Charlie Dewhirst MP: written questions
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Written questions
Government Departments: SecondmentCabinet OfficeTabled 7 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22452More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's press notice on start-ups published on 9 December 2024, how will the new secondment scheme differ from previous secondment schemes.
Answer: The scheme will be an inward secondment programme into the Public Sector Reform, Test & Learn team, for public service delivery experts, working near the frontline to help drive public service reform in their field. The scheme will be flexible in term...
Answered 15 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: Public AppointmentsCabinet OfficeTabled 7 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22451More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the new Cabinet Secretary has recused himself from any policy areas.
Answer: Any relevant outside interests for the new Cabinet Secretary will be published in the usual way.The Cabinet Secretary has previously recused himself from aspects related to Infected Blood issues and this remains the case in his current role.
Answered 15 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: Senior Civil ServantsCabinet OfficeTabled 7 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22450More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many members of the senior civil service in his Department have been in post on an interim basis for more than 12 months.
Answer: There are 13 Senior Civil Servants in the Cabinet Office who have been in post on a temporary promotion for more than 12 months as of the 31st of December 2024.
Answered 15 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPermanent Secretary Remuneration CommitteeCabinet OfficeTabled 7 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22449More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 26 November 2024 to Question 14113 on the Permanent Secretary Remuneration Committee, whether decisions on Permanent Secretary remuneration are subject to ministerial (a) review and (b)
Answer: The Prime Minister makes the final decisions on Permanent Secretary remuneration following recommendations made by the Permanent Secretary Remuneration Committee.
Answered 15 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordForeign Investment in UK: National SecurityCabinet OfficeTabled 7 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22448More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department has taken to safeguard British semiconductor firms from hostile foreign involvement; and how many transactions in that sector have been referred to his Department under the National Sec
Answer: The National Security and Investment (NSI) Act 2021 gives the Government powers to scrutinise and potentially intervene in acquisitions of control over entities and assets in or linked to the UK that may pose national security risks. All areas of the econ...
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordForeign Investment in UK: National SecurityCabinet OfficeTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22202More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many transactions have been blocked under the National Security and Investment Act 2021 since 5 July 2024; and which transactions were blocked.
Answer: The Government publishes notices of final orders made on GOV.UK - this includes cases that are blocked, unwound, or cleared subject to conditions. The Government also publishes annual reports to provide information about the transactions that it has been ...
Answered 8 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordGreat British EnergyCabinet OfficeTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22201More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's guidance entitled Public Bodies Handbook – Part 2: The Approvals Process for the Creation of New Arm’s-Length Bodies, whether his Department's public bodies team assessed Great
Answer: The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is working through the approval process, in parallel with the passing of the Great British Energy Bill, to establish Great British Energy (GBE).
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordMinisters: AviationCabinet OfficeTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22200More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much his Department has spent on carbon offsetting for Ministerial travel since 5 July 2024.
Answer: As was the case under the previous administration, the Cabinet Office does not offset business travel, choosing to reduce rather than offset carbon emissions. However, official Prime Ministerial flights are carbon offset as part of the contractual arrange...
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordMinisters: AviationCabinet OfficeTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22199More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether (a) Downing Street and (b) his Department collates information on each (i) domestic and (ii) overseas flight undertaken by (A) the Prime Minister and (B) other Ministers.
Answer: Ministerial travel is undertaken using efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements. Security considerations are also taken into account. As was the practice under the previous Government, information about official overseas ministerial travel will be...
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordCivil Servants: Freedom of InformationCabinet OfficeTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22198More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2024 to Question 15229 on Senior Civil Servants: Freedom of Information, what best practice guidance does the (a) Cabinet Office FOI Clearing House Internal Review and (b) i
Answer: 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...
Answered 8 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: RecruitmentCabinet OfficeTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22197More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2024 to Question 8637 on Cabinet Office: Vacancies, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the length of the application window on the effectiveness the rec
Answer: The vacancy adhered to the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles, which state: “the time allowed for advertising must be suitable for attracting a sufficiently strong and diverse field of applicants, taking account of the nature of the role and ...
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordSenior Civil Servants: RecruitmentCabinet OfficeTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22196More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2024, to Question 5280, on Senior Civil Servants: Recruitment, if he will list each of the (a) job titles and (b) associated unit of the Senior Civil Service roles that were
Answer: I refer the honourable member to the answer provided on 11 November. We are unable to provide a more detailed breakdown without individuals potentially being identifiable.
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: ExpenditureCabinet OfficeTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22195More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's web page entitled Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: spending over £0, published on 10 October 2024, if he will p
Answer: The guiding policy setting out the requirement to only publish GPC transactions over £500 remains in place. Guidance is available to all government departments on gov.uk at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5e8b402686650c1...
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordCivil Servants: DisabilityCabinet OfficeTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22194More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Civil Service fast stream applicants self-declared a disability in each year for which figures are available.
Answer: The Fast Stream campaign data, including data pertaining to applicants with disabilities, is published annually and available on gov.uk.
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordSpecial Advisers: FDACabinet OfficeTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22193More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many special advisers have affiliated to the First Division Association; and whether special advisers are a collective bargaining unit.
Answer: Details of Trade Union memberships are not held by Civil Service employers. I refer to PQ 5303, which confirmed that there are currently no collective bargaining agreements for Special Advisers.
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordEthnic Groups: EqualityWomen and EqualitiesTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22192More
Question: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, pursuant to the answer of 20 November 2024 to Question 14502 on Gender: Equality, what guidance the (a) Civil Service People Group and (b) Office for Equality and Opportunities has produced on whether positive
Answer: In April 2023, the previous government issued guidance on positive action in the workplace (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/positive-action-in-the-workplace-guidance-for-employers/positive-action-in-the-workplace). This sets out the differences...
Answered 13 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic Bodies: ReviewsCabinet OfficeTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22191More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many of the reviews by Departments of public bodies in the financial year 2023/24 as part of the Public Bodies Review Programme (a) have been completed, (b) remain outstanding and (c) have been abandoned.
Answer: Of the 50 public body reviews planned for 2023/24, 34 were completed. Nine remain in progress and seven are currently paused as the team progresses other work to deliver value for money.
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordIndustrial Strategy Advisory Council: Public AppointmentsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22190More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to include appointments to the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council in the Public Bodies Order in Council; and whether the chair appointment will be classified as a significant appoint
Answer: The Industrial Strategy Advisory Council (ISAC) is an independent, non-statutory, expert committee and as such these appointments are not in scope for addition to the Order in Council or Significant Appointments under Cabinet Office guidance. We have comm...
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: StaffCabinet OfficeTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22189More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many staff work in the mission delivery unit; and what its (a) function and (b) remit is.
Answer: The Mission Delivery Unit has c 30 FTE. The core purpose of the Mission Delivery Unit is to advise the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on the delivery of the five Missions.
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordSpecial Advisers: PayCabinet OfficeTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22188More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Special adviser data releases: numbers and costs, November 2024, published on 28 November 2024, for what reason his Department has not published the list o
Answer: As was the case under the previous administration, annual reports on special advisers relate to the preceding financial year.The Annual Report on Special Advisers published on 28 November 2024, therefore relates to the 2023/24 financial year.The 2025 Annu...
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordOfficial Residences: Government Art CollectionDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22187More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2024 to Question 16604 on 11 Downing Street: Art Works, if she will publish a corresponding list of the reference numbers of Government Art Collection works t
Answer: No. It is standard practice, as followed by the previous government, for new ministers to select works from the Government Art Collection for their ministerial offices. All such changes of displays of works from the Government Art Collection constitute 'b...
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordMinisters: Codes of PracticeCabinet OfficeTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22186More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2024 to Question 15193 on Ministers: Code of Practice, for what reason the Prime Minister included the previously removed duty for ministers to comply with international law
Answer: The reference has been reinserted into the Ministerial Code to provide clarity. This does not place any new duties on ministers; it brings together duties which exist elsewhere.
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPrime Minister: Press ConferencesCabinet OfficeTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22185More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, who provided the lectern used by the Prime Minister for his press conference at Pinewood Studios on 5 December 2024.
Answer: The lectern was loaned by the Labour Party.
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: 48 GroupCabinet OfficeTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22184More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has issued guidance to Cabinet colleagues on engagement with the 48 Group.
Answer: No guidance has been issued on engagement with the 48 Group specifically. The Cabinet Office routinely assesses information pertaining to external bodies and groups to guide Ministerial engagement.
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordFirearms: LicensingHome OfficeTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22183More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 13 December 2024 to Question 18268 on Firearms: Licensing, when she last held discussions with (a) the police, (b) gun control groups, (c) the British Shooting Sports Council
Answer: The Home Office regularly meets with the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for firearms licensing and other officers.We also meet with representatives of other relevant stakeholder groups from time to time, including most recently, on 13th January 2025...
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament record
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