Written questions by Wood.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 April 2025 to Question 42050 on Registrar of Consultancy Lobbyists, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to allow the Registrar to regulate foreign-based consultant lobbyist firms which lobby politicians in the United Kingdom.

The government is committed to transparency and has already taken a number of steps to restore trust in politics. There are no current plans to bring forward legislative proposals regarding the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists, but this is kept under review.

If he will take steps to reduce delays for applicants to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments.

Over the last year, the Cabinet Office, as the sponsoring department of ACoBA, has supported the Committee’s secretariat to recruit the additional staff required to ensure it is resourced to deliver its core functions to agreed timescales

Pursuant to the Answer of 18 November 2024 to Question 13820 on Government Departments: Staff, whether his Department has met the requirements listed in the Cabinet Office’s transparency publication schedule.

The Cabinet Office’s updated organogram is now available at:https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/ff76be1f-4f37-4bef-beb7-32b259413be1/organogram-cabinet-office

Whether his Department plans to undertake further local or national testing of the mobile phone Emergency Alert service.

In January 2025, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, announced plans for a second national test of the Emergency Alerts system to take place in 2025. This will ensure the system’s effectiveness in providing life-saving alerts to the public during situations where there is a risk to life. As with the first test in April 2023, a test message will be sent to every compatible phone nationwide, preceded by an extensive communications campaign.

With reference to his Department's press release entitled Government-branded merchandise and away days banned, published on 6 April 2025, whether this ban will extend to banning Progress Flag-branded lanyards.

The announcement sets out the requirements for all departments to review their policies on procuring corporate-branded and non-essential merchandise, with a view to restricting future purchases. These stricter rules will permit government merchandise only when essential, for example, in overseas trade and diplomacy, or to promote growth. As also set out in the announcement, these measures will require departments to ensure that external venues for away days are only used when space in government buildings is unavailable. This guidance applies at all staff levels. Staff will continue to be able to wear existing lanyards.

Pursuant to the Answer of 25 November 2024 to Question 15186 on 10 Downing Street: Official Hospitality, whether he plans to provide costs for individual receptions in 10 Downing Street in the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts.

There are no plans to update inherited guidance in order to provide a breakdown of costs for individual receptions in the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts. The cost of hospitality in 10 Downing Street is published in the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts. The approach is in line and follows that of the previous administrations, which did not publish the information in this way.

With reference to his Department's press release entitled Government-branded merchandise and away days banned, published on 6 April 2025, whether this ban will extend to Senior Civil Service away days.

The announcement sets out the requirements for all departments to review their policies on procuring corporate-branded and non-essential merchandise, with a view to restricting future purchases. These stricter rules will permit government merchandise only when essential, for example, in overseas trade and diplomacy, or to promote growth. As also set out in the announcement, these measures will require departments to ensure that external venues for away days are only used when space in government buildings is unavailable. This guidance applies at all staff levels. Staff will continue to be able to wear existing lanyards.

Over what period of time he plans to reduce the size of (a) his Department and (b) the civil service; and what estimate he has made of the net cost saving.

This government is committed to fundamentally reshaping the way the British state delivers and serves working people by becoming more tech-driven, productive, agile and mission-focused. This is a whole of government effort and each department will take its own decision on its individual size and shape. This includes the Cabinet Office which we are reorganising to create a more strategic, specialist, and smaller centre of government, delivering annual savings of £110 million by the financial year 2028/29.

Pursuant to the Answer of 22 April 2025 to Question 45015 on Cabinet Office: Social Media, if he will publish (a) a list of the specific advertisements that were placed, (b) a summary of the content and (c) the target audience for each placement.

As was the case under the previous administration, this information is not routinely published.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025 on diversity staff networks.

The Civil Service remains an inclusive employer and will continue to comply with its legal obligations to all employees. Departments will review their internal policies wherever necessary.

What steps his department is taking with the (a) Office for Equality and Opportunity, (b) Government Property Agency and (c) Government People Group to amend (i) policy or (ii) practice guidance in relation to (A) the Civil Service and (B) government buildings in response to the judgement in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers [2025] UKSC 16.

The Cabinet Office, including the Office for Equality and Opportunity, the Government Property Agency and the Government People Group, has been engaging across the Civil Service, in order to review and update policy and guidance wherever necessary to ensure they comply with the latest legal requirements.

If he will publish individual severance payments made to departing special advisers at pay band Level 4 since July 2024.

It is a longstanding policy not to comment on individuals. The Model Contract for Special Advisers is published online and details the circumstances in which severance is payable. Total severance costs are released in the annual report, which will be published in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 42462 on Cabinet Office: Boston Consulting Group, on what date the Cabinet Office Investment Committee approved the commercial arrangement with Boston Consulting Group that gave rise to expenditure recorded in the Cabinet Office spending transparency data under “CDDO Strategy, Analysis and System Reform”.

The Investment Committee approved the Business Case for CDDO Strategy, Analysis and System Reform in November 2022. Subsequently, a competitive procurement was launched and the contract was awarded to Boston Consulting Group.

With reference to his Department's publication Setting Up a New Arm’s-Length Body (ALB): Guidance for Departments, published on 9 May 2024, whether he plans to revise this guidance.

As announced on 7 April, the government is conducting a review of all arm’s-length bodies to reassess when arm’s-length delivery of public services is appropriate. As part of this review, consideration will be given on whether to update existing Cabinet Office guidance on new ALBs.

Whether white British people can apply to the Civil Service Summer Diversity Internship Programme.

The Fast Stream Summer Diversity Internship Programme was replaced by the Summer Internship Programme in 2023. The Summer Internship Programme is open to any penultimate and final year undergraduates who have the right to work in the UK Civil Service.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 April 2025 to Question 44026 on 9 Downing Street: Repairs and Maintenance, when the Government Property Agency will pay OCS for the works on 9 Downing Street.

The cost and payment date of these works will be published in due course in Cabinet Office transparency returns.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 April 2025 to Question 41297 on 9 Downing Street: Media, if he will publish the business case for the one-off refresh of the facility undertaken in December 2024.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 21 January 2025, Official Report, PQ 25454.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2024 to Question 8814 on Cabinet Office: Trade Union Officials, and with reference to the Freedom of Information Act response with reference FOI2024/14572, if he will publish that response.

A copy of the information released in the response to FOI2024/14572 has been deposited in the House Library.

How many full-time civil servants in the business unit of 10 Downing Street work a four day working week using compressed hours.

I refer the honourable member to the answer given on 10 April 2025 in response to PQ 42051.

Whether his Department has issued guidance on policing announcements during the pre-election purdah period.

The Cabinet Office published guidance on conduct for civil servants during the pre-election period on 20 March. The guidance includes advice on government announcements during the pre-election periodThe guidance can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/election-guidance-for-civil-servants