Written questions by Olney.

Whether he plans to publish a response to the report by the National Audit Office entitled Investigation into the administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme, published on 16 June 2025, HC 951.

The government does not plan to publish a formal, separate response to the National Audit Office (NAO) report, Investigation into the administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme, HC 951, published on 16 June 2025. The government has acknowledged and accepted the findings of the report. The report is also being reviewed by the Public Accounts Committee who will provide their recommendations in due course. It should be noted that the government has taken significant steps to improve both the oversight and enforcement of performance standards in the Civil Service Pension Scheme administration, primarily through the new contract with Capita and enhanced internal controls. Capita has been contracted to assume full administrative responsibilities from 1 December 2025.

Whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of redundancy plans for civil servants working at grades (a) AA/AO, (b) EO, (c) HEO/SEO, (d) G6/G7 and (e) SCS in each Government department.

Each department will take a decision on its individual size and shape as per the financial settlements that have now been agreed with HMT in the Spending Review.

When he expects all payments by the Infected Blood Compensation Authority to eligible people to be made.

The recently published Framework Document sets out the timelines agreed between IBCA and Cabinet Office; namely for the bulk of infected people to be paid no later than the end of 2027 and the bulk of affected people to be paid no later than the end of 2029. I do not regard those as targets. I regard those as backstops, and the objective should absolutely be to pay as soon as possible.IBCA is committed to opening the full compensation service to all those eligible as soon as possible. Whilst the roll out of the scheme is an operational decision for IBCA as an independent body, I fully support their commitment to moving forward as swiftly as possible and as the Minister, I stand ready to help and assist in any way I can to speed up the payments.

What proportion of eligible people have received compensation from the Infected Blood Compensation Authority.

Due to the nature of the Infected Blood scandal there is uncertainty over the number of people, especially those affected, who might be eligible for compensation. The final number of eligible people will ultimately depend on the number of victims who come forward.As of 6 May 2025, 677 people have been contacted to begin the claims process, with 432 of those starting their claim. 160 offers of compensation have been made, totalling over £150m, and 106 payments have been made, totalling £96,608,906.

How many people (a) infected and (b) impacted by the infected blood scandal have (i) been invited to make a claim, (ii) been offered compensation and (iii) received compensation.

As of 6 May 2025, 677 infected people have been contacted to begin the claims process, with 432 of those starting their claim. 160 offers of compensation have been made, totalling over £150m, and 106 payments have been made, totalling £96,608,906.

Whether benefits advisors are classified as civil servants for the purposes of the regulated period ahead of an election.

Section 4.4 of the Civil Service Management Code sets out restrictions on civil servants with regard to political activity, including examples of roles that fall into the politically restricted category. This category includes members of the Senior Civil Service and civil servants at levels immediately below the Senior Civil Service, plus members of the Fast Stream Development Programme.A civil servant is normally defined as someone who is employed by the Crown to work for a Civil Service body.

Which job roles are restricted on involvement in political campaigning during the short campaign of an election.

Section 4.4 of the Civil Service Management Code sets out restrictions on civil servants with regard to political activity, including examples of roles that fall into the politically restricted category. This category includes members of the Senior Civil Service and civil servants at levels immediately below the Senior Civil Service, plus members of the Fast Stream Development Programme.A civil servant is normally defined as someone who is employed by the Crown to work for a Civil Service body.

Which roles the Government classifies as civil servants for the purposes of short campaign election regulation.

Section 4.4 of the Civil Service Management Code sets out restrictions on civil servants with regard to political activity, including examples of roles that fall into the politically restricted category. This category includes members of the Senior Civil Service and civil servants at levels immediately below the Senior Civil Service, plus members of the Fast Stream Development Programme.A civil servant is normally defined as someone who is employed by the Crown to work for a Civil Service body.

What steps his Department is taking to remove barriers to young people in the UK wishing to study and work in the EU.

The Government recognises the value to young people of the opportunity to experience different cultures and work or study elsewhere. UK nationals can travel visa-free to the EU, for example for short-term study, for up to 90 days in a rolling 180-day period. If travelling for the purposes of work, they may need permission from the relevant Member State.The Government introduced the Turing Scheme in 2021, which provides grants for students to study and work anywhere in the world, including Europe, supporting tens of thousands of UK students since its launch.

What progress his Department has made on the review to look at government wide reform at a local level led by the Parliamentary Secretary.

The Government is committed to reforming the state to deliver better public services which revolve around the needs of the users. At the heart of those reforms is a place-based approach. A significant programme of work is underway with departments, local authorities, leaders, frontline staff and others to strengthen and embed this way of working across government. The work underway includes the £100 million Public Service Reform and Innovation Fund, which will be deploying Test and Learns teams around the country over the next three years to design and test innovative solutions to our biggest public service challenges in partnership with local places – and ensuring that local learning informs national policy decisions. The Government will also use the significant opportunity presented by the Spending Review to reform our public services.

What steps his Department is taking to help ensure the security of domestic elections from foreign interference.

Protecting the UK and our democratic processes from foreign interference is a priority for this Government and we have a number of mechanisms in place to do this. The National Security Act 2023 provides the security services and law enforcement agencies with the tools they need to deter, detect, and disrupt state threats. The Joint Election Security and Preparedness Unit (JESP) works between the Cabinet Office and the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) to coordinate election security and preparedness activity within government and externally. This includes working with the devolved administrations, local authorities and the Electoral Commission. The Government's Defending Democracy Taskforce, chaired by the Security Minister, is focused on safeguarding our democracy from the full range of threats including foreign interference. The Government has also committed to enhancing the safeguards against foreign funding of election campaigns and will be bringing forward proposals in due course.

What steps he is taking to improve relations with the European Union.

The Government is resetting the relationship with our European friends to strengthen ties and tackle shared challenges. The Prime Minister and President of the European Commission have agreed to strengthen the relationship between the EU and UK, putting it on a more solid, positive and forward-looking relationship . I am taking forward discussions with my EU counterpart, Vice President Maroš Šefčovič.

What steps his Department is taking to help reduce trade barriers with the EU.

The Government is committed to resetting our EU relationship, including by reducing barriers to trade. We will seek a sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement to reduce unnecessary border checks and mutual recognition for professional qualifications, as well as helping our touring artists. We look forward to exploring these issues with our partners in the EU.

If he will have discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of a youth mobility system between the United Kingdom and European Union.

The Government set out clear priorities for the reset with the EU in the manifesto. There are no plans for a Youth Mobility Scheme