Written questions by Glen.

When he expects the financial report for the Infected Blood Inquiry for the financial year 2025-2026 to be published.

We expect the Inquiry, which has now formally completed its work, to publish its final financial report soon

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2025 to Question 85743 on Infected Blood Inquiry, how much remuneration the Chair of the Infected Blood Inquiry receives for his work on that inquiry each year.

The Chair of the Infected Blood Inquiry has been paid at the level of a High Court judge, except that he has declined any pension as a result of his work for the Inquiry. The Ministry of Justice publishes the judicial salaries each year. The Chair of the Infected Blood Inquiry is currently receiving one tenth of this salary in recompense for his work.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 November 2025 to Question 85742 on Infected Blood Inquiry, when he expects the report for the Infected Blood Inquiry for the financial year 2024-2025 to be published.

The Infected Blood Inquiry 2024-25 financial report was published on 6 November, the same day that the audited figures were approved for publication. The report can be found here: https://www.infectedbloodinquiry.org.uk/about/financial-reports

Whether the Chair of the Infected Blood inquiry is remunerated for his work on the inquiry.

Like all Inquiry Chairs, the Chair of the Infected Blood Inquiry is remunerated for the work he undertakes.

Whether the Financial Reports for the Infected Blood Inquiry for the financial year 2024-2025 will be published.

Published costs for the Infected Blood Inquiry can be found on the inquiry webpage. The latest financial report was published on 27 August 2024. Additionally, the Infected Blood Compensation Authority has published an annual report enclosing a financial statement up to 31 March 2025.

Whether he plans to reduce spending on (a) civil service communications staff, (b) external marketing and (c) external advertising.

The Government regularly evaluates the effectiveness of all communication activities to ensure they are delivering and providing the best value for money for taxpayers. An example of this is the recent comprehensive communications Spending Review that delivered savings of £85 million in 2024-25 and up to £96 million in 2025-26.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2024 to Question 14946 on Government departments: communications and consultations, if he will publish the £449 million spending from Government Communications Service data, including any departmental breakdown, that provided the estimates for the £85 million of savings at Autumn Budget 2024.

I refer to the Rt Hon member to the answer given to PQ25685 on 30 January 2025.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2024 to Question 14946 on Government departments: communications and consultations, if he will list each of the programmes that have been cancelled or reduced to deliver £85 million of savings from the £449 million baseline.

I refer to the Rt Hon member to the answer given to PQ25685 on 30 January 2025.

What the cost to the public purse is of the 2024-25 Civil Service pay award broken down by (a) gross pay and (b) employer pension contributions.

The Pay Remit Guidance is a framework within which all organisations under its scope set pay. The 2024/2025 Pay Remit Guidance was published in July 2024 and departments are able to make average pay awards up to 5%.Under pay delegation, individual departments set their own wage scales and are responsible for publishing their own figures on pay and employer pension contributions as part of either their annual accounts, and / or the monthly workforce management information transparency figures.

When he plans to provide a substantive response to the Freedom of Information Act of 26 September 2024 from the Rt Hon Member for Salisbury, reference RFOI2024/13851.

A response to FOI2024/13851 was sent on 31 January.

Pursuant to the Answer of 28 November 2024 to Question HL1343 on Prime Minister's Chief of Staff: Pay, what the annual salary amount that the Chief Secretary to the Treasury approved in the senior approvals pay process was.

Salaries of special advisers of equivalent standing to the Senior Civil Service are published in the relevant year’s Annual Report on Special Advisers.

Which Department is responsible for (a) leading on and (b) delivering blockchain technology.

The primary existing use-case for blockchain technology is in cryptoassets. The Treasury has confirmed government’s intention to proceed with a financial services regulatory regime for cryptoassets, which will provide valuable protections for consumers and give firms regulatory certainty along with the flexibility to innovate. Blockchain technology has broader use-cases, which are addressed by responsible departments.

With reference to the published correspondence from the Office for Budget Responsibility of 27 October 2024 to the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will place in the Library a copy of the advice provided by the Cabinet Office to the Office for Budget Responsibility.

It is a longstanding principle, maintained across multiple administrations, that official advice remains confidential. As such I do not intend to publish any official advice in relation to this matter.

What guidance his Department issues on the conduct of meetings between Ministers and business representatives where such business representatives have paid money to the governing party to facilitate the meeting.

There is longstanding guidance on meetings between ministers and external organisations which is set out in the Ministerial Code.

If he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of processes for providing access to the civil service prior to the 2024 general election; if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of those processes on the efficiency of Government since the general election; and if he will take steps to publish guidance on best practice for access talks between the civil service and official opposition at the next general election.

Pre-election contacts are an established part of the pre-election process. They are designed to allow the Opposition Parties to ask questions about departmental organisation and to inform civil servants of any organisational changes likely to take place. Guidance on access talks is included in paragraph 2.21 of the Cabinet Manual. The meetings are confidential on both sides.

If he will publish the (a) terms of reference and (b) rules of procedure for the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations, and Medals.

I refer the Right Hon. Member to the answer of 10 October 2024, Official Report, PQ 7430.

With reference to his Department's publication entitled Cabinet Office: Government Procurement Card spend over £500, August 2024, (a) who and (b) what the payment to the Chief of Staff Association was for.

The payment made on 29 August 2024 to the Chief of Staff Association was for membership of the association, for a permanent civil servant below senior civil servant (SCS) level. It is standard practice to not publicly reference civil servants by name below SCS. The relevant process for approvals was followed before the payment was made.

Whether the Prime Minister has had discussions with His Majesty's household on potential steps to support His Majesty in maintaining the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law.

We do not routinely comment on discussions between the Government and the Royal Household.

What steps he is taking to fill vacancies on the Honours committees.

There is currently ongoing activity to fill vacancies on 7 of the independent Honours Committees. New roles are advertised on the Public Appointments website and new appointments to the Honours Committees can be found on gov.uk.

How many receptions have taken place in Downing Street since the general election which were (a) funded by the taxpayer and (b) funded through political donations.

As under previous Governments, party political receptions are not a matter for the Government. Details of official receptions are published in quarterly transparency returns on gov.uk.