Neil O'Brien MP: written questions 2025

425 published records · newest first.

Written questions

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Redundancy PayMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100472More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the total cost was for (a) settlement agreements and (b) special severance payments made to departing staff from his Department in the last year.
Answer: Any payments made in each Financial Year relating to settlement agreements, which includes special severance payments associated with settlement agreements where relevant, will be published in the relevant Annual Report and Accounts.For the last financial...
Answered 23 Dec 2025
Original Parliament record
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Performance AppraisalMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100471More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of his Department's staff in each grade were rated in the top performance category in the last year.
Answer: The department operates a rating-less system for Performance & Development and as such the information requested is not available.
Answered 22 Dec 2025
Original Parliament record
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Career DevelopmentMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100470More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of staff in his Department were promoted (a) in-grade and (b) to a higher grade in the last year broken down by (i) performance marking in the previo
Answer: The information is not held centrally in the format requested and could only be provided at a disproportionate time and cost.
Answered 22 Dec 2025
Original Parliament record
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Sick LeaveMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100469More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the average number of working days lost to sickness absence per full-time equivalent member of staff was in (a) the Department and (b) its executive agencies in the last yea
Answer: Sickness absence data for the Civil Service, including departmental breakdowns is published annually, and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sickness-absence. The department is not responsible for collecting or maintaining perfor...
Answered 5 Jan 2026
Original Parliament record
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Disciplinary ProceedingsDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100468More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, in the past twelve months, how many disciplinary cases were concluded against civil servants in (a) the Department and (b) its agencies broken down by (i) outcome and (ii) whether the p
Answer: Data on the number of Disciplinary/Conduct cases and Performance cases which have concluded and had an outcome recorded in DSIT and its 4 Executive Agencies in the 12 months to December 2025 are provided in the table below.Figures reflect only cases where...
Answered 22 Dec 2025
Original Parliament record
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Redundancy PayDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100467More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what the total cost was of (a) settlement agreements and (b) special severance payments made to departing staff in the last year.
Answer: For the last financial year, the total cost to DSIT of payments associated with settlement agreements is set out in the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dsit-annual-report-and-accounts-2024-to-2025Where r...
Answered 22 Dec 2025
Original Parliament record
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Performance AppraisalDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100466More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many and what proportion of staff in each grade were rated in the top performance category in the last year.
Answer: The table below sets out, by grade, the number of staff in DSIT recorded as having been assessed as ‘Exceeding’ – the highest performance rating for SCS and DSIT delegated grade staff – at the end of the most recent full reporting year (31 March 2025). It...
Answered 22 Dec 2025
Original Parliament record
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Career DevelopmentDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100465More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many and what proportion of staff were promoted (a) in-grade and (b) to a higher grade in the last year broken down by (i) performance marking in the previous year and (ii) grade.
Answer: The latest data held centrally are set out in the Table below.They refer to DSIT staff who were promoted to higher grade within the Department during the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 and who were DSIT employees throughout that year.The data exclud...
Answered 22 Dec 2025
Original Parliament record
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Sick LeaveDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100464More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what the average number of working days lost to sickness absence per full-time equivalent member of staff was in (a) the Department and (b) its executive agencies in the last year; and
Answer: Sickness absence data for the Civil Service, including departmental breakdowns, are published annually and are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sickness-absenceThe requested data on formal warnings are not held centrally in a repo...
Answered 22 Dec 2025
Original Parliament record
Department for Business and Trade: Senior Civil ServantsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100379More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 12 December 2025 to Question 96808 on Department for Business and Trade: Career Development, how many and what proportion of Senior Civil Servants were rated in each of the bo
Answer: The last complete performance year for SCS ran between 1st April 2024 and 31st March 2025. The proportion of ratings against each performance rating (Exceeding, High Performing, Achieving and Partially Met) are detailed below.Rating%Number of SCS Exceedin...
Answered 5 Jan 2026
Original Parliament record
Met Office: FinanceDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 15 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99882More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the DSIT Main Estimate memoranda for the years 2024 to 2025 and 2025 to 2026, for what reason there has been an increase in the capital spending allocated to the Met O
Answer: The movement in capital spending allocated to the Met Office reflected the latest plans for the delivery of the new supercomputer milestones.
Answered 18 Dec 2025
Original Parliament record
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Public ExpenditureDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 15 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99881More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to DSIT Main Estimate memorandum 2025 to 2026, if she will provide a breakdown of past and planned capital spending in the category of 'Science and Society'; and for what
Answer: For 2024/25 the total capital spend on Research and Development (R&D) in the category of Science and Society was £111.4m and for 2023/24 was £109.9m. £216.8m spend is planned for 2025/26 as presented within the Main Estimate for 2025/26. Science and S...
Answered 18 Dec 2025
Original Parliament record
Ministry of Defence: Disciplinary ProceedingsMinistry of DefenceTabled 15 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99856More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, in the past twelve months, how many disciplinary cases were concluded against civil servants in (a) his Department and (b) its agencies broken down by (i) outcome and (ii) whether the primary allegation related t
Answer: It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the hon. Member's Question. I will write to him when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.
Answered 23 Dec 2025
Original Parliament record
Ministry of Defence: Redundancy PayMinistry of DefenceTabled 15 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99855More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost was of (a) settlement agreements and (b) special severance payments made to departing staff in the last year.
Answer: It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the hon. Member's Question. I will write to him when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.
Answered 23 Dec 2025
Original Parliament record
Ministry of Defence: Performance AppraisalMinistry of DefenceTabled 15 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99853More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of staff in each grade were rated in the top performance category in the last year.
Answer: It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the Hon. Member's Question. I will write to him when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.
Answered 23 Dec 2025
Original Parliament record
Ministry of Defence: Career DevelopmentMinistry of DefenceTabled 15 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99851More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of staff were promoted (a) in-grade and (b) to a higher grade in the last year by (i) performance marking in the previous year and (ii) grade.
Answer: It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the hon. Member's Question. I will write to him when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.
Answered 23 Dec 2025
Original Parliament record
Ministry of Defence: Sick LeaveMinistry of DefenceTabled 15 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99849More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average number of working days lost to sickness absence per full-time equivalent member of staff was in (a) his Department and (b) its executive agencies in the last year; and how many formal performance
Answer: It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the hon. Member's Question. I will write to him when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.
Answered 23 Dec 2025
Original Parliament record
Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Disciplinary ProceedingsDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 15 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99847More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many disciplinary cases were concluded against civil servants in (a) her Department and (b) its agencies by (i) outcome and (ii) whether the primary allegation related to (A) performance and
Answer: In the last 12 months, there have been 6 disciplinary cases that have concluded within DCMS. All related to an allegation of misconduct. We cannot provide the outcome of closed disciplinary cases. Doing so would breach the Data Protection Act and risk ide...
Answered 18 Dec 2025
Original Parliament record
Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Redundancy PayDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 15 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99845More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the cost was of (a) settlement agreements and (b) special severance payments made to departing staff in the last year.
Answer: For the last financial year, the total cost to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport of payments associated with settlement agreements is set out in Annual Report and Accounts. Where relevant, this includes special severance payments that have assoc...
Answered 18 Dec 2025
Original Parliament record
Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Performance AppraisalDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 15 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99844More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many and what proportion of staff in each grade were rated in the top performance category in the last year.
Answer: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport operates a continual performance management approach throughout the year, which includes data on those not meeting performance expectations through the Managing Poor Performance process. There is no common defin...
Answered 8 Jan 2026
Original Parliament record
Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Career DevelopmentDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 15 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99843More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many and what proportion of staff were promoted (a) in-grade and (b) to a higher grade in the last year by (i) performance marking in the previous year and (ii) grade.
Answer: This information is not held centrally. This data is difficult to present due to there being no definition of an “in-grade promotion” and limited data on staff who go on promotion to another department. Collation and presentation of this data could potent...
Answered 18 Dec 2025
Original Parliament record
Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Sick LeaveDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 15 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99842More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the average number of working days lost to sickness absence per full-time equivalent member of staff was in (a) her Department and (b) its executive agencies in the last year; and how many f
Answer: Sickness absence data for the Civil Service, including departmental breakdowns is published annually, and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sickness-absence.The next update will be for the year ending 31st March 2025.
Answered 18 Dec 2025
Original Parliament record
Treasury: Disciplinary ProceedingsTreasuryTabled 11 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99246More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many disciplinary cases were concluded against civil servants in (a) her Department and (b) its agencies by (i) outcome and (ii) whether the primary allegation related to (A) performance and (B) conduct in the l
Answer: HMT don’t hold the information for disciplinary cases in agencies. Where there is an issue in staff performance, HMT have a managing poor performance policy to manage any concerns. Our disciplinary policy covers issues with conduct. In the last twelve mon...
Answered 19 Dec 2025
Original Parliament record
Treasury: Redundancy PayTreasuryTabled 11 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99245More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the cost was of (a) settlement agreements and (b) special severance payments made to departing staff in the last year.
Answer: There have been zero settlement agreements made to departing staff in the last year.
Answered 18 Dec 2025
Original Parliament record
Treasury: Performance AppraisalTreasuryTabled 11 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99244More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of staff in each grade were rated in the top performance category in the last year.
Answer: Performance management reviews are conducted in accordance with the relevant policies and procedures within HM Treasury. The table below presents the percentage of staff in each grade who achieved the highest performance rating in the 2024–25 end-of-year ...
Answered 19 Dec 2025
Original Parliament record

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