Written questions by Dewhirst.

With reference to the press release entitled Prime Minister: I will reshape the state to deliver security for working people, published on 12 March 2025, what the Government’s is for the (a) number of civil servants and (b) cost of civil service pay.

The Prime Minister has set out his ambition to deliver long-term, impactful changes to reshape the British state and the Government is taking forward a number of measures to deliver greater efficiency and transformation in the Civil Service. Each department will take a decision on its individual size and shape as per the financial settlement it agrees with HMT in the Spending Review, due for conclusion in June 2025. The Prime Minister has announced that the Government is committed to cutting bureaucracy across the state, in order to focus government on the priorities of working people and shift money to the frontline. As part of this, the Prime Minister announced the abolition of the arms-length body NHS England. The government has also announced the first zero-based review of government spending in 17 years, with departments expected to go line-by-line to find savings and efficiencies, including in bodies and agencies that they sponsor.

Whether the Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service has a role in approving contracts issued by the Cabinet Office.

The Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service is an approving member of the Cabinet Office Commercial Spend Control Panel, which oversees spend controls for the whole of the HM Government, including non-ministerial departments, executive agencies, and other arms-length, non-commercial bodies that are majority controlled and/or financed by departments (Non-Departmental Public Bodies). This includes the Cabinet Office. Cabinet Office Commercial Spend Controls apply to all commercial activity with a value of £20m or more, excluding VAT. ).

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 February 2025 to Question 30473 on Prime Minister: Press Conferences, how many people attended the event.

This was an official government event, with attendees and an audience that included members of the public, business people, and public sector workers. 286 people RSVPed to attend.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2025 to Question 26831 on Civil Servants: Recruitment, what assessment he has made of the compatibility of the publication of job titles in transparency data with his data protection obligations.

The publication of job titles is compatible with data protection obligations. It is noted that SCS organograms are published. However, the SCS data is anonymised at Deputy Director level (SCS1). Although the details are published for SCS2 and above, there are provisions within the guidance for redactions or further anonymity for data privacy and security purposes.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2024 to Question 14974 on Procurement: National Security, for what reason the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Northern Ireland Programme evaluation is exempt from publication.

The information related to this programme is exempt from publication, as it meets one or more of the seven reasons for exemption listed in the Freedom of Information Act.

Pursuant to the Answer of 26 November 2024 to Question 14113 on Permanent Secretary Remuneration Committee, whether the Permanent Secretaries on the Committee can influence their own salaries.

Permanent Secretary members of the Permanent Secretary Remuneration Committee have no influence on their own salaries. Proposals on the performance and pay of these members are made by the non-civil servant members of the Committee, and agreed by the Prime Minister.

Pursuant to the Answers of 26 November 2024 to Question 14115 on House of Lords Appointments Commission ad to Question 14114 on the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, whether he plans to publish a framework document.

The consolidated Framework Document for the Independent Offices (covering the Civil Service Commission, Advisory Committee on Business Appointments and the Commissioner for Public Appointments) was published on 18 February 2025.There is not currently a Framework Document between HOLAC and the Cabinet Office. As with all independent advisory bodies, the Government keeps its arrangements with HOLAC under review.

Whether the Prime Minister's Office keeps minutes of calls for public affairs professionals.

Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on gov.uk as part of the government’s transparency agenda.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2024 to Question 16512 on Government Communication Service, if he will provide a breakdown of the 6,500 communications staff employed by each individual public body.

I refer the Hon. Member to Question 1208, answered on the 31st July 2024.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2025 to Question 24442 on 10 Downing Street: Furniture, if he will publish an itemised list of the furniture and fittings that have been purchased for 10-12 Downing Street since 4 July 2024.

Any associated costs relevant to the Cabinet Office would be detailed in its next Annual Report and Accounts.

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 December 2024 to Question 18209 on Ministerial and Other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991, what progress she has made on her review of eligibility for ministerial severance payments based on time in office.

The review of ministerial severance payments under the terms of the Ministerial and Other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991 is ongoing. An update will be provided in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 26 November 2024 to Question 14099 on Permanent Secretaries: Dismissal and Recruitment, what his planned timetable is for the implementation of the recommendations in 2025.

I have nothing to add to my answer to question 14099 on 26 November 2024.

Pursuant to the Answer of 26 November 2024 to Question 14107 on Civil Servants: Pay, if he will publish an anonymised list of the salary of each civil servant by public body.

As was the case under the previous administration (a) summary data that includes £5k salary band headcounts and median and mean salary measures by department and grade are published here https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/civil-service-statistics and(b) Salary data reported within 5k salary bands for individual SCS at paybands 2 and 3 are published reguarly by departments on data.gov.uk as part of departmental transparency organograms. These data also include the salary pay scales for junior staff. The Cabinet Office organograms can be found here https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/ff76be1f-4f37-4bef-beb7-32b259413be1/organogram-cabinet-office There are no current plans to publish further data.

Pursuant to the Answer of 26 November 2024 to Question 14093 on Special Advisers: Code of Practice, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the Code of Conduct for special advisers to reflect changes to the Ministerial Code.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQ14093. The Government published the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers 6 November 2024.

If he will publish the dates that each Mission board meets.

It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its committees - including mission boards - including how often they have met, is not normally shared publicly.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2025 to Question 25918 on UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement: Consultants, what consultants are commissioned by his Department to (a) assist the EU Relations Secretariat and (b) work on the renegotiations with the European Union.

The Cabinet Office has not commissioned consultants to assist the EU Relations Secretariat or work on resetting the relationship with the European Union.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2024 to Question 14111 on Public Appointments, if he will place in the Library a copy of all correspondence to and from the Public Appointments Commissioner since 4 July 2024.

Ahead of launching a significant appointment (which are agreed between the Commissioner for Public Appointments and HM Government Ministers and Welsh Government Ministers) departments must correspond with the Office for the Commissioner for Public Appointments to agree the Senior Independent Panel Member. Personal data relating to potential Senior Independent Panel Members is shared with the Commissioner for Public Appointments for the purpose of assessing their suitability and experience for the role, as per the requirement in the Governance Code for Public Appointments. I am unable to publish this correspondence as it would involve disclosing personal information protected under data protection laws in line with practice under previous administration.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2025 to Question 25853 on Public Bodies: Reviews, which four public body reviews are completed; what were the conclusions of each of these; which public body reviews are in progress; and which public body reviews have been paused.

Of reviews planned for 2024/25, the following reviews have completed:Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Care Quality Commission, Regulator of Social Housing, Defence Equipment and Support, Submarine Delivery Agency, Nuclear Research Advisory Council, Legal Aid Agency. It is each department’s responsibility to publish its reviews once finalised. The following reviews are in progress:Valuation Tribunal Service, Science Advisory Committee on the Medical Implications of Less-Lethal Weapons, Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service, Youth Justice Board for England and Wales, Intellectual Property Office. In some cases, departments have paused their reviews to give capacity to deliver more ambitious work on improving delivery and value for money , in line with government’s wider commitment to reform arm’s length bodies. This wider reform includes the closure of NHS England as announced by the Prime Minister on 13 March.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 December 2024 to Question 18214 on 10 Downing Street: Social Media, which Civil Service organisations have a Blue Sky social media channel; and what guidance has GCS given on joining Blue Sky.

The Government uses a range of channels to reach and engage the public. Any use of these platforms is assessed against the high standards for digital safety set out in the Government Communication Service (GCS) SAFE framework. Individual departments make their own decisions on the best platforms to communicate with the public within the GCS SAFE framework.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2024 to Question 6057 on Prime Minister’s Office: Vacancies, how many jobs in the Prime Minister's Office were filled by exception without (a) internal and (b) external advertisement since 4 July 2024.

As was the case under the previous Government, where over 9,000 such exceptions were used in the year ending March 2023, exceptions are a long-established part of bringing talent and expertise into the Civil Service. Since 4 July 2024, there have been 3 appointments made via exception.