Written questions by Glen.

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 September 2024 to Question 5052 on Government Departments: Disclosure of Information and with reference to the when he plans to start to publish (a) transparency data for (i) Ministers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) senior officials and (b) the list of Ministerial interests on a monthly schedule.

Transparency reporting requirements remain in place, with data regularly being published on GOV.UK.I refer the Right Honourable Member to the debate in the House on Reporting Ministerial Gifts and Hospitality, debated on Monday 14 October 2024. The Government will set out further details in due course.The List of Ministers’ Interests is published twice yearly.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 September 2024 to Question 4682 on Prime Minister's Chief of Staff: Workplace Pensions, whether other public bodies hold information on the Cash Equivalent Transfer Value of civil service pensions of special advisers.

I refer the RH member to PQ9163.

Whether direct ministerial appointments are eligible for the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Direct ministerial appointments are not employees of their sponsor department, and therefore not members of the civil service.It is only civil servants and persons serving in an office or employment listed in Schedule 1 to the Superannuation Act 1972 who are eligible for pension and other benefits which derive from schemes made under section 1 of the Act.The Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme is a scheme made under section 1 of the Act.

Pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2024 to Question 2633 on Admiralty House, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) renting out the empty flats and (b) converting the empty flats to office use.

The Cabinet Office currently has no plans to rent out or convert the flats in Admiralty House.

With reference Answer of 26 September 2024 to Question HL978 on Ministers: Members' Interests, whether declarations made by Ministers to the House of Commons or House of Lords register of Members’ interests constitute a Ministerial declaration under the Ministerial Code.

The ministers’ interests process, which is set out in the Ministerial Code, is distinct from the parliamentary regimes that exist for Members of the House of Commons and House of Lords to register interests as parliamentarians. All ministers must comply with both the Ministerial Code and the Codes of Conduct of their respective House.

With reference to the answer of 16 September 2024 to Question HL667 on Government Departments: Remote Working, when he plans to provide an update on future publication plans.

Civil Service Headquarters (HQ) Occupancy Data publication resumed on 24 October 2024, for the period July - September 2024, with further publications to now happen on a quarterly basis. Data can be found on GOV.UK.

How many evaluations relating to Government policies, projects or programmes have been exempted from publication due to national security concerns in the last 12 months; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure adequate levels of public accountability of (a) high-risk and (b) high-cost projects.

Departments are responsible for making determinations about whether evaluation plans and findings should be withheld from publication on the grounds that publication would threaten national security. In cases where departments determine that evaluation plans or reports should not be published because the contents fall under any exemption outlined in the Freedom of Information Act, the Evaluation Registry guidance states that departments should make this clear in writing to the Evaluation Task Force (Cabinet Office). Exemptions include but are not limited to national security. Since April 2024 -- when the use of the Evaluation Registry was made mandatory for government departments -- the Evaluation Task Force has been notified of one evaluation which has not been added to the Evaluation Registry on the grounds that it meets an exemption outlined in the Act. Further guidance on publication exemptions is available online on the 'Guidance on using the Evaluation Registry' webpage.

Pursuant to the Answer of 31 July 2024 to Question 1214 on Ministers: Official Residences, whether the Prime Minister has allocated the remaining official residences.

The following official residences have been allocated by the Prime Minister since the Answer of 31 July 2024 to Question 1214: Chequers, Chevening, Dorneywood, Hillsborough Castle, 1 Carlton Gardens; and a flat in Admiralty House on a time limited basis.

How many people will be subject to an annual allowance tax charge due to the retrospective application of the McCloud remedy on Civil Service pensions.

It is not possible for the Cabinet Office to determine which members are subject to a tax charge. This will depend on their personal circumstances and in particular the total pension contributions (including other pension schemes they might contribute to) and their total income, which Cabinet Office would not necessarily know about.

What guidance his Department issues to (a) press officers and (b) special advisers on briefing correspondence to the media.

Guidance to civil service press officers on how they should deliver their role can be found here: https://gcs.civilservice.gov.uk/guidance/media/.The Code of Conduct for Special Advisers includes provisions on contact with the media for Special Advisers and can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5d834869e5274a2036a24e0d/201612_Code_of_Conduct_for_Special_Advisers.pdf.The guidance has remained the same since the Right Honourable Member was a Minister in the department.

Whether the Mission Delivery Boards are classified as cabinet sub-committees; and how often they will meet.

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

Whether the Special Adviser Remuneration Committee has met since 4 July 2024.

I refer the RH member to PQ7440. The Special Adviser People Board has met and will continue to meet as required.

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 September 2024 to Question 4654 on public sector: trade unions, what is the current practice of government Departments on check-off; and how many Departments (a) charge trade unions for levying check-off and (b) have cancelled check-off arrangements.

The Cabinet Office does not collect or hold information on check-off arrangements in place in each Department.

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 September 2024 to Question 4649 on Members: Correspondence, and with reference to the letter from the Cabinet Secretary to the Rt hon. Member for Salisbury, dated 12 September 2024, if he will place a copy of the induction training guidance for special advisers referenced in that letter in the House of Commons Library.

There are no plans to place a copy of induction training guidance into the House of Commons Library.

Pursuant to the answer of 16 September 2024 to Question 4698 on Civil Servants: Temporary Employment, what steps the Government is taking to reduce reliance on contingent labour; and what guidance his Department has issued.

I refer the Honourable Gentleman to his previous question of September 9th of this year, the details of which remain the same. Further information will be announced in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2024 to Question 2323 on Cabinet Office: Flags and with reference to the guidance entitled Union Flag flying guidance for UK government buildings, updated on 5 February 2024, if he will publish a schedule of any other flags to be flown on (a) 70 Whitehall and (b) 10 Downing Street in the next 12 months; and whether he plans to continue to fly the Ukraine flag.

I have nothing further to add to the response to PQ 2323.

Whether the Office for National Statistics (a) has a role in and (b) has made representations to Government on the public sector classification of (i) Hinkley Point C and (ii) Wylfa.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Rt. Hon. Gentleman Question of 15/10/2024 is attached.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 September 2024 to Question 4655 on Public Sector: Directors, if he will list those Non-Executive Directors by Department.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 September 2024 to Question 4655 on Public Sector, details of Non-Executive Directors who have left government departments are published in the relevant Annual Report and Accounts for the respective department and can be found on gov.uk.

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 September 2024 to Question 4683 on Civil Service: Equality, what the average salary is of civil servants in the (a) Government Equalities Office and (b) his Department working in roles relating to diversity, equality and inclusion.

Cabinet Office does not routinely collate information on specific words within job titles and collating this information would come at a disproportionate cost.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 September 2024 to Question 4682 on Prime Minister: Special Advisers, which public authority under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 holds information on the Cash Equivalent Transfer Value of the civil service pension of the Prime Minister’s former Chief of Staff.

I refer the Right Hon. member to my previous answer of 17 September 2024, Official report, 4682. The Cash Equivalent Transfer Value of an individual's civil service pension is a matter for the scheme administrator, MyCSP.