed that “Dame Antonia Romeo is an exceptional candidate of the highest calibre, having run two of the largest operational departments in Government, and confirmed her track record makes her the right candidate for the role”. The PM appointed her on the 19th February.

What her Department's policy is on the retention of the confidential report on the Consul General to New York.

The Cabinet Office Information and Records Policy stipulates that HR reports are destroyed after seven years.