Written questions by Glen.

Whether theft of a Minister’s personal possessions while on official business is covered by Departmental insurance.

Government departments do not generally purchase commercial insurance cover except in the most exceptional circumstances.Instead, each government department, in accordance with Treasury guidance, carries its own risk and meets any valid liabilities arising.In the event of loss or theft of personal effects whilst travelling on official duty, claims will be considered on a case-by-case basis having regard to normal terms and conditions of service.

Whether she has made an assessment of the level of interference in the trade union movement by (a) Russia, (b) North Korea and (c) Iran.

The Government’s first duty is to protect our national security and keep our country safe. We keep potential threats to the UK under constant review and, where necessary, we use all the tools at our disposal to mitigate these threats.The UK has a strong record of responding robustly to state threats. Alongside our existing operational response, new legislation has been brought in through the National Security Act 2023 to deal with the range of modern state threats, including foreign interference. The Act includes a Foreign Interference Offence, which contributes to the toolkit available to law enforcement and the intelligence agencies to disrupt foreign interference activity, protect the British public and address the evolving threat to our national security.As a matter of long-standing policy, the Government does not comment on the detail of matters of national security or on individual cases. This Government is committed to tackling the threat of foreign interference, wherever it originates.

What her Department’s policy is on the length of time for which job application forms for successful candidates are held.

The application process to apply for a role at Home Office is online. Personal information captured during the recruitment process is retained for two years.

W hat (a) direct ministerial and (b) other public appointments to her Department and associated bodies have (i) been (A) removed from their posts and (B) asked to resign and (ii) made since 4 July 2024.

Departments do not routinely record and collect the reasons why appointees leave their positions. Since 4 July, no new direct ministerial appointments have been made.Since 4 July, the following new public appointments, as regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments, have been made: Appointment of six new members of the Biometrics and Forensics Ethics GroupNew appointments to the Biometrics and Forensics Ethics Group - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Appointment of Police and National Crime Agency Remuneration Review Bodies memberNew member appointed to the police and NCA pay bodies - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

How many people have been appointed to civil service positions without open competition in her Department since 4 July 2024; what their (a) job titles and (b) salary bands are; and on what basis each was appointed.

The legal requirement for appointment to the Civil Service (CS) is for selection to be made on merit based on fair and open competition. Under section 12 of the 2010 Constitutional Reform and Governance Act, the CS Commission has the power to except a selection from the requirement to appoint on merit based on a fair and open competition. This must either be justified by the needs of the CS or be necessary to enable the CS to participate in a government employment initiative. Departments must be able to justify why, in any appointment, it has not been possible to select someone on merit through a fair and open competition. The Civil Service Recruitment Principles set out the circumstances in which appointments can be made as Exceptions to Fair and Open Merit-based appointments.Between 4th July and 4th October 2024, the Home Office made 109 appointments by exception to the Civil Service Commission’s published Recruitment Principles:78 were made under Exception 1 for temporary appointments;27 were made under Exception 10 for conversion to permanency of suitable candidates appointed under Exception 1 above, and Exception 2 (support for government employment programmes);Two were made under Exception 3 for secondments; andTwo were made under Exception 5 for the appointment of former civil servants.The roles appointed during the period requested were to grades AA to Grade7. Below is a summary of the salary bands for these appointments by grade and number of roles.GRADENUMBERPAY BANDIntern17£22,446AA23£22,180 (N), £26,180 (L)AO39£24,800 (N), £28,880 (L)PO39£24,800 (N), £28,880 (L)EO17£28,000 (N), £32,000 (L)HEO1£34,350 (N), £38,350 (N)SEO1£41,600 (N), £45,600 (L)G72£57,000(N), £61,000 (L)N = National, L = London