Written questions by McDonnell.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of compensating people who were unable to pay (a) mortgages, (b) credit card bills and (c) other household bills due to delays in payments from the Civil Service Pensions Scheme.

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023.The delays facing scheme members are unacceptable, and no former civil servant should face financial hardship as a result. There is a robust recovery plan in place to ensure normal service can resume as soon as possible.Arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans of up to £5,000 (and up to £10,000 in exceptional cases) to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members.Interest will be paid on delayed benefits to avoid financial loss by members. In addition, the existing statutory complaints process evaluates claims for financial losses, as well as distress and inconvenience caused, on a case-by-case basis to determine whether compensation is due. This ensures that any retiree who provides evidence of extra costs, such as bank penalties or interest charges caused by the delay, is fairly assessed. This process is run in accordance with the standards set by the Pensions Ombudsman. The Cabinet Office is working with Capita to ensure this process is applied as efficiently as possible.

Whether the cost of resolving the McCloud remedy cases is included in the £239 million contract with Capita to manage the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

The £239 million contract with Capita covers the day-to-day management of the Civil Service Pension Scheme, but it does not include the specific cost of resolving the remaining McCloud remedy cases. The Cabinet Office is funding this complex rectification work through a separate, dedicated project, Remedy Project 7, at an additional cost of £45 million.As scheme manager, the Cabinet Office is meeting this cost directly to fulfil its legal obligation to resolve the age discrimination identified by the courts. By treating this as a distinct project, the department ensures greater accountability for the remedy's delivery while preventing these complex legacy cases from impacting "business as usual" pension services for other members.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of recovering the total cost of civil servants supporting the Civil Service Pension Scheme recovery plan from Capita Pensions Solutions Ltd.

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government. The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve. While HM Government is bearing the initial costs to protect vulnerable members and restore service requirements, it has not provided a fixed monthly estimate for the next 12 months. This is because formal commercial discussions with Capita Pensions Solutions Ltd in relation to the costs of this government intervention will commence once the service has successfully stabilised. We are applying contractual levers available to us to deal with performance failures, and we continue to explore all commercial avenues to hold them to account for the quality of their delivery. For example, existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita’s performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.The Cabinet Office does not provide training to staff employed by Capita Pensions Solutions Ltd; instead, the contractor is responsible for ensuring its workforce meets the required proficiency standards. Staff must complete a training programme covering both systems and soft skills, with mandatory sign-offs required before they are permitted to handle specific case types. For sensitive cases involving bereaved individuals, Capita utilises a dedicated team where staff only progress to these complex queries after passing rigorous performance assessments.

Whether his Department is providing training to staff employed by Capita Pensions Solutions Ltd in dealing with cases involving bereaved individuals.

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government. The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve. While HM Government is bearing the initial costs to protect vulnerable members and restore service requirements, it has not provided a fixed monthly estimate for the next 12 months. This is because formal commercial discussions with Capita Pensions Solutions Ltd in relation to the costs of this government intervention will commence once the service has successfully stabilised. We are applying contractual levers available to us to deal with performance failures, and we continue to explore all commercial avenues to hold them to account for the quality of their delivery. For example, existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita’s performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.The Cabinet Office does not provide training to staff employed by Capita Pensions Solutions Ltd; instead, the contractor is responsible for ensuring its workforce meets the required proficiency standards. Staff must complete a training programme covering both systems and soft skills, with mandatory sign-offs required before they are permitted to handle specific case types. For sensitive cases involving bereaved individuals, Capita utilises a dedicated team where staff only progress to these complex queries after passing rigorous performance assessments.

What estimate he has made of the monthly cost of civil servants working on the Civil Service Pensions Scheme recovery plan for each of the next 12 months.

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government. The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve. While HM Government is bearing the initial costs to protect vulnerable members and restore service requirements, it has not provided a fixed monthly estimate for the next 12 months. This is because formal commercial discussions with Capita Pensions Solutions Ltd in relation to the costs of this government intervention will commence once the service has successfully stabilised. We are applying contractual levers available to us to deal with performance failures, and we continue to explore all commercial avenues to hold them to account for the quality of their delivery. For example, existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita’s performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.The Cabinet Office does not provide training to staff employed by Capita Pensions Solutions Ltd; instead, the contractor is responsible for ensuring its workforce meets the required proficiency standards. Staff must complete a training programme covering both systems and soft skills, with mandatory sign-offs required before they are permitted to handle specific case types. For sensitive cases involving bereaved individuals, Capita utilises a dedicated team where staff only progress to these complex queries after passing rigorous performance assessments.

Will the information received on the inquiry into Peter Mandelson be forwarded to the Intelligence and Security Committee (a) in tranches and (b) all together.

I refer the Hon Member to the Government's statement and release of information on 11th March, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The Government is working to ensure that Parliament’s instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.

What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that all documents relevant to his Department's investigation into Peter Mandelson are received in a timely manner.

I refer the Hon Member to the Government's statement and release of information on 11th March, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The Government is working to ensure that Parliament’s instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.

With reference to the Humble address of 4 February 2026, what material the ISC will have the authority to determine the publication of; and whether the Government will have a right to veto ISC decisions on the publication of documents.

I refer the Hon Member to the Government's statement and release of information on 11th March, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The Government is working to ensure that Parliament’s instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.

What resources he has allocated to the disclosure process on the Peter Mandelson inquiry.

I refer the Hon Member to the Government's statement and release of information on 11th March, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The Government is working to ensure that Parliament’s instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.

What is the expected date for completion of the review into the material related to Lord Mandelson.

I refer the Hon Member to the Government's statement and release of information on 11th March, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The Government is working to ensure that Parliament’s instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.

What steps he is taking to ensure that data relating to new civil service starters that is shared between Departments is based on formal trade union recognition rights and not general eligibility for union membership.

Data on new Civil Service starters is not routinely shared between departments. Trade union recognition rights within the Civil Service should be agreed by both the department and its recognised trade unions in the form of a framework agreement. This is delegated to departments to negotiate with their recognised trade unions.

When the Chief Executive of the Government Property Agency will respond to the correspondence of (a) 31 July, (b) 16 August and (c) 26 September 2024 from the PCS union.

The Chief Executive of the Government Property Agency will endeavour to prioritise a response to the specific issues highlighted in the next few days, no later than 1 November.