Tag: Cabinet Office

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 2 July 2026.

The appointment of an Independent Reviewer of the Use of Non-corporate Communications Channels in Government.

The Government is committed to maintaining the highest standards of information security, transparency, propriety, and record-keeping. These standards are essential to ensure public trust in how we make decisions. 

In recent years, the way we all communicate has changed considerably, including across the public sector. The Government recognises there is a need for greater clarity over the use of non-corporate communication channels (NCCCs) – such as personal messaging apps and e-mails- for Government business to remain secure and for decisions to be recorded appropriately.  It is important that we strike the right balance between transparency and accountability alongside operational efficiency and information security.  

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, the Rt Hon Darren Jones MP, has appointed Professor Sir Anthony Finkelstein CBE as the Independent Reviewer of the use of Non-corporate Communications Channels in Government.  Sir Anthony will examine the human, organisational, legal and technical factors involved when officials, advisers and Ministers use non-corporate communication channels for work.

The Independent Review of the Use of Non-corporate Communications Channels in Government will:

• Define NCCCs within the context of government business;
• Cover the use of disappearing messages and similar auto-deletion features;
• Identify security risks related to NCCCs
• Make practical and actionable recommendations concerning NCCCs to  improve the Government’s record-keeping.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 30 June 2026.

Four new Commissioners appointed as part of the Civil Service Commission.

Patricia Gallan QPM, Thomas Goldsmith, Susan Lapworth and Baroness Hunt of Bethnal Green have been appointed as Commissioners as part of the Civil Service Commission with their terms to commence from 1 July 2026 (Thomas Goldsmith’s term will commence from 1 November 2026). Together they bring valuable skills and experience from a range of sectors.

Patricia Gallan has also been appointed as the Commission’s Link Commissioner for Scotland.

The Civil Service Commission is an independent statutory body, which oversees appointments to the Civil Service, ensuring that they are made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition. Commissioners also promote and hear appeals brought under the Civil Service Code.

Following an open competition, the new Civil Service Commissioners have been recommended by the Prime Minister and subsequently approved by HM The King.

Baroness Gisela Stuart, the First Civil Service Commissioner, said:

Patricia, Ruth, Susan, and Tom bring a wealth of leadership experience from a range of sectors to our work as the independent regulator for Civil Service recruitment.

Their experience and expertise will benefit our work across the entire civil service career lifecycle; from ensuring fair, merit based entry, to providing assurance that exit maintains the integrity of government via the Business Appointment Rules.

I look forward to them joining our board of Commissioners. Together, we will work to maintain a Civil Service appointed on merit, with the skills needed to deliver public services across the country.

The new Commissioners announced today have joined the Commission for a 5 year, non-renewable term. Commissioners work part-time, typically between 4 and 8 days a month.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 29 June 2026.

Over 450 Blue Badges have been cancelled after findings show permits issued to deceased residents were still being used.

• 459 unauthorised Blue Badges cancelled in Wirral Council, saving over £363,000 for the taxpayer.
• Potentially fraudulent permits identified with a data matching tool through the Public Sector Fraud Authority’s National Fraud Initiative.
• Nationally, the estimated value of Blue Badges cancelled was over £34 million across the past two years.

Over 450 Blue Badges have been cancelled after findings show permits issued to deceased residents were still being used. This joint operation between the Public Sector Fraud Authority and Wirral Council protects parking spaces for those who truly need them and has saved taxpayers over £363,000 between 2024-2025.

Blue Badges give disabled people access to parking where they need it most, with every fraudulent badge denying that access to someone in genuine need. In the last two years, the estimated value of Blue Badges cancelled across the country was over £34 million, as the government is now finding and stopping fraud faster than ever before.

The government’s National Fraud Initiative matched Wirral Council data against central government records held by the Department for Work and Pensions. By cross-referencing these matches to internal records, the investigation team generated a high-priority ‘hotlist’, leading to the cancellation of 459 badges potentially being used fraudulently, with a loss prevention value of over £363,000. 

Traffic wardens in the Wirral will now conduct targeted patrols including roads near local schools, with powers to confiscate badges on the spot. Residents misusing badges following the death of the badge holder face formal warning letters and fines of up to £1,000.

Cabinet Office Minister Satvir Kaur said:

Blue Badges are a lifeline for disabled people, allowing them to go about their daily business safely and with dignity. Every time a badge is misused, it unfairly deprives someone in genuine need of a vital parking space right when they need it most.

By working closely with Wirral Council, we are ensuring those in need are properly supported and taxpayer money is protected.

Wirral Council leader and Chair of the Policy and Resources Committee, Cllr Paula Basnett, said:

The Blue Badge scheme is an important means of support for some of our most vulnerable residents, but sadly it seems it has become subject to an acceptable level of misuse across the country.  

Our response in Wirral has been to use all the tools at our disposal to conduct a proactive, intelligence-led operation, which is backed up with a stronger enforcement strategy. This includes giving traffic wardens the power to immediately cancel and remove illegally used badges and issue warning letters with the potential for fines up to £1,000.

We have also been collaborating closely with our neighbouring Council in Liverpool to support the management of formal prosecutions. This demonstrates our joined-up approach to tackling fraud locally.

This builds on work done by the government to fight fraud across the public sector, with £7.53 billion saved for the taxpayer over the past year due to our efforts to identify and dismantle fraud across both central and local government.

These measures are part of our long-term commitment to reduce the estimated £55 billion to £81 billion lost annually to fraud and error across government, as we create a more productive and agile state.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 12 June 2026.

Community change-makers up and down the country are being celebrated in His Majesty The King’s Birthday Honours List today, with 1,182 recipients awarded from every part of the UK.

These recipients have contributed significantly to their communities, going above and beyond in delivering positive change to benefit others. 

Their involvement in their local areas includes fostering children in need, alleviating hygiene poverty and fundraising to improve services for special educational needs.    

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

Across the UK, people are quietly changing lives and strengthening their communities. This Honours List is a chance to recognise them.

Their dedication shows how lasting change is built – through compassion, resilience and a commitment to others.

It speaks to the decent, hopeful country we are proud to be, and on behalf of the whole nation, I want to say thank you.

Recipients being honoured today include Dame Helen Mirren and Sir Donald McCullin who are being made Members of the Order of the Companion of Honour. Professor Parveen Kumar receives a Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire for services to Global Medical Education and Health.  

Charlotte Tilbury receives a CBE for her services to the Beauty and Cosmetics Industry and Julius O’Riordan (Judge Jules) is awarded an MBE for services to Music, to Entertainment Law and to Young People. 

The oldest recipient on the List is Pauline Hough, who at 101 years old receives a BEM for services to theatre and to the community in Nantwich. 

At 20 years old, Michelle Agyemang is the youngest recipient, who is one of the Euros winning Lionesses on the list. She is receiving her MBE for services to Association Football, alongside her teammates Jess Carter, Hannah Hampton, Lauren James, Chloe Kelly and Alessia Russo.   

It is also very encouraging to see that this year there is an increased number of recipients from an ethnic minority background at 11.5%, together with an increased representation of those with disabilities at 15.6%.

Arts

Patrick Doyle is being awarded an OBE for his services to Film and actor and director Dexter Fletcher also receives an OBE for services to Film and Television. 

Sports

Kevin Sinfield is being awarded with a Knighthood for services to Rugby League,  Rugby Union and the MND Community.  Recently retired  England Rugby Union player Emily Scarratt, golfer Luke Donald and snooker player Shaun Murphy all receive OBEs.

Business

Diana Sarah Brightmore-Armour is being awarded an CBE for services to Women and Diversity in Financial Services. Elizabeth Prince is receiving an MBE for services to the Games Industry and to Diversity.

Entertainment

DJ and broadcaster Carl Cox receives an OBE, Lisa Riley is being awarded an MBE for services to Drama and to Charity and Laszlo Endresz received a BEM for services to Circus Entertainment in the North West.

71 people have received awards in this year’s Overseas and International Birthday Honours List, recognising exceptional service to the UK overseas and internationally. This List reflects contributions across a broad range of fields. The British nationals recognised have directly benefited the UK and helped to strengthen the UK’s global reputation and support communities worldwide. Those being honoured on the Overseas List include Philip Ambler for services to  Eye Health in Myanmar and Jane Grimshaw for services to the Education of Disadvantaged Children in India.

Anyone can nominate someone for an honour for free. If you know someone who has achieved fantastic things worthy of recognition, go to https://www.gov.uk/honours to find out more about how you can put them forward.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 11 June 2026.

The Cabinet Secretary, with the approval of the Prime Minister, has announced the appointment of Dame Sarah Healey as the new Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Sarah will replace Sir Peter Schofield, who is stepping down from the role in July 2026.

Sarah is currently Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), and has previously been Permanent Secretary at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. 

Sarah has extensive experience of leading and reforming government departments to deliver better services for the public. She will bring this experience to oversee DWP’s vital work reforming the welfare system, overhauling UK pensions and opening up more employment opportunities – especially for young people.

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Rt Hon Pat McFadden MP, said:

I’m delighted to welcome Sarah Healey as Permanent Secretary of DWP. She has an outstanding record across government, and that experience is exactly what’s needed as we work to support people to realise their potential at every stage of life – providing opportunities to those who can work and security for those who cannot.

Sarah will take forward our agenda to improve outcomes for customers through modern, connected, personalised services. I’d also like to pay tribute to Peter Schofield for his extraordinary commitment to public service over 35 years and wish him all the best for the future.

The Cabinet Secretary, Dame Antonia Romeo, said:

I am delighted to announce Sarah’s appointment as Permanent Secretary of DWP. Sarah’s impressive track record as a Permanent Secretary and Civil Service leader following a 25 year career in the Service makes her an excellent fit to deliver welfare and pension reform, as well as boosting employment opportunities. 

I would like to thank Peter Schofield for his 35 years of stellar public service and his excellent leadership of the Department over the last eight years. Peter was instrumental in steering the department through the pandemic, as well as the transformation agenda to complete the Universal Credit programme. Peter has also made a major contribution to the collective leadership of the Civil Service in his eight years as a Permanent Secretary.

Commenting on her appointment, Sarah Healey said:

I am delighted to have been appointed as Permanent Secretary of DWP. The department touches millions of lives and I am excited by the opportunity to lead its ambitious reform agenda.

I leave MHCLG with great pride in what we have accomplished together in the last 3 years, and sincere thanks to my colleagues there for their outstanding commitment and professionalism.

Sarah will take up her new post on 1st August. The Cabinet Secretary will announce arrangements for her replacement as Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government shortly.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 10 June 2026.

Senior leaders from business and civil society are being brought in to support the Government to deliver a digital ID system that works for the public.

• A new independent advisory group of experts will provide accountability and insight on how the Government’s digital ID system can be inclusive, useful and trusted. 
• A separate programme of engagement with the digital verification services and financial services sectors will be launched later in the month to ensure their insights inform the Digital ID programme as it develops. 
• Digital ID will make public services quicker, easier and more secure to access, with inclusion embedded in the design. 

Senior leaders from business and civil society are being brought in to support the Government to deliver a digital ID system that works for the public. 

An advisory group has been brought together by Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Darren Jones, to support the delivery of digital ID and provide independent scrutiny and oversight as it is developed. The members announced today are:

• John Fallon – former CEO of Pearson, the global education publishing giant, where he led the company’s transition from traditional print to digital learning platforms, and Lead Cabinet Office Non-Executive Board Member;
• Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE – co-founder and CEO of Stemettes, an award-winning social enterprise dedicated to inspiring people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and maths;
• David Rogers MBE – globally recognised cyber security expert;
• Emma Wright – Director and co-founder of the Interparliamentary Forum on Emerging Technologies, Partner of Crowell & Moring and renowned digital regulation lawyer;  
• Justine Roberts CBE – founder and Executive Chair of Mumsnet and Gransnet, and leading voice in digital communities; and
• The Hon. Victor Dominello – former New South Wales Minister for Digital Government and now the CEO and Co-Founder of the Future Government Institute.

The Advisory Group will meet quarterly for the duration of the Digital ID programme to provide external scrutiny and strategic insight and will challenge the Government on emerging ideas or policy decisions to ensure the system works for everyone. 

Separately, the Government will this month kick off a process of regular engagement with the Digital Verification Services and Financial Services sectors, to ensure lessons and insights from these sectors can inform the Digital ID programme as it develops. This will involve close partnership with leading trade organisations to ensure a wide representation of participation. 

Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Darren Jones said:

The current legacy system of call centres, paperwork and the need to tell your story multiple times to different parts of government is not good enough.

In its place, we need to build a truly modern UK where public services work for you, with digital ID as the foundation. 

This new programme of engagement will ensure we benefit from the expertise and experience of experts as we build a system that is secure, useful and for everyone – and that supports public services that are there for you when you need them most.

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office, James Frith said: 

We want Digital ID to work for everyone – something that is useful, inclusive and trusted. That is why we’re working with industry, civil society and others to get this right. 

Our programme of engagement will run throughout our development of the programme, ensuring we hear from as many people and organisations as possible.

Digital ID will be transformative for our public services, ending the need to fill out endless paper forms, and making life simpler for people across the UK.

Julian David OBE, CEO of techUK said:

To support a thriving Digital ID ecosystem, it is essential that the expertise and insight from the private sector is at the heart of the Digital ID programme. We welcome the Government’s commitment to regular structured engagement with the UK’s thriving DVS sector through the establishment of a technical working group.

We are proud to be hosting a discussion with Minister James Frith later this month which will look to identify the technical details required to ensure an interoperable, secure and seamlessly integrated system.

Jana MacKintosh, Managing Director, Payments and Innovation at UK Finance said:

UK Finance supports the Government’s ambition to create a digital identity service to make public services more effective. Engagement with the financial services sector is an important part of this and we look forward to working with the Government on its Digital ID programme.

David Crack, Chairperson of the Association of Digital Verification Professionals said:

We welcome the Government’s commitment to regular engagement with the Digital Verification Services sector and look forward to hearing more detail about how this engagement will be structured and delivered.

These announcements build on the People’s Panel, which brings together a diverse group of people – selected to be broadly representative of the whole British public – to consider different perspectives and debate trade-offs, and Ministerial engagements across the UK, to ensure that the Government hears from as many people as possible.

Digital ID is part of wider government plans to reform public services, modernise public sector technology and replace legacy systems.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 22 May 2026.

The Cabinet Secretary, with the approval of the Prime Minister, has announced the appointment of Adrian Bird CB as the new Chair of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) and head of the Joint Intelligence Organisation (JIO). Adrian will replace Dame Madeleine Alessandri DCB, CMG, who is stepping down after three years in the role. 

Adrian is currently Chief of Defence Intelligence at the Ministry of Defence, and has previously held senior roles in the Government Communication Headquarters. Adrian brings a wealth of experience from his current role and his career in GCHQ.

Adrian will lead a multidisciplinary team of expert officials in the JIO, providing real time security and risk assessments and advice to Ministers and the Prime Minister, and helping to develop government policies that keep the country safe and secure.

The Cabinet Secretary, Dame Antonia Romeo, said:

I am delighted to announce the appointment of Adrian Bird to this crucial role at this critical time for the country. Adrian’s extensive national security experience at the MoD and GCHQ make him an excellent fit to lead the dedicated security officials in the JIO, and to provide expert advice to the Prime Minister to keep the UK safe and secure. 

I would also like to thank Madeleine Alessandri for her brilliant leadership as JIC Chair over the last three years, and her contribution to the wider Civil Service leadership, and to wish her well in her retirement.

Commenting on his appointment, Adrian Bird said:

It is an honour to be appointed as the new Chair of the Joint Intelligence Committee. I am delighted to be joining the JIO team and to have an opportunity to lead the UK’s professional intelligence assessment community, and to work closely with our trusted partners to deal with national security challenges of today and tomorrow. 

I wanted to thank Dame Madeleine Alessandri for her excellent leadership of the JIO and I know she leaves the organisation in a strong position. I look forward to building on this and working with the team to meet the future challenges. I wish Madeleine a well-deserved retirement.

Outgoing JIC Chair, Madeleine Alessandri said: 

The Joint intelligence Committee continues to play a vital role in the security of the United Kingdom. Amid unprecedented volatility in geopolitics and exponential advances in technology, clear-eyed assessment to reduce uncertainty for policymakers at moments of critical decision has never been more important.  

It has been a privilege to chair the Committee.  And it has been an honour to work with the brilliant people across the breadth of the UK national security system who enable assessments that are rigorous, impartial, and relevant to the challenges we face as a country.

I am delighted that Adrian has been chosen to take on this extraordinary role – at an extraordinary moment in our 90 year history.    

Adrian will take up his new post on 3 July.

Notes for Editors

Adrian Bird is currently Chief of Defence Intelligence in the Ministry of Defence. Adrian is the first civilian to hold this MoD role, having previously been held by military personnel. His successor in the MoD will be Lieutenant-General Matthew Jones, OBE.  

Adrian has been in his current role since 2022. He joined government service in 1993 and held a wide variety of positions in GCHQ and FCDO culminating in two successive GCHQ Director General posts before he moved to the MoD

Adrian has been in his current role since 2022.

The role

The Chair of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) is responsible to the Prime Minister for supervising the work of the JIC. The post-holder also leads the Joint Intelligence Organisation (JIO) and is adviser to the Prime Minister on intelligence.

The Joint Intelligence Committee

The Joint Intelligence Committee is the cross-government committee responsible for providing Ministers and senior officials with timely intelligence assessments on critical strategic national security issues. 

The Chair of the Joint Intelligence Committee reports to the Cabinet Secretary. 

The Joint Intelligence Organisation

The JIC is supported by the Joint Intelligence Organisation (JIO), a multi-disciplinary team of data scientists, analysts, economists and national security professionals. This dynamic and highly collaborative team is responsible for drafting all-source assessments on policy-relevant strategic issues and provides warning of threats to UK national interests.

The JIO sits at the heart of the UK intelligence assessment community and draws on the full range of reporting and expertise available across government, academia, business and international partners.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 20 May 2026.

National memorial service held at St Paul’s Cathedral to remember Infected Blood victims.

• A service of recognition, remembrance and reflection for the infected blood community will take place at St Paul’s today, on the eve of the second anniversary of the Infected Blood Inquiry reporting. 
• The service has been designed by the Infected Blood Memorial Committee in consultation with the wider community.
• The service will provide an opportunity to remember the harms, losses, and trauma faced by the community and the loved ones who have been lost.

The thousands of individuals and families impacted by the Infected Blood scandal will be honoured today (Tuesday, 19 May 2026) at a national service of recognition, remembrance and reflection in St Paul’s Cathedral.

The service has been planned by the Infected Blood Memorial Committee, which is made up of members of the infected blood community, and will be attended by state representatives and community supporters. 

The Memorial Committee has invited those it wishes to witness the impact of the scandal so that it may never be repeated.

The Prime Minister, The Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer, said:

We stand with the infected blood community to bear witness to the lives lost and those changed forever. As a nation, we must ensure the lessons of this scandal are never forgotten.

I pay tribute to their extraordinary courage and dignity in their long fight for truth and justice, and extend my sincere thanks to the Infected Blood Memorial Committee for the care, compassion and dedication behind this service.

Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, The Rt Hon Nick Thomas-Symonds, said: 

For decades, the infected blood community fought with extraordinary courage to uncover the truth and this service is about recognising the loss, trauma and harm faced by the community.

I would like to thank the Infected Blood Memorial Committee for the time and dedication that has gone into organising the service. Their work on memorialisation, following the recommendations made by Sir Brian Langstaff, is vital to ensuring that this scandal is always remembered and its lessons never forgotten.

The Chair of the Infected Blood Memorial Committee, Clive Smith, said: 

Today’s service at St Paul’s is a long-overdue day for the contaminated blood community.  

For the first time, representatives of the state will stand together with the community in a moment of national recognition, remembrance and reflection. Today, we remember and bear witness to the thousands impacted by this scandal.  

We honour those who are no longer with us, those who cannot be with us, and those who continue to ensure the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS is never repeated.

The service will be livestreamed for members of the community who are unable to attend in person. The service has been designed to be inclusive and interactive for the community. 

The service will include:  

• Symbolic empty chairs interspersed amongst the congregation to represent those no longer with us and those who are unable to be in attendance. 
• A reading of names, where the entire congregation will be asked to read out the first name of a person put forward to be remembered and honoured together. 
• A moment of silence as thousands of white, red and yellow petals fall from the Whispering Gallery.
• A short address from Sir Brian Langstaff, Chair of the Inquiry. 
• Hymns chosen by the community, and over 50 volunteers will light candles in remembrance.

In addition to the St Paul’s Cathedral Consort (choir), Michael Ball is expected to perform Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, and the London Contemporary Voices Choir, who sang at the close of the Inquiry, will sing Emeli Sandé’s Read All About It.

The service is about remembering the harms, losses, and trauma faced by the community, and making time for the community to come together to remember the loved ones who have been lost. 

As well as delivering the commemorative events recommended by the Inquiry, the Infected Blood Memorial Committee continues to work to establish a national memorial. The Committee is also committed to supporting Infected Blood Memorials being built at Treloars School and in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

The Committee expects to publish their first report in early 2027. This will set out the Committee’s recommendations to the Minister for the Cabinet Office on the location and principles behind the national memorial. These recommendations will be informed by their engagement with the community. 

Tuesday, 19 May, marks the eve of the second anniversary of the Infected Blood Inquiry’s full report. The Inquiry examined how men, women and children treated by the National Health Service across the UK were given infected blood and blood products from the 1970s onwards.

ENDS

Notes:

• The Infected Blood Inquiry, chaired by Sir Brian Langstaff, was set up in 2017 to examine the circumstances where men, women and children treated by the national health services in the UK were given infected blood and blood products, in particular since the 1970s. This has become known as the infected blood, or contaminated blood, scandal. This inquiry closed on 31st March 2026. 
• The Infected Blood Memorial Committee has been established following the recommendations of Sir Brian Langstaff in the Infected Blood Inquiry Report in May 2024.
• Recommendation 2 is “Recognising and remembering what happened to people”. Recommendation 2 reads:

• 2a.  A permanent memorial be established in the UK and consideration be given to memorials in each of Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland. The nature of the memorial(s), their design and location should be determined by a memorial committee consisting of people infected and affected and representatives of the governments. It should be funded by the UK government.

• 2b.  A memorial be established at public expense, dedicated specifically to the children infected at Treloar’s School. The memorial should be such as is agreed with those who were pupils at Treloar’s.

• 2c.  There should be at least three events, approximately six months apart, drawing together those infected and affected, the nature and timing of which should be determined by a working party as described above, facilitated by some central funding.

• This recommendation has been accepted in full by the UK Government, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive. This recommendation is being taken forward on a UK-wide basis.
• The funding for this is separate from the money allocated to pay compensation.