Written questions by Dewhirst.

How much and what proportion of the Innovation Fund he plans to allocate to (a) staffing, (b) logistics, (c) management of the test-and-learn teams and (d) other administrative costs.

The Government is committed to reforming the state to deliver better public services. The work underway includes the £100 million Public Service Reform and Innovation Fund, which will be deploying Test and Learns teams around the country over the next three years to design and test innovative solutions to our biggest public service challenges in partnership with local places – and ensuring that local learning informs national policy decisions. The Cabinet Office will be working across government and with local partners to codesign the detailed approach to the allocation of the Innovation Fund.

Whether he plans to reduce barriers to making civil servants redundant who do not deliver efficiency savings.

The Government remains committed to the 2016 Protocol and the need to avoid compulsory redundancies as far as possible. Separately to redundancies, the Government has set out plans to introduce mutually agreed exits to allow Civil Service employers to come to a sensible and pragmatic agreement with an employee regarding their future when it is clear that things aren’t working.

With reference to his Department's guidance entitled The Approvals Process for the Creation of New Arm’s-Length Bodies, updated on 15 March 2018, whether his Department's public bodies team assessed the National Energy Systems Operator against the guidance that the creation of a new ALB should only be considered as a last resort; whether the Department provided evidence of whether alternative delivery models were considered; and which of the three tests outlined in chapter 2 of that guidance it met.

The National Energy Systems Operator (NESO) is a public corporation and is therefore not administratively classified as an arm’s-length body. The guidance entitled ‘The Approvals Process for the Creation of New Arm’s-Length Bodies’ did not apply to NESO for this reason.The NESO will support the UK’s energy security, help to keep bills down in the long term, and accelerate the government’s clean power mission.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2024 to Question 7442 on Prime Minister: Communication, how many staff work on digital communications in Downing Street; and at what cost.

As of 17 March 2025, there are 43 FTE Civil Servants in the overall communications team, covering a range of disciplines including digital, planning, press and private office. 15 FTE Civil Servants work on digital communications covering a number of responsibilities, as part of the wider communications team.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2024 to Question 14712 on Honours: Public Appointments, who has been (a) appointed and (b) appointed by open and fair competition to the Parliamentary and Political Service honours Committee since 5 July 2024; and what recruitment is ongoing.

All appointments are announced on the Honours Committee page of GOV.UK, which can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/honours-committees. All appointments to the honours committees are made following a fair and open competition. This includes utilising reserve lists where appropriate.

Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on UK participation in the EU Space Programme.

A Government priority is for a ‘reset’ in relations with the European Union, with a particular focus on driving economic growth, and improving our security and trade relationship.Space has a fundamental role to play in achieving these ambitions, and we will continue to work closely with EU counterparts to identify areas to strengthen our space cooperation for mutual benefit. Discussions are taking place across Government regarding future UK participation in the next EU Space Programme, ahead of the next Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF). We will continue to engage with the EU Commission as this work progresses.

What his policy is on releasing details of ministerial meetings with external organisations in response to (a) Parliamentary Questions and (b) the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Details of ministers’ meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK. All freedom of Information requests are considered on their individual merits and in accordance with the legislation in all circumstances. Section 9 of the Ministerial Code sets the standard of conduct expected of ministers in relation to Parliament and how they discharge their duties, including for government responses to written parliamentary questions.

Pursuant to the Answer of 14 January 2025 to Question HL3879 on Ministers’ Private Offices: Official Cars, what criteria his Department uses to determine whether departmental officials may have use of a car from the Government Car Service.

The Government Car Service (GCS) does not determine the allocation of vehicles to senior officials - this is carried out by individual Departmental Private Offices. The arrangements relating to the use of vehicles from the Government Car Service are set out in the Civil Service Management Code. There has been no change in this policy since 2023.

Pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2025 to Question 29217 on Prime Minister: Aviation, what the cost of domestic air travel by the Prime Minister is since 4 July 2024.

The Government has ended the routine use of helicopter travel, unless operationally required. It has been the practice of successive administrations not to publish granular information relating to the official movements of protected individuals and those accompanying them within the United Kingdom. Information about official overseas ministerial travel is published as part of the Cabinet Office transparency returns and made available on the GOV.UK website.

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2025 to Question 28652 on Ministers: Aviation, what the amount of air passenger duty that is paid on an individual domestic RAF flight each way was in (a) March 2025 and (b) April 2025, excluding Northern Ireland and the Scottish Highlands and Islands travel; and whether the higher rate of APD is paid.

The Government introduced the domestic rate of Air Passenger Duty (APD) with effect from 1 April 2023 and this is paid on flights from qualifying airports within the UK. Flights on the RAF Envoy incur the higher rate of APD as this relates to an aircraft of 20 tonnes or more equipped to carry fewer than 19 passengers. This rate was set at £78 per person. From 1 April 2025 the rate will increase to £84 per person.

Pursuant to the Answer of (a) 21 February 2025 to Question 30825, on Ministers: Helicopters, and (b) 18 February 2025, to Question 30467 on Military Aircraft: Helicopters, what the expected cost to the Department is of an individual flight under the new contract, including any variation by distance travelled; and on what date the new provision went live.

The new method of Ministry of Defence senior leader helicopter travel commenced on 1 January 2025. Costs vary on the basis of a range of factors, including number of passengers, distance, length of time of usage and availability. The Ministerial Air Transport administered contract is available via HM Government Contract Finder here: Provision of Corporate Travel contract - Contracts Finder

Pursuant to the Answer of 18 November 2024 to Question 1248 on Military Aircraft: Helicopter, whether there will be a public procurement exercise for the new helicopter service.

There is no procurement of a new helicopter service. The Ministry of Defence has accessed an existing cross-Government helicopter air transport contract to allow cost-effective, operationally important helicopter transport when needed.

With reference to page 9 of his Department's publication entitled Security and Intelligence Agencies Financial Statement 2023-24 published on 2 December 2024, what specific weaknesses in risk management and internal control the Principal Accounting Officer identified; and what corrective action has since been taken.

As has been the policy of successive governments, the government does not comment on matters relating to the intelligence agencies. The Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament scrutinises the policies, expenditure, administration and operations of the intelligence agencies on behalf of Parliament.

Pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2025 to Question 29217 on Prime Minister: Aviation, what the cost of helicopter travel for Defence Ministers is since 4 July 2024.

The Ministry of Defence has spent £1,154.03 on helicopter travel for Defence Ministers since 4 July 2024.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2025 to Question 29022 on Ministers: Aviation, whether the Prime Minister’s (a) RAF and (b) charter flights other than GBNI are carbon offset.

It has been the practice that official Prime Ministerial flights are carbon offset where that is possible.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2024 to Question 8434 on Prime Minister: Aviation, if he will publish the percentage of sustainable aviation fuel used for each of the Prime Minister's last 10 domestic flights.

Ministerial travel is undertaken using efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements. Security considerations are also taken into account. It has been the practice that official Prime Ministerial flights are carbon offset and use Sustainable Aviation Fuel where either are possible.

How many times the Cabinet Office’s Information Rights User Group (IRUG) has met since 5 July 2024; if he will publish minutes of the IRUG's meetings; when the IRUG's next meeting is; and whether a Cabinet Office Minister will attend the next meeting.

This Government is committed to freedom of information and to listening to its users. The Government will set out its plans for the Information Rights User Group, which last met in April 2024, in due course.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2025 to Question 26614 on Center for Countering Digital Hate, what the methodology is used to check whether (a) direct or (b) indirect funding has been provided previously, including by predecessor departments.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s financial systems were checked for record of any payments to the Centre for Countering Digital Hate. Other departments were not consulted.

Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2025 to Question 29620 on DCMS: Flags, what flags other than the Union flag and the Ukraine flag, have been flown to date in 2024-25; and on what dates.

The following flags other than the Union Flag and the Ukraine flag have been flown from the DCMS/HM Treasury Building (100 Parliament Street/1 Horse Guards Road) in the calendar years 2024 and 2025:20241 March (St David's Day): Flag of Wales11 March (Commonwealth Day): Commonwealth Flag4 April (NATO Founding Day): NATO Flag23 April (St George's Day): Flag of England26 April (75th Anniversary of the Commonwealth): Commonwealth Flag17 May (Anti Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia Day): Rainbow Flag24 June-29 June (Armed Forces Day): Armed Forces Day Flag27 June-29 June (London Pride): Rainbow Flag14 July (Men's Euros Final): Flag of England30 November (St Andrew's Day): Flag of Scotland2025None

Innovation and Technology, which government departments and agencies are responsible for (a) civil contingency planning, (b) warning and (c) mitigation in relation to (i) Near-Earth Objects and (ii) space debris.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is responsible for civil contingency planning, warning and mitigation in relation to Near-Earth Objects and space debris.Risks associated with these events are considered as part of the national risk assessment process and proportionate mitigation activity identified. Risks are published in the National Risk Register.Contingency planning and event warnings are delivered through the UK Space Agency (UKSA) and the National Space Operations Centre (NSpOC).