Written questions by Wood.

How many days’ notice the House of Lords Appointments Commission was given to clear and undertake due diligence in relation to the appointment of Baroness Gustafsson of Chesterton.

The House of Lords Appointment Commission vets all nominations for life peerages to ensure the highest standards of propriety. The process for vetting nominations of those who are intended to serve as Ministers is the same as the process for all other nominations for life peerages. While the Government does not comment on individual appointments, it is sometimes the case that the nomination and vetting process of ministerial appointments to the House of Lords is completed on an expedited timeline.

Whether the Prime Minister has taken steps to reduce his business travel since 4 July 2024.

Travel plans will always vary and are decided with consideration of the best use of a Minister’s time and in the interests of the taxpayer. Security considerations are also taken into account.As was the practice under the previous Administration, information about official overseas ministerial travel will be published as part of the Cabinet Office transparency returns and made available on gov.uk.

Pursuant to the Answer of 26 November 2024 to Question 14113 on the Permanent Secretary Remuneration Committee, whether Permanent Secretaries on the Committee are bound by its decisions on remuneration, and what mechanisms are in place to manage potential conflicts of interest.

The role of the Permanent Secretary Remuneration Committee (PSRC) is to provide an annual independent assessment about the performance of individual Permanent Secretaries and make recommendations to the Prime Minister on pay awards for Permanent Secretaries. The Cabinet Secretary and other Permanent Secretary members of the Committee are bound by the Prime Minister’s decisions on pay. To prevent any conflicts of interest, the non-civil servant members of the Committee make proposals on the performance of the Cabinet Secretary and other Permanent Secretary Committee members.

How many Senior Civil Service roles in the Cabinet Office have been permanently filled by people who were initially appointed on an interim or temporary basis by grade in the last 12 months.

Since 24 March 2024, 7 Senior Civil Service roles in the Cabinet Office have been permanently filled by people who were initially appointed on an interim or temporary basis in the last 12 months.

Pursuant to the Answer of 10 January 2025 to Question 21347 on Conditions of Employment, whether his Department has issued guidance on non-contingent labour contract which explains that direction on their use.

The Cabinet Office does not have guidance on non-contingent labour contracts as this is not a generally used term.

Pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2023 to Question 6096 on Public Appointments, what his Department's timetable is for considering whether to implement the previous Government's commitments made in the report entitled Strengthening Ethics and Integrity in Central Government, published in July 2023, CP 900.

As set out in my previous Written Answer on 22 October 2024 (PQ 6096), we are still considering whether the commitments made by the previous administration are sufficient and appropriate for meeting the Committees’ recommendations. We will provide a further update in due course.

If he will make it his policy to ensure that transparency returns from his Department include an indicative value of any hospitality received.

The Ministerial Code already requires ministers to declare the estimated value, where possible, of any hospitality received above de minimus levels. As has been the case under successive administrations, special advisers and senior officials are not required to declare the value of hospitality received.

Whether his Department plans to bring forward a new official statistics order to include the Regulatory Innovation Office.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon. Member's Parliamentary Question of 23rd March is attached.

Pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2025 to Question 22459 on Honours, if he will publish that guidance.

New guidance on ministerial involvement in the Honours System will be issued in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 February 2025 to Question 30683 on Cabinet Office: Media, how many staff are assigned to the New Media Unit; what grades they are assigned at; and whether this includes special advisers.

The New Media Unit is currently made up of departmental loans while it is in its initial phase. There are no special advisers assigned to the New Media Unit. Recruitment for its permanent structure is ongoing.

If he will publish a list of every Arm’s Length Body that exists as of January 2025.

The Cabinet Office publishes an annual ALB Landscape Analysis around a year in arrears. The most recently published ALB Landscape Analysis was published on 17 December 2024 and is available here. The list of every Arm's Length Body that exists as of January 2025 is due to be published in 2026.

What equality, diversity and inclusion courses are provided by Civil Service Learning.

The only cross Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) course provided through the Cabinet Office’s central training contracts is Civil Service Expectations.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2025 to Question 24253 on Cabinet Office: Equality, which diversity and inclusion (a) days and (b) weeks and (c) months were marked from July 2024 to December 2024 inclusive.

As has been the case under previous administrations, the Cabinet Office marks a range of events throughout the year. During the period from July 2024 to December 2024 inclusive, this included marking events such as Rosh Hashanah, Black History Month, National Inclusion Week, and Inter Faith Week. These events were marked through a range of means that included intranet articles, panel events, internal newsletters, and network events.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2025 to Question 29029 on FCDO: Speeches, what guidance his Department has issued on whether substantive and scripted Ministerial speeches in government buildings which are not ministerial residences can include party political content where such speeches are being broadcast live using government resources.

As outlined in the Ministerial Code, Government property should not generally be used for work that is in its essential nature about constituency or party political activities. The Permanent Secretary at the FCDO has explained that the essential nature of the speech in question was not party political. In line with the Government Communication Service Propriety & Ethics guidance, party political messaging should be removed before publication on gov.uk and was in this case.

With reference to his Department's guidance entitled Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Guidance, published on 14 May 2024, whether any exemptions have been approved since 30 May 2024.

One exemption has been approved by the Permanent Secretary to the Cabinet Office.Details of external EDI expenditure will be reported in due course, as per the EDI Expenditure Guidance requirements.

Pursuant to the Answer of 26 November 2024 to Question 14769 on Civil Servants: Secondment, which of the recommendations from the Boardman report which have not been implemented will not be taken forward by the Cabinet Office.

The 2021 Boardman report recommended the interchange of resources between government and the private sector. We are committed to promoting the recruitment of external employees into roles in government at all levels of the Civil Service to fill critical skill gaps. A number of secondments programmes have been set up across government to bring in critical skills across a range of sectors, to include the private sector, enabling talented individuals from outside the Civil Service to contribute to the work of Government.For example, the Digital and Data profession launched the Digital Secondments Programme. Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s (DSIT) Expert Exchange programme brings in experts for a variety of roles, including digital, technology and AI, and GO-Science is exploring a scheme to bring greater scientific expertise into policymaking roles through STEM futures. More broadly, this government is committed to restoring honesty and integrity in public life and has already introduced a number of changes to strengthen standards across government. This includes issuing a new Ministerial Code which highlights the importance of the principles of public life, strengthening the terms of reference for the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards, and introducing a new monthly Register of Ministers’ Gifts and Hospitality. We will continue to take necessary and proportionate steps in this area.

Whether Downing Street special advisers have met with Quadrature since 5 July 2024.

In line with longstanding process, relevant meetings are declared in the Special Advisor transparency publications.

Pursuant to the Answer of 31 October 2024 to Question 10701 on Special Advisers: Workplace Pensions, whether special advisers have been informed of the consequences to their pensions of leaving service before two years’ of tenure in the Alpha pension scheme.

Special Advisers are provided with guidance regarding Civil Service Pension schemes during onboarding and offboarding, as well as throughout their tenure. This includes details of leaving the scheme within two years. Special Advisers are also directed to published Civil Service Pension scheme resources.

How many Downing Street civil servants, excluding special advisers, were permitted to attend the 2024 Labour Party conference.

Civil servants are prohibited from attending party conferences in an official capacity, except in very exceptional circumstances when their presence may be required to carry out essential departmental business unconnected with the conference.

With reference to the report entitled Greening Government Commitments April 2021 to March 2024, published on 20 February 2025, what methodologies his Department uses to (a) collect and (b) collate data on (i) TCO2e emissions on domestic flights and (ii) the distance travelled in km for international flights.

DEFRA sets these methodologies through yearly carbon indices across government, including for the Cabinet Office, in line with the Greening Government Commitments.