Neil O'Brien MP: written questions
507 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Gambling Commission: CostsDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 6 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103400More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, for what reason employment and wage costs have increased at the Gambling Commission since April 2017.
Answer: Since April 2017, the Gambling Commission’s headcount has increased to maintain its capacity and capability to regulate a growing sector, which is subject to heightened public scrutiny. The Commission has also, like other public bodies, awarded its staff ...
Answered 14 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordArts Council England: PayDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 6 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103399More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the drivers of and reasons for the almost trebling of the wage and salary costs of Arts Council England since April 2017.
Answer: Arts Council England (ACE) is an arms-length body of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). As such, ACE is responsible for its own operational matters, including wage and salary costs. Nevertheless, they are in scope of the Cabinet Office an...
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordHM Land Registry: PayMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 6 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103398More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the drivers of and reasons for the doubling of the wage and salary costs of the Land Registry since April 2017.
Answer: HM Land Registry’s Annual Report and Accounts for 2016-17 and 2024-25 respectively show that staff costs for permanent HMLR employees have increased from £168 million to £326 million. The drivers of this increase are a combination of the compound interest...
Answered 16 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordPlanning Inspectorate: PayMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 6 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103397More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the drivers of and reasons for the doubling of the wage and salary costs of the Planning Inspectorate since April 2017.
Answer: The Planning Inspectorate deals with a range of planning and environmental casework from across government including: planning and environmental appeals, including against refusals of planning related applications by Local Planning Authorities and refusal...
Answered 16 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordMining Remediation Authority: PayDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 6 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103396More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the drivers of and reasons for the more than doubling of the wage and salary costs of the Mining Remediation Authority since April 2017.
Answer: Forecast headcount at the Mining Remediation Authority for the end of March 2026 is c460 full time equivalent posts which has increased since April 2017 in line with the growth in the complexity and number of 24/7 incidents. Pay cases submitted by the Min...
Answered 14 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordOfgem: PayDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 6 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103395More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, for what reason wage and salary costs have increased at Ofgem since April 2017.
Answer: Ofgem is governed by its Board (the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority - GEMA) and is directly accountable to Parliament for the performance of its functions and duties. Operational decisions regarding wage and salary costs are a matter for Ofgem.
Answered 14 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordClimate Change Committee: PayDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 6 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103394More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, for what reason wage and salary costs have increased at the Committee on Climate Change since April 2017.
Answer: Pay arrangements for the CCC’s permanent staff are governed by the Cabinet Office pay remit guidance and process. The CCC has a vital role providing independent, expert advice on reducing emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change, and staff ...
Answered 14 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordNuclear Decommissioning Authority: PayDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 6 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103393More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, for what reason employment and wage costs have increased at the Nuclear Decommisioning Authority since April 2017.
Answer: The NDAs mission involves complex and hazardous nuclear decommissioning, requiring advanced technical engineering and project management skills. These roles command higher than average salaries due to scarcity and competition for nuclear expertise. Since ...
Answered 14 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordForestry Commission: StaffDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102836More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Forestry Commission's annual reports for 2017-18 and 2024-25, which teams and roles within the Forestry Commission have expanded since April 2017; and for what re
Answer: 2017/20182024/2025Forestry Commission Staff310560Directors & Senior Civil Servants54Forest Research Staff230417Directors & Senior Civil Servants13Total Staff540977Directors & Senior Civil Servants67Total546984 The information on headcount ...
Answered 21 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordUK Research and Innovation: FinanceDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 18 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 101462More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to Table 2 in the UKRI Budget Allocation, published on 17 December 2025, if she will itemise the wider priorities category of targeted investment in industrial strategy g
Answer: In addition to funding for the Industrial Strategy sectors, UKRI’s allocations towards strategic governmental and societal priorities and innovative company support include dedicated funding for wider priorities. This category is intended to be open to ta...
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Performance AppraisalForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100979More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many and what proportion of staff in each grade were rated in the top performance category in the last year.
Answer: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office employs approximately 17,500 staff across hundreds of locations worldwide, many of which operate with locally managed HR arrangements and procedures. While we are able to say that around 15 per cent of thes...
Answered 9 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordErasmus+ ProgrammeCabinet OfficeTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 101070More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of UK students who will access the Erasmus scheme in 2027-28, 2028-29 and 2029-30.
Answer: We have now concluded negotiations with the European Commission on association to Erasmus+ in 2027. Our commitment covers the 2027/28 academic year. We will now work closely with institutions and our young people to maximise take-up, particularly among di...
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordErasmus+ ProgrammeDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 101069More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of he number of UK students who will access the Erasmus scheme in 2027-28, 2028-29 and 2029-30.
Answer: The UK and European Commission have reached an agreement in principle for the UK’s association to Erasmus+ in 2027.The department expects that over 100,000 people could benefit from mobility and partnership opportunities from participation in 2027. Our im...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Work and Pensions: UK Relations with EUDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 101068More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what funding has been allocated to programmes relating to the UKs relationship with Europe in the (a) 2026-7, (b) 2028-9 and (c) 2029-30 financial years.
Answer: The Department is currently undertaking its internal business planning process, through which it will set programme budgets ahead of the new financial year. Details on DWP budgets are to be published in the explanatory memo for the 2026/27 Main Estimate.
Answered 16 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Education: UK Relations with EUDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 101067More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding has been allocated to programmes relating to the UKs relationship with Europe in the (a) 2026-7, (b) 2028-9 and (c) 2029-30 financial years.
Answer: The European Union is the UK’s largest trading partner, and cooperation with our European partners is, among other issues, central to the government’s work on trade, security, illegal migration, development and climate change, not to mention our support f...
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: UK Relations with EU: FinanceCabinet OfficeTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 101066More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what funding has been allocated to programmes relating to the UKs relationship with Europe in the (a) 2026-7, (b) 2028-9 and (c) 2029-30 financial years.
Answer: The European Union is the UK’s largest trading partner, and cooperation with our European partners is – among other issues – central to the Government’s work on trade, security, illegal migration, development and climate change, not to mention our support...
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office: UK Relations with EUForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 101065More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what funding has been allocated to programmes relating to the UKs relationship with Europe in the (a) 2026-7, (b) 2028-9 and (c) 2029-30 financial years.
Answer: The European Union is the UK's largest trading partner, and cooperation with our European partners is - among other issues - central to the Government's work on trade, security, illegal migration, development and climate change, not to mention our support...
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Disciplinary ProceedingsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100981More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, 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 primary allegatio
Answer: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office employs approximately 17,500 staff across hundreds of locations worldwide, many of which operate with locally managed HR arrangements and procedures. While we are able to say that around 15 per cent of thes...
Answered 9 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Performance AppraisalForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100980More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, 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 the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of payments associated with settlement agreements is set out in the Department's Annual Report and Accounts. Where relevant, this includes special severance pa...
Answered 9 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Career DevelopmentForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100978More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, 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 (i
Answer: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office employs approximately 17,500 staff across hundreds of locations worldwide, many of which operate with locally managed HR arrangements and procedures. While we are able to say that around 15 per cent of thes...
Answered 9 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Sick LeaveForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100977More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, 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
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 3 December to Question 94436.
Answered 9 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: Disciplinary ProceedingsCabinet OfficeTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100976More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, 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 primary allegation related to (A) performance and (B)
Answer: The Cabinet Office does not centrally hold detailed data on all discipline cases required to answer this question.Minor misconduct cases are managed within the line management chain and details are held at that level.Serious and gross misconduct cases are...
Answered 6 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: Redundancy PayCabinet OfficeTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100975More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, 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 the Cabinet Office of payments associated with settlement agreements is set out in Annual Report and Accounts. Please find attached link here Figures for 2025/26 are not yet available as the analysis has not ...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: Performance AppraisalCabinet OfficeTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100974More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many and what proportion of staff in each grade were rated in the top performance category in the last year.
Answer: All CO staff members (in scope) are allocated a performance marking at both the mid (Oct) and end of year (April) points of the performance year as part of their performance reviews.The below table sets out what proportion of staff in each grade were awar...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: Career DevelopmentCabinet OfficeTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100973More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, 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: This data would be 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 would require significant manual work and data ...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament record
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