Written questions by Rosindell.

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2025 to Question 22583 on Government Departments: Procurement, what further discussions he has had with the Institution of Civil Engineers on releasing a new edition of the Construction Playbook.

Cabinet Office officials regularly engage with the ICE and other industry leading organisations, many of which are signatories to our ‘Compact with Industry’. The Construction Playbook is regularly refreshed in collaboration with industry and the public sector, ensuring it remains relevant and effective. The Government remains committed to publishing an update to the Construction Playbook. The revised version of the Construction Playbook is expected to be published in Q2 2025.

What steps he is taking to improve the cyber security of government digital infrastructure.

We are committed to strengthening security across all aspects of the Government digital estate.The Government Cyber Security Strategy sets a clear target for all government organisations to be resilient to known vulnerabilities and common attack methods by 2030.The recent report from the National Audit Office into Government Cyber Resilience showed that the response needs to be accelerated given the changing threat picture. Its recommendations include development of a whole of government approach, addressing the long-standing shortage of cyber skills, strengthening accountability for cyber risk, and better managing the risks posed by legacy IT. We welcome this report and are taking immediate steps to address its recommendations.

How many government cyber security roles were vacant on 4 February 2025; and what steps he is taking to recruit more people into cyber security roles.

The Government Security Group gathers data from cyber security teams across government through planned bi-annual commissions, providing updates on vacant roles in our workforce. In 2023, 251 cyber roles were reported vacant.The 2025 Government Security Workforce Commission, being undertaken currently, will provide updated data on current vacancy levels.

What information his Department holds on the value of investments in the UK that are held by the sovereign wealth funds of each state in the Gulf Cooperation Council.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 3rd February is attached.

What steps he is taking to help support the Northern Ireland Executive to prepare for extreme weather events.

The UK government is committed to working closely with the devolved governments to support climate adaptation across the UK and build resilience to risks such as those from extreme weather. Adaptation is a devolved matter, and the Northern Ireland Climate Change Adaptation Programme sets out the steps being taken to build resilience to climate risks in Northern Ireland. The policies and actions in the third National Adaptation Programme include those taken by the UK Government for the UK as a whole on reserved matters.The UK government also has an important role to play in coordinating the response to the impacts of extreme weather on the UK as was most recently seen during and after Storm Éowyn. Where UK Ministers and officials were in close contact throughout the response with their counterparts in the Northern Ireland Executive to facilitate the deployment of support as needed.

With reference to the Institution of Civil Engineers' Roundtable Discussion on the Construction Playbook, published on 15 May 2024, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of aligning other initiatives with the Playbook.

Cabinet Office officials regularly engage with the ICE and other industry leading organisations, many of which are signatories to our ‘Compact with Industry’. The Construction Playbook is regularly refreshed in collaboration with industry and the public sector, ensuring it remains relevant and effective. The revised version of the Construction Playbook is expected to be published in Q2 2025. The Construction Playbook brings together best practice from across the public and private sectors. This includes highlighting the importance of a wide range of programmes and initiatives that the sector is taking forward. As part of any future iteration of the playbook, the Cabinet Office will review and assess the potential merits of highlighting or aligning any other initiatives that can drive value for the taxpayer.

What discussions he has had with the Institution of Civil Engineers on releasing a new edition of the Construction Playbook.

Cabinet Office officials regularly engage with the ICE and other industry leading organisations, many of which are signatories to our ‘Compact with Industry’. The Construction Playbook is regularly refreshed in collaboration with industry and the public sector, ensuring it remains relevant and effective. The revised version of the Construction Playbook is expected to be published in Q2 2025. The Construction Playbook brings together best practice from across the public and private sectors. This includes highlighting the importance of a wide range of programmes and initiatives that the sector is taking forward. As part of any future iteration of the playbook, the Cabinet Office will review and assess the potential merits of highlighting or aligning any other initiatives that can drive value for the taxpayer.

What estimate the Office of National Statistics has made of spending on (a) alcohol and (b) narcotics in each of the last five years; and what proportion of this spending is estimated as being illegal.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon. Gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 18 December is attached.

What estimate the Office of National Statistics has made of total spending on tobacco products in each of the last five years; and if they will make an estimate of what proportion of this spending is on illegal tobacco.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon. Gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 18 December is attached.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of extreme weather events on critical infrastructure assets in the next five years.

The government is committed to working closely with Critical National Infrastructure operators to ensure resilience and preparedness. Extreme weather events pose a serious risk to UK resilience, reflected in their inclusion in the National Risk Register. They are included in the Third National Adaptation Programme, which sets out government action to respond to impacts arising from climate change. These products consider risks over a 2-5 year timeframe and enable relevant bodies to undertake proportionate planning.

What the joint sex and age-at-death distribution was for Covid-19 deaths in 2020 in England that were subject to inquest and have since been registered with ONS for which the interval from date of death to date of registration as a Covid-19 death was (a) one year or less, (b) one to two years and (c) more than two years.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 4th November is attached.

If he will (a) make it his policy to (i) update the statutes of the Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick and (ii) make the Order available to residents of the whole island of Ireland and (b) make an assessment of the potential impact of that policy on the state of the Union.

The Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick is in the personal gift of The Sovereign. The UK Government is not considering the restoration of The Order of St Patrick. Nominations for existing honours are open to all citizens within the four nations of the United Kingdom.

How long the 20 longest delays between (a) occurrence date and (b) registration date were for covid-19 related deaths in England that (i) occurred in 2020 and (ii) were subject to an inquest.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.A response to the Hon. Gentleman’s Parliamentary Questions of 14th October is attached.

If he will publish the 20 earliest covid-19 related deaths in the UK by (a) five year age-cohort, (b) sex, (c) nation, (d) week of occurrence and (e) week of registration; and whether each of those deaths were (i) referred to a coroner and (ii) subject to an inquest.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.A response to the Hon. Gentleman’s Parliamentary Questions of 14th October is attached.

When he plans to consult on proposals to reform the House of Lords; and whether those consultations will include the removal of the Lords Spiritual from the House of Lords.

The Government has set out an ambitious programme of House of Lords reform. As an immediate first step, the Government has introduced the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill, which will remove the right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords. The Government believes that it is right to take the time to consider how best to implement the other manifesto commitments over the course of this Parliament.

Whether he plans to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the birth of Margaret Thatcher.

In line with established precedent, the Government does not formally commemorate the anniversaries of the births of former Prime Ministers.