Written questions by Hollinrake.

What recent estimate he has made of the number of headcount members of the Government Communication Service; and what estimate he has made of the number of embedded communications across central government that are not included with the Government Communication Service.

Government Communications is made up of around 6,000 professional communicators from across the UK, supporting and promoting the work of 25 ministerial departments, 21 non-ministerial departments and over 300 agencies and other public bodies. The list provided for the response to IR2025/05101 breaks this down further, and will be submitted for entry into the House of Commons library. The Government Communication Service headcount can be found on Gov.uk at this link here.

Pursuant to the Answer of 24 July 2025 to Question 68482 on House of Lords Composition, how the Select Committee on the composition of the House of Lords will be selected; what will be the political balance; and whether it will be a Joint Committee with this representation from the House of Commons.

As stated in the Answer of 24 July, the Government intends to propose the establishment of a House of Lords Select Committee to look at how best to implement the manifesto commitments on a retirement age and participation requirement. The details of the Select Committee, including its proposed chair, membership and timescales of reporting, will be put to the House of Lords for agreement after the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill receives Royal Assent.

Further to the letter to the Hon Member for Thirsk and Malton from the Director General of the Propriety & Constitution Group of 23 June 2025, if he will provide guidance to departments from the Propriety and Ethics Team on ensuring that the political impartiality of the police is upheld in future events involving Ministers.

Elections guidance for civil servants is kept under review and published in advance of the relevant election period.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 May 2025 to Question 53094 on Second Homes: Council Tax, whether his Department has issued guidance on applying for a job-related (a) council tax second homes discount and (b) exemption from the council tax second homes premium on Ministerial residences.

The Cabinet Office has not issued any such guidance.

With reference to the letter from the Director General of the Cabinet Office Propriety and Constitution Group of 24 July 2025 to the hon. Member for Thirsk and Malton, what his planned timetable is for the updated guidance to special advisers on what support can be provided to different types of events during periods of sensitivity in the run up to local elections.

Elections guidance for civil servants, including special advisers, is kept under review and will be published in advance of local elections in 2026.

Whether his Department has issued revised guidance on assessing the potential local dimension of future announcements undertaken in a pre-election period.

Elections guidance for civil servants is kept under review and will be published in advance of local elections in 2026.

Who attended the reception for content creators at 10 Downing Street on 31 July 2025; and what the cost was of the event.

As under previous administrations, details of official receptions are published in quarterly transparency returns on gov.uk.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 May 2025 to Question 52864 on Deputy Prime Minister: Admiralty House, when the Government last undertook a valuation of Admiralty House.

The valuation of Admiralty House was last updated in March 2025.

Pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2025 to Question 64772 on Public Appointments: Council of the Nations and Regions, who is now undertaking the responsibilities that were previously assigned to the Envoy for the Nations and Regions.

The Council facilitates partnership working between the UK Government, Devolved Governments, the Mayor of London, and Mayors of Combined Authorities and Mayors of Combined County Authorities.The Secretaries of State for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster routinely engage with the Heads of Devolved Governments and the Deputy Prime Minister and other ministers routinely engage with England’s Regional Mayors.

Pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2025 to Question 60496 on Civil Servants: London Allowance, what is the policy Cabinet Office policy on whether junior civil servants in his Department receiving London weighting have to attend and work in an office within Greater London.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer on 3 July 2025 (PQ 63008).Pay arrangements, including those for London, are delegated to each department. The Cabinet Office does not have a London Weighting Allowance. There are separate London and National pay ranges. An individual’s pay, paid as a salary, is determined by the location of their designated office, as set out in their contract.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2025 to Question 63624 on Admiralty House: Energy Performance Certificates, if he will place the three EPCs for the Admiralty House flats in the Library.

Where a building has an EPC the information on EPC ratings can be found at https://www.gov.uk/find-energy-certificate/Admiralty-House.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 June 2025 to Question HL8019 on Admiralty House: Council tax, what the cash terms monetary value of the council tax bill issued on each of the three residences was in 2025-26.

All information relating to the value of council tax bills for Westminster are published on Westminster City Council’s Website at https://www.westminster.gov.uk/council-tax/council-tax-bands-and-charges.

How many times the Deputy Prime Minister has chaired Cabinet in the absence of the Prime Minister.

The Deputy Prime Minister chaired Cabinet on 17 June 2025.

When his Department plans to respond to the letter of May 2025 from the hon. Member for Thirsk and Malton to the Cabinet Secretary on the role of special advisers at party political events.

I refer the Hon. member to the answer of 24 June, UIN 59090.

What plans the Prime Minister has to appoint an Envoy for the Nations and Regions.

There are currently no plans to appoint an Envoy for the Nations and Regions.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 43478 on Admiralty House, if he will make it his policy to rent out the two empty flats in Admiralty House at a market rate.

This Government will take the same approach as the previous administration, as set out in my answer of 31 October 2024, Official Report, PQ 10703.

What guidance his Department has issued on who should pay for the cost of (a) water and (b) electricity used in official residences occupied by Ministers.

The Cabinet Office has not issued any such guidance.

Whether the Government plans to establish an Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Deputy Prime Ministers are rightly supported in their role to deliver the additional responsibilities.The Deputy Prime Minister’s responsibilities are set out on Gov.uk and any such plans would be set out in the usual way.

For what reason council tax is not included in the measure of consumer price inflation.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 1st July is attached.

What the Energy Performance Certificate rating is of the Deputy Prime Minister’s residence in Admiralty House.

The residences at Admiralty House are not separately measured for Energy Performance. The Energy Performance Certificate Rating for Admiralty House is B.