Written questions by Holden.

If he will make an estimate of the average number of days for a write-round clearance to be approved by the (a) Parliamentary Business and Legislation Committee and (b) Economic and Domestic Affairs Secretariat since 5 July 2024.

The principle of collective responsibility requires that the privacy of ministerial discussions at Cabinet and its committees should be maintained. It is therefore a long-established precedent that information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet and its committees, including decisions reached via correspondence, is not normally shared publicly.

Whether he plans to take steps to encourage households to have sufficient access to (a) food and (b) other essential supplies for use in emergencies.

Advice for the general public on how to prepare for emergencies is published on GOV.UK. GOV.UK/Prepare provides simple and effective steps that individuals, households and communities can take to be more prepared for a range of emergencies. This advice includes a suggested list of supplies that individuals can consider keeping at home, if they are able, to make it easier for them to manage during an emergency. The list includes items such as bottled water, non-perishable food, baby formula, essential medication, battery or wind up torches and radios and portable powerbanks.

For what reason the public appointment process for the (a) Advisory Committee on Business Appointments and (b) House of Lords Appointments Commission members has been cancelled.

Ministers exercised their rights under the Governance Code on Public Appointments not to appoint any candidates for the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments Chair role. The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster informed the Chair of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) of his decision on 27 February 2025. The letter is available on PACAC’s website: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/46905/documents/242018/default/The outcome of the appointment process for Independent Members to the House of Lords Appointments Commission will be announced once that process has concluded.

With reference to the press notice entitled Appointment of Oli de Botton as the PM’s Expert Adviser on Education and Skills, published on 3 April 2025, whether the Expert Adviser on Education and Skills has been appointed as a (a) special adviser, (b) civil servant, (c) public appointment or (d) as a direct ministerial appointment; and whether that post is remunerated.

Oli de Botton has been appointed as a direct ministerial appointment. The post is remunerated.

With reference to the Answer of 12 April 2025 to Question HL6032 on Arm’s Length Bodies, what Project Seahorse is.

Project Seahorse is exploring delivery options. The Government will set out further details in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 41640 on Government Departments: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution, if he will make it his policy to publish all Government Procurement Card transactions above £0 made by his Department.

All central Government departments are required to publish Government Procurement Card transactions of £500 and over in line with the guidance available to all government departments on gov.uk at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5e8b402686650c18ce2cb541/Procurement_Cards_-_Pan_Government_Policy_V4_06042020.pdf. The Cabinet Office is compliant with this guidance and there are no current plans to change this approach. Following tough action from the Cabinet Office, all Government Procurement Cards have been frozen and only been re-issued where it is clear that these are business critical.

Whether he considered flying the NATO flag from 10 Downing Street on 4 April 2025.

NATO is the cornerstone of our defence, and the UK plays a leading role, having contributed to every NATO mission. To mark NATO Day, the NATO Flag was flown above the FCDO and above the MoD Main Building on 4th April 2025. The Union Flag and Ukrainian flag are flown in Downing Street as default.

With reference to his Department's publication entitled PPN 006: Taking account of Carbon Reduction Plans, updated on 17 April 2025, what estimate he has made of the cost to government procurement of requiring suppliers to deliver Net Zero Carbon Reduction Plans.

The update of 17th April provided no material change to the policy of the PPN, which was published under the previous administration. No assessment was made when the PPN was published in 2021.

Pursuant to the Answer of 18 November 2024 to Question 13820 on Government Departments: Staff, if he will publish the transparency publication guidance referred to in the Answer.

The transparency publication guidance is a technical document, focusing on the procedures for completing the publication template. As it is not policy-related, and is intended for use by an internal audience, it would not be appropriate to publish it.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 41252 on 10 Downing Street: Libraries, whether any Ministers have been asked to donate a book to the Prime Minister's Library since 5 July 2024.

No ministers have been asked to donate a book to the Prime Minister’s library. Ministers are focused on delivering on the Government’s Plan for Change.

Pursuant to the Answer of 22 April 2025 to Question 45018 on Special Advisers: Recruitment, whether the Prime Minister has set a maximum cap on the number of special advisers who can be appointed.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to PQ 45018. The Prime Minister in his Ministerial Code has set out the approach to appointing special advisers.

If she will make an estimate of the average number of days for each write-round clearance to be approved by 10 Downing Street since 5 July 2024.

As under previous governments, it is a long-established precedent that information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet and its committees are not shared publicly.

Which hon. Members have been appointed as Mission Champion by the Government; and what guidance his Department has provided on whether Mission Champions should attend Ministerial meetings.

Mission Champions are a political appointment within the Parliamentary Labour Party; the Cabinet Office has not issued any specific guidance related to Mission Champions. The Ministerial Code sets out the standards of conduct expected of ministers and how they discharge their duties.

If the Government will make it his policy to fly the Middlesex Flag outside Downing Street on Middlesex Day 2025.

There are currently no plans to fly county flags above Downing Street.

If he will list all of the (a) special representatives, (b) envoys and (c) special envoys in post on 25 April 2025, broken down by whether they are (i) special advisers, (ii) civil servants, (iii) public appointments and (iv) direct ministerial appointments.

The Cabinet Office did not have any special representatives, envoys or special envoys in post on 25 April 2025. Other government departments are responsible for their own appointments and representatives.

What estimate he has made of the cost of office solutions across central government; and what framework agreements exist for office stationery and paper.

Value for money in public procurement is essential for the efficient use of government resources​. The Cabinet Office does not hold a central estimate of office solution costs. However, public sector organisations can benefit from procuring office supplies through the Crown Commercial Service's RM6299 Office Solutions agreement. This framework covers various products, including stationery and paper, and streamlines procurement processes ensuring access to competitive pricing.

Whether his Department has issued guidance on the use of Departmental premises for speeches by Ministers.

Any use of departmental premises by Ministers for speeches should be an appropriate use of government resources.

How many new (a) executive agencies, (b) non-departmental public bodies, (c) public corporations and (d) publicly-owned companies (i) have been established since 4 July 2024 and (ii) are due to be established.

As said in my previous answer of 8 January 2025, the Cabinet Office maintains records and oversight of formally established arm’s-length bodies, including executive agencies, non-ministerial departments and non-departmental public bodies. No ALBs have been formally established since 4 July 2024. Records for public corporations and publicly-owned companies are held at departmental level.

Pursuant to the Answer of 6 January 2025 to Question 20702 on Foreign Investment in UK: National Security, if his Department will modify the National Security and Investment Act 2021 annual reporting to ensure a separate categorisation for sectors grouped within Artificial Intelligence.

Transparency is a crucial part of the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act, whilst also balancing commercial and national security considerations. Sectors are reported in line with definitions presented in the Notifiable Acquisition (Specification of Qualifying Entities) Regulations 2021. Acquisitions are often associated with multiple areas of the economy. Information is only gathered at the sector level as the Act does not define more granular areas of the economy.

Whether the previous Cabinet Secretary has received approvals from the Advisory Commission on Business Appointments.

In accordance with the Business Appointment Rules, former Cabinet Secretaries are obliged to submit applications to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments for new appointments or employment that they wish to accept during the two year period following their final day of service.The timing of the publication of advice is for ACOBA, who are operationally independent of the Cabinet Office.