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1490310

	registered interest
	date	18/07/2022
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Special Advisers: Redundancy Pay
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many special advisers appointed by the Cabinet Office to assist his predecessor are entitled to severance payments in financial year 2022-23 under the terms set out in Paragraph 14c of the model contract for special advisers; and what total costs will be incurred by his Department as a result.
	tabling member constituency	Islington South and Finsbury
	tabling member printed	Emily Thornberry
	uin	38569
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2022 answer text <p>Special advisers are employed by the department to which they were appointed to assist their minister, as such the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s special advisers are employed by HM Treasury; the administration of special advisers is however overseen by the Cabinet Office.</p><p>Under paragraph 14b of the Model Contract for Special Advisers, a special adviser’s employment is automatically terminated when their appointing minister ceases to hold the ministerial office to which they were appointed to assist them. Paragraph 14c of the Model Contract details the conditions that apply should a special adviser’s employment end, including eligibility for any severance payments. Paragraph 14c of the Model Contract also sets out that special advisers who are later re-appointed to government must repay their severance pay, less the amount of salary they would have been paid had they been employed during the period between their termination and their re-appointment.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>These arrangements have been in place under successive administrations.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Pursuant to the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 and as part of the government’s policy on open data and transparency, the Cabinet Office routinely publishes an annual report on the numbers and costs of special advisers. The total cost of exit packages, including severance payments, for special advisers are published annually.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency South Derbyshire answering member printed Mrs Heather Wheeler question first answered 22/07/2022 10:37:37 answering member 4053 label Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler
	tabling member	1536 label Biography information for Emily Thornberry

1488517

	registered interest
	date	12/07/2022
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Cabinet Office: Staff
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 12 July to Question 29976, for what reason his Department made payments of (a) £600 to the Active Bystander Training Company on 11 April 2022 and (b) £1,140 to the Plain English Campaign on 19 April 2022.
	tabling member constituency	Islington South and Finsbury
	tabling member printed	Emily Thornberry
	uin	34854
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/07/2022 answer text <p>Purchases questioned were made using the Department’s Electronic Purchasing Card Solution (ePCS), which is our preferred method for low value expenditure.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The requested items were purchased for:</p><p><strong> </strong></p><ol><li><p>Training for 40 staff on how to challenge unacceptable behaviour, with the aim of improving gender equality.</p></li><li><p>Training for new team members on how to draft high quality responses to public and ministerial correspondence.</p></li></ol><p> </p> answering member constituency South Derbyshire answering member printed Mrs Heather Wheeler question first answered 15/07/2022 08:25:45 answering member 4053 label Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler
	tabling member	1536 label Biography information for Emily Thornberry

1486136

	registered interest
	date	04/07/2022
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Cabinet Office: Staff
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many members of (a) his Department's and (b) 10 Downing Street staff have received training from the (i) Active Bystander Training Company and (ii) Plain English Campaign in the 12 months up to the end of June 2022; and what grades those staff were at the time of receiving that training.
	tabling member constituency	Islington South and Finsbury
	tabling member printed	Emily Thornberry
	uin	29976
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/07/2022 answer text <p>This information is not held centrally.</p><p>Cabinet Office has a comprehensive corporate learning and development offer designed to give staff the knowledge and skills required for a modern civil service. Courses offered by the (a) Active Bystander Training Company and (b) Plain English Campaign are not part of the formal corporate learning and development offer provided by Cabinet Office. Over the past 12 months Business Units within the department may have independently procured these training offers.</p><p>I can however confirm that neither of these training offers have been run in 10 Downing Street over the past 12 months.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Derbyshire answering member printed Mrs Heather Wheeler question first answered 12/07/2022 09:57:18 answering member 4053 label Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler
	tabling member	1536 label Biography information for Emily Thornberry

1461460

	registered interest
	date	10/05/2022
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Senior Civil Servants: Free School Meals
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Answer of 27 April to Question 155612 on Senior Civil Servants: Free School Meals, when information from the finalised annual Senior Civil Service Database for 1 April 2022 will be available; and whether the response rates to questions relating to socioeconomic background in that database are expected to reach acceptable quality thresholds.
	tabling member constituency	Islington South and Finsbury
	tabling member printed	Emily Thornberry
	uin	116
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/05/2022 answer text <p>At this time we are unable to confirm when information on Free School Meals will be available from the April 2022 SCS Database, and whether declaration rates for broader SEB measures will reach acceptable quality thresholds.</p><p>The Cabinet Office continues to work with departments to increase response rates across socio-economic background measures.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Derbyshire answering member printed Mrs Heather Wheeler question first answered 16/05/2022 16:12:14 answering member 4053 label Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler
	tabling member	1536 label Biography information for Emily Thornberry

1459963

	registered interest
	date	25/04/2022
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Staff
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people in the UK were employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing industries at the end of the financial year (a) 2020-21 and (b) 2021-22.
	tabling member constituency	Islington South and Finsbury
	tabling member printed	Emily Thornberry
	uin	158884
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2022 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the Rt hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.</p> answering member constituency South Derbyshire answering member printed Mrs Heather Wheeler grouped question UIN 158882 158883 158885 question first answered 28/04/2022 11:17:13 answering member 4053 label Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler
	tabling member	1536 label Biography information for Emily Thornberry

1459964

	registered interest
	date	25/04/2022
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Agriculture
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the total gross value added to the UK economy was from agriculture, forestry and fishing industries during the financial year (a) 2020-21 and (b) 2021-22.
	tabling member constituency	Islington South and Finsbury
	tabling member printed	Emily Thornberry
	uin	158885
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2022 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the Rt hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.</p> answering member constituency South Derbyshire answering member printed Mrs Heather Wheeler grouped question UIN 158882 158883 158884 question first answered 28/04/2022 11:17:13 answering member 4053 label Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler
	tabling member	1536 label Biography information for Emily Thornberry

1459961

	registered interest
	date	22/04/2022
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Processed Food
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister of the Cabinet Office, how many people in the UK were employed in the semi-processed food industries at the end of the financial years (a) 2020-21 and (b) 2021-22.
	tabling member constituency	Islington South and Finsbury
	tabling member printed	Emily Thornberry
	uin	158882
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2022 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the Rt hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.</p> answering member constituency South Derbyshire answering member printed Mrs Heather Wheeler grouped question UIN 158883 158884 158885 question first answered 28/04/2022 11:17:13 answering member 4053 label Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler
	tabling member	1536 label Biography information for Emily Thornberry

1459962

	registered interest
	date	22/04/2022
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Processed Food
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister of the Cabinet Office, what the total gross value added to the UK economy was from semi-processed food industries during the financial year (a) 2020-21 and (b) 2021-22.
	tabling member constituency	Islington South and Finsbury
	tabling member printed	Emily Thornberry
	uin	158883
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2022 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the Rt hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.</p> answering member constituency South Derbyshire answering member printed Mrs Heather Wheeler grouped question UIN 158882 158884 158885 question first answered 28/04/2022 11:17:13 answering member 4053 label Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler
	tabling member	1536 label Biography information for Emily Thornberry

1458761

	registered interest
	date	20/04/2022
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Senior Civil Servants: Gender
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Senior Civil Service database maintained by his department, what proportion of senior civil servants employed across all Government departments at the end of March 2022, described their gender as (a) male and (b) female.
	tabling member constituency	Islington South and Finsbury
	tabling member printed	Emily Thornberry
	uin	156405
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/04/2022 answer text <p>The Declaration on Government Reform and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, 2022-2025, commits the Government to drawing on talent from all backgrounds. Representation is increasing and whilst this trend is positive, we remain committed to improving representation across the broadest range of diversity across our workforce and in particular at our most senior grades.</p><p> </p><p>To build on the progress made over recent years and target where improvement is still needed, the Government will take a holistic approach to SCS recruitment to identify and remove barriers to underrepresented groups entering and progressing in the SCS. There are a number of initiatives aimed at supporting colleagues to reach the Senior Civil Service from a diverse range of backgrounds including the Civil Service Fast Stream, Future Leaders Scheme and Senior Leaders Scheme.</p><p> </p><p>Information on the diversity of the Senior Civil Service for 2022, sourced from the SCS Database, is not yet available. In responding to these PQs we have, therefore, used the latest available finalised annual SCS Database which is as at 1 April 2021.</p><p> </p><p>All figures are a percentage of only those SCS that have made a positive declaration (i.e. they do not include prefer not to say, not known or not applicable responses in the denominator).</p><p> </p><p><strong>SCS by ethnicity, as at 1 April 2021</strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Ethnicity</p></td><td><p>Percentage of SCS (where ethnicity is known)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>White</p></td><td><p>91.8%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Black</p></td><td><p>1.4%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Asian</p></td><td><p>4.2%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Mixed</p></td><td><p>1.8%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Other</p></td><td><p>0.8%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><strong>SCS by age, as at 1 April 2021</strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Age category</p></td><td><p>Percentage of SCS (where age is known)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Below 35</p></td><td><p>4.8%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>35-44</p></td><td><p>34.1%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>45-54</p></td><td><p>38.4%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>55-64</p></td><td><p>21.5%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>65+</p></td><td><p>1.1%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><strong>SCS by sex, as at 1 April 2021</strong></p><p> </p><p>The SCS Database currently only captures data on the sex of individuals. As at 1 April 2021, 47.3% of SCS members, where sex has been provided, were reported as women, with 52.7% reported as men. At present, data is not collected in the SCS database on gender.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Entry year to the Civil Service for SCS, as at 1 April 2021</strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Date of entry</p></td><td><p>Percentage of SCS (where entry date known)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Before 1980</p></td><td><p>1.1%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1980-89</p></td><td><p>11.9%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1990-99</p></td><td><p>16.9%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2000-2009</p></td><td><p>37.7%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010 or later</p></td><td><p>32.4%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><strong>SCS who were members of the Fast Stream, as of 1 April 2021</strong></p><p> </p><p>As at 1 April 2021, 20.4% of SCS members, where Fast Stream status has been provided, responded that they were successful in the Central Fast Stream selection process. This figure will also include members that were successful in applying to the Central Fast Stream after their initial entry to the Civil Service.</p><p> </p><p><strong>SCS holding university degrees, as of 1 April 2021</strong></p><p> </p><p>As at 1 April 2021, 11.2% of SCS, where degree status is known, did not have a university degree.</p><p> </p><p>For those with a degree, where degree status and University is known:</p><ul><li><p>80.1% did not obtain their first degree at Oxford or Cambridge University,</p></li><li><p>63.1% did not obtain their first degree at a non-oxbridge Russell Group university, and</p></li><li><p>56.8% did not obtain their first degree at a non-Russell Group UK university, and</p></li><li><p>98.0% did not obtain their first degree at a non-UK university.</p></li></ul><p> </p><p><strong>SCS by socio-economic background, as of 1 April 2021</strong></p><p> </p><p>Response rates in the SCS Database to questions relating to Socio Economic Background are currently below acceptable quality thresholds. It is therefore not possible to provide data on SCS by :</p><p> </p><ul><li><p>Self-declared socio-economic background;</p></li><li><p>Formal educational qualification of parents;</p></li><li><p>Type of secondary school attended;</p></li><li><p>Parental occupation; and</p></li><li><p>Eligibility for free school meals.</p></li></ul><p> </p> answering member constituency South Derbyshire answering member printed Mrs Heather Wheeler grouped question UIN 155612 155630 155631 155632 155633 155634 155635 155636 155637 155638 155639 question first answered 27/04/2022 16:52:06 answering member 4053 label Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler
	tabling member	1536 label Biography information for Emily Thornberry

1458325

	registered interest
	date	19/04/2022
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Senior Civil Servants: Free School Meals
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Senior Civil Service database maintained by his Department, what proportion of senior civil servants employed across all Government departments at the end of March 2022 said they had been eligible for free school meals during their school years.
	tabling member constituency	Islington South and Finsbury
	tabling member printed	Emily Thornberry
	uin	155612
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/04/2022 answer text <p>The Declaration on Government Reform and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, 2022-2025, commits the Government to drawing on talent from all backgrounds. Representation is increasing and whilst this trend is positive, we remain committed to improving representation across the broadest range of diversity across our workforce and in particular at our most senior grades.</p><p> </p><p>To build on the progress made over recent years and target where improvement is still needed, the Government will take a holistic approach to SCS recruitment to identify and remove barriers to underrepresented groups entering and progressing in the SCS. There are a number of initiatives aimed at supporting colleagues to reach the Senior Civil Service from a diverse range of backgrounds including the Civil Service Fast Stream, Future Leaders Scheme and Senior Leaders Scheme.</p><p> </p><p>Information on the diversity of the Senior Civil Service for 2022, sourced from the SCS Database, is not yet available. In responding to these PQs we have, therefore, used the latest available finalised annual SCS Database which is as at 1 April 2021.</p><p> </p><p>All figures are a percentage of only those SCS that have made a positive declaration (i.e. they do not include prefer not to say, not known or not applicable responses in the denominator).</p><p> </p><p><strong>SCS by ethnicity, as at 1 April 2021</strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Ethnicity</p></td><td><p>Percentage of SCS (where ethnicity is known)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>White</p></td><td><p>91.8%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Black</p></td><td><p>1.4%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Asian</p></td><td><p>4.2%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Mixed</p></td><td><p>1.8%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Other</p></td><td><p>0.8%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><strong>SCS by age, as at 1 April 2021</strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Age category</p></td><td><p>Percentage of SCS (where age is known)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Below 35</p></td><td><p>4.8%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>35-44</p></td><td><p>34.1%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>45-54</p></td><td><p>38.4%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>55-64</p></td><td><p>21.5%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>65+</p></td><td><p>1.1%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><strong>SCS by sex, as at 1 April 2021</strong></p><p> </p><p>The SCS Database currently only captures data on the sex of individuals. As at 1 April 2021, 47.3% of SCS members, where sex has been provided, were reported as women, with 52.7% reported as men. At present, data is not collected in the SCS database on gender.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Entry year to the Civil Service for SCS, as at 1 April 2021</strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Date of entry</p></td><td><p>Percentage of SCS (where entry date known)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Before 1980</p></td><td><p>1.1%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1980-89</p></td><td><p>11.9%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1990-99</p></td><td><p>16.9%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2000-2009</p></td><td><p>37.7%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010 or later</p></td><td><p>32.4%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><strong>SCS who were members of the Fast Stream, as of 1 April 2021</strong></p><p> </p><p>As at 1 April 2021, 20.4% of SCS members, where Fast Stream status has been provided, responded that they were successful in the Central Fast Stream selection process. This figure will also include members that were successful in applying to the Central Fast Stream after their initial entry to the Civil Service.</p><p> </p><p><strong>SCS holding university degrees, as of 1 April 2021</strong></p><p> </p><p>As at 1 April 2021, 11.2% of SCS, where degree status is known, did not have a university degree.</p><p> </p><p>For those with a degree, where degree status and University is known:</p><ul><li><p>80.1% did not obtain their first degree at Oxford or Cambridge University,</p></li><li><p>63.1% did not obtain their first degree at a non-oxbridge Russell Group university, and</p></li><li><p>56.8% did not obtain their first degree at a non-Russell Group UK university, and</p></li><li><p>98.0% did not obtain their first degree at a non-UK university.</p></li></ul><p> </p><p><strong>SCS by socio-economic background, as of 1 April 2021</strong></p><p> </p><p>Response rates in the SCS Database to questions relating to Socio Economic Background are currently below acceptable quality thresholds. It is therefore not possible to provide data on SCS by :</p><p> </p><ul><li><p>Self-declared socio-economic background;</p></li><li><p>Formal educational qualification of parents;</p></li><li><p>Type of secondary school attended;</p></li><li><p>Parental occupation; and</p></li><li><p>Eligibility for free school meals.</p></li></ul><p> </p> answering member constituency South Derbyshire answering member printed Mrs Heather Wheeler grouped question UIN 155630 155631 155632 155633 155634 155635 155636 155637 155638 155639 156405 question first answered 27/04/2022 16:52:06 answering member 4053 label Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler
	tabling member	1536 label Biography information for Emily Thornberry