Every parliamentary written question tabled by Richard Holden this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 2,801–2,820 of 2,912 · this parliament
Whether the Office for National Statistics has made an estimate of the number of registered overseas electors at the 2024 general election.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.A response to the Hon. Gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 26 November is attached.
If he will allow the Civil Service Commission to reply directly to hon. Members by correspondence.
The Civil Service Commission is operationally independent from the government and is already able to respond to correspondence from parliamentarians as it sees fit.
Whether the Office for National Statistics has made an estimate of the (a) number and (b) proportion of people who are potentially in the UK illegally.
The Home Office publishes a statistical release with an overview of people who come to the UK irregularly. It includes those arriving on a small boat across the English Channel, along with some other groups arriving without prior lawful permission. The Office for National Statistics does not publish this information. The most recent Home Office statistics, for the year ending June 2024, are available on gov.uk. As was the case under the previous administration, these statistics should not be used to infer the size of the irregular population in the UK, nor the total number of people entering the UK irregularly.
If she will reimburse police forces with the cost of proposed increases to employer national insurance contributions.
The Government will fully compensate police forces for the impact of the changes to National Insurance Employer contributions.Details on the allocation of this funding will be confirmed at the provisional police settlement in mid-December.
Pursuant to the Answer of 18 September 2004 to Question 4680 on Civil Service, how many staff in the Cabinet Office have no post.
At any point in time, there is likely to be a small number of individuals who have been displaced due to restructures within their business units or, for example, have returned from a loan from another department and their role no longer exists. The exact number changes on a day-to-day basis. These individuals are attached to the Skills Match Hub but remain in their business units and are managed by their line managers to ensure they continue to receive meaningful work and are appropriately supported, while they work through the redeployment process. As was the case under the previous administration, any new vacancies in Cabinet Office cannot be advertised until the role has been reviewed first by the Skills Match Hub for a possible match to anyone currently registered. If there are no suitable candidates registered, the vacancy can then be advertised.
Pursuant to the Answer of 31 October 2024 to Question 8943 on 10 Downing Street: Government Art Collection, what works from the Government Art Collection with what reference numbers have been (a) added to and (b) removed from Downing Street since 5 July 2024.
The Government Art Collection website lists the artworks on display in Downing Street: https://artcollection.dcms.gov.uk/?s=&display=artworkonly&search_place=Downing+Street
How many and what proportion of veterans are over retirement age.
Census data for England and Wales in 2021 and Scotland in 2022 showed that there were approximately 1,071,000 veterans of UK Armed Forces living in Great Britain who were aged 65 years and over, the most relevant age bracket available from the Census data, representing approximately 53% of all veterans. This number and proportion are expected to decrease over time.
Pursuant to the Answer of 4 October 2024 to Question 4699 on Civil Servants: Political Impartiality, whether there have been disciplinary investigations of potential breaches of political impartiality restrictions by campaigning in elections by officials in her Department in the last 18 months.
The information you have requested is not on a central system. Gathering this information would require input from team leaders and will incur disproportionate costs. Within the Civil Service Code and re-iterated within the DWP’s Standards of Behaviour policy, is the statement that all Civil Servants must consistently demonstrate honesty, integrity, objectivity and impartiality in their conduct.
With reference to the Answer of 7 October 2024 to Question HL1058 on Civil Service: Equality, whether the exemptions process applies to arm's length bodies.
Yes. As paragraph 4 of the Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Guidance makes clear, the same exemptions process applies to Civil Service arm’s-length bodies, except the ALB’s Principal Accounting Officer, in consultation with the Board, must authorise the expenditure.
Whether his Department has issued guidance on the minimum length of time since leaving government a previous (a) Minister and (b) senior official can be appointed as (i) an Independent Panel Member and (ii) a Senior Independent Panel Member on a public appointments Advisory Assessment Panel.
The Cabinet Office has not issued guidance on the composition of Advisory Assessment Panels for public appointments that is specifically in relation to ex-ministers and ex-senior officials becoming panel members. However, the Cabinet Office publishes the Governance Code on Public Appointments, which sets out general guidance on Advisory Assessment Panels, including requirements around the independence and political activity of panel members.
Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has made an assessment of the value for money of its contract with Fujitsu Services Ltd for the GDS Digital Service Platforms One Login project prior to agreeing that contract in July 2024.
The GOV.UK One Login programme is subject to regular scrutiny and reporting to assess and ensure project objectives have been met, including through the Government Major Projects Portfolio. The Infrastructure and Projects Authority has provided positive reviews of GOV.UK One Login for the last three years. The programme is also working with the Evaluation Task Force to publish a comprehensive evaluation plan which will assess the programme’s key objectives.The GOV.UK One Login programme has not had a contract with Fujitsu Services Ltd.
What (a) internal and (b) external guidance his Department has produced for Departments on whether Freedom of Information Act requests requesting information on senior civil servants should be disclosed.
The Cabinet Office has not issued either internal or external guidance on whether Freedom of Information Act requests requesting information on senior civil servants should be disclosed. All requests are considered on their own merits in all circumstances.
What assessment she has made of the compliance of the announcement of the new debt rules to the media first with section 9.1 of the Ministerial code.
The announcement on the changes made to the debt fiscal rules was made in the Budget statement on 30th October.
Pursuant to the Answer of 8 October 2024 to Question 5742 on Civil Servants, whether his Department has a policy on recruitment to the civil service in advance of the spending review.
The Government is committed to delivering value for money for the taxpayer. In the Budget, the Chancellor announced a 2% productivity, efficiency, and savings target for all government departments. Decisions on the future size of the Civil Service will form a part of the comprehensive Spending Review. The Government is committed to attracting, retaining and developing the very best talent to create a more efficient and effective civil service that is equipped to deliver the Government’s missions for the UK.
Pursuant to the Answer of 8 November 2024 to Question 10699 on Procurement: National Security, what the topic was of the evaluation that met an exemption under the Act.
The topic of the evaluation which is currently exempt from publication is Defra’s Northern Ireland Programme.
Pursuant to the Answer of 6 November 2024 to Question 12416 on Government Departments: Disclosure of Information, whether it is his policy that Government transparency data should be (a) available and (b) searchable on a new transparency platform.
This Government is fully committed to transparency and to looking at how the range of information published can be improved and made as useful as possible.
On what criteria HMRC awards a contract to provide it with banking services; and whether those criteria include (a) the ownership of the bank and (b) whether the Government owns shares in the bank.
The criteria HMRC uses as a contracting authority to award Government banking services are guided by the Cabinet Office Sourcing Playbook, and for clarity includes the following: Economic & Financial Standing,Security & Accessibility,Management Activity,Social Value, andService Delivery Company structure and ownership is assessed as standard practice, during the Economic & Financial Standing evaluation. Further information on the Award stage criteria for the procurement of the Government banking services is available at: https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/008993-2024
With reference to the Answer of 7 October 2024 to Question HL1058 on Civil Service: Equality, whether Departments are required to report exemptions to his Department.
Yes. Departments are required to report exemptions under the Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Guidance to the Cabinet Office.
Pursuant to the Answer of 9 October 2024 to Question 5291 on Cabinet Office and Prime Minister: Travel, if he publish his Department's intranet guidance.
The Cabinet Office does not publish its intranet guidance for Travel policy in the public domain as it is intended for internal staff use only.
Pursuant to the Answer of 9 October 2024 to Question 5290 on Civil Servants: Trade Union Officials, whether he plans to (a) collate and (b) publish data on trade union facility time after the repeal of the Trade Union Act 2016.
I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to the answer given to PQ 5290 on 11 September 2024.