Tag: Cabinet Office

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 14 November 2024.

New controls on the use of consultancies across government are being brought in to cut unnecessary spending and save £1.2 billion by 2026, as set out in the Autumn Statement – with departments already expected to save the £550 million committed to this financial year.

• New controls are being brought in across government to address unnecessary consultancy spending by departments.
• Measures to reduce reliance on larger firms, and support SMEs to increase diversity, innovation, social value and flexibility within the market.
• Alongside the new controls, a new overarching framework agreement and enhanced terms and conditions and guidance will streamline the procurement process and ensure consultants are only used by public sector buyers when necessary.

New controls on the use of consultancies across government are being brought in to cut unnecessary spending and save £1.2 billion by 2026, as set out in the Autumn Statement – with departments already expected to save the £550 million committed to this financial year.

The new controls will provide far greater oversight, with ministerial signoff required for any consultancy spend over £600,000, or for contracts lasting more than nine months, while consultancy spend over £100,000, or that lasts more than three months, will now need to be signed off by the relevant permanent secretary.

When combined with commercial agreements that are focused on value for money, these controls will drive a reduction in consultancy spend in Whitehall.

Georgia Gould, Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office, said:

We’re taking immediate action to stop all non-essential government consultancy spend in 2024-25 and halve government spending on consultancy in future years, saving the taxpayer over £1.2 billion by 2026.

It comes alongside our work to develop a strategic plan to make the Civil Service more efficient and effective, with bold measures to improve skills and harness digital technology.

To support this, the government is also inviting companies to bid for a new framework agreement which will streamline the way it uses consultants in the years to come.

By providing a single, centralised list of suppliers who have already been through a rigorous and competitive tendering process in order to gain a place on the agreement, it will cut down the time spent by departments on the procurement process, and ultimately ensure better value for money and more competitive prices.

In line with this government’s commitment to cut consultancy spend, the framework’s total value has been cut from £5.7 billion over four years as planned to £1.7 billion over two years.

The new agreement will be managed by the Crown Commercial Service (CCS), the UK’s biggest public procurement organisation and an executive agency of the Cabinet Office, which will play a coordinating role in consolidating the government’s consultancy spend as it delivers change for working people.

Sam Ulyatt, CEO of Crown Commercial Service said:

Consultancy services are sometimes needed to support Government to deliver for citizens, but taxpayers must get value for money.

This agreement will help to ensure a behavioural and cultural change of how consultancy is procured throughout the UK public sector.

It will also provide SMEs with further opportunities to win public sector contracts which allow them to bid as part of consortiums, or as a subcontractor.

CCS has developed the agreement in consultation with departments to ensure that it can best meet their needs. Some of these improvements include expanding the use of alternative fee arrangements, which are linked to supplier performance, to ensure value for money for customers and the taxpayer.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 3 October 2024.

The newly appointed Minister for Intergovernmental Relations, Pat McFadden, made his first visit to Northern Ireland today following the UK Government’s commitment to resetting and strengthening the relationship between Westminster and the devolved governments of the UK.

• Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Pat McFadden, makes first visit to Northern Ireland to meet with the First Minister and deputy First Minister.
• Meetings covered joint priorities and collaboration on the national missions.
• The Minister committed to working together to bring investment.

The newly appointed Minister for Intergovernmental Relations, Pat McFadden, made his first visit to Northern Ireland today following the UK Government’s commitment to resetting and strengthening the relationship between Westminster and the devolved governments of the UK.

The Minister, along with Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn, met with the First Minister and deputy First Minister in Belfast to discuss how they could work together to boost economic growth across the UK, as well as further opportunities for collaboration.

As part of the discussions, they looked ahead to the inaugural meeting of the Council of the Nations and Regions expected in the coming weeks, as well as the UK’s International Investment Summit.

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster visited the Stormont Government Estate, the UK Government Hub at Erskine House in Belfast and toured Red Bay Boats’ manufacturing facility in Cushendall, County Antrim. Red Bay Boats has produced world-class boats for emergency services across the UK, including Belfast Harbour Police and the Port of London’s Fire and Rescue services.

He also met representatives from the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations, the Rt Hon Pat McFadden MP, said:

The Government takes seriously having a good working relationship with the Northern Ireland Executive. The Secretary of State and I had a constructive and valuable meeting today with the First Minister and deputy First Minister discussing the forthcoming Council of Nations and Regions and the UK’s International Investment Summit.  Everyone wants their citizens to have good jobs and rising living standards and we are all resolved on that point.

This visit is the latest in a number of ministerial visits to Northern Ireland within the first hundred days of the new government, including from the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Paymaster General, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation & Technology and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 12 September 2024.

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has announced the appointment of Sir Michael Barber KB as the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Effective Delivery.

Sir Michael will support the Prime Minister in driving forward the delivery of the five national missions. This will include coordinating ambitious, measurable, long-term objectives that deliver change across the UK.

The part-time role is a Direct Ministerial appointment and will be unpaid. Sir Michael will take up the role for an initial 12-month period, starting in September 2024.

Sir Michael has extensive experience in implementing large-scale system change, working with many governments internationally to drive delivery.

He has worked closely with several recent Prime Ministers and senior Ministers in different administrations, most recently as an adviser on skills delivery to the former Chancellor of the Exchequer and Secretary of State for Education from 2022 to 2023.

He has also served as Chief Adviser to the Secretary of State for Education on school standards (1997 to 2001), Head of the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit (2001 to 2005) and Chair of the Office for Students (2017 to 2021).

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

By changing the way we govern this country – through setting long term goals on the economy, energy, safer streets, breaking down barriers of opportunity and building an NHS fit for the future – we can rebuild the public’s trust in our politics and deliver the change Britain needs.

I’m delighted Sir Michael will be supporting us to change lives for the better as we fix the foundations and deliver our five national missions.

Sir Michael Barber KB said:

It is an honour to be asked to take on this role. The five missions are vital to the future of the country and I look forward to assisting the Prime Minister with their delivery.

ENDS

Notes to editors

• As part of the appointment process, Sir Michael has declared all potential conflicts of interest.
• He has stepped down as Chair of the company he founded, Delivery Associates, and will not undertake any work of any kind for Delivery Associates with the UK government.
• Sir Michael’s letter of appointment makes clear that as a result of this appointment, Delivery Associates should not gain any advantage in relation to any potential future work with the UK government or be disadvantaged. This stated government position is the same as that applied to Sir Michael’s role in the previous administration.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 12 September 2024.

The Taskforce will co-ordinate flooding preparation and provide long-term, strategic thinking to better protect communities.

A new Floods Resilience Taskforce to turbocharge the development of flood defences and bolster the nation’s resilience to extreme weather has convened for the first time, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Steve Reed announced today (Thursday 12 September).

The Taskforce brings together the Secretary of State and Floods Minister Emma Hardy with representatives from Defra, MHCLG, Home Office, Cabinet Office, the Environment Agency, the Met Office, Local Resilience Forums, Mayoral Offices, emergency responders and the National Farmers Union, among others.

The expert group discussed how they will speed up and co-ordinate flooding preparation and resilience between central government, local authorities and community responders, and emergency services.

The group will also use their collective experience and knowledge to identify and protect vulnerable areas, including championing the delivery of drainage systems, flood defences and natural flood management schemes in communities.

This comes as the current Met Office outlook suggests autumn is likely to be wetter than usual.

The Taskforce also outlined its plans to take a long-term, strategic approach to the challenges of flooding. This will support better protection for families across the country, as well as underpinning the resilience of the economy to the growing threat of climate change. These challenges include ensuring that funding for national infrastructure remains sustainable into the future.

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Steve Reed said:

Flooding devastates communities and businesses across the country. For far too long the delivery of flood schemes has been too slow and left communities underwater.

That is why the new Government is acting now to speed up the building of flood defences and bolster our emergency response.

Floods Minister Emma Hardy said:

The climate crisis is the greatest global challenge we currently face, and as an eyewitness to extreme flooding myself, I know the devastating impact these events can have on our livelihoods.

As chair of the Floods Resilience Taskforce, I will work closely with our partners to ensure projects remain on track and not only protect homes but create more green jobs and drive investment in our towns.

The Environment Agency is the government’s primary delivery partner for flood defences and continues to support the construction of hundreds of projects across the country.

Recognising the scale of the challenge, Environment Agency teams have been prioritising the construction, maintenance, and repair of key flood defences – including the Cockett Wick seawall in Essex, which will ensure 3,000 homes and businesses are protected better after a £12 million investment.

Caroline Douglass, Executive Director for Flood and Coastal Risk Management at the Environment Agency, said:

Protecting people and communities is our top priority, which will only become more pressing as climate change brings more extreme weather and rising sea levels.

This new Taskforce will look at the range of resilience measures available to provide options to reduce flood risks in more communities – and we will play our part to ensure essential projects are delivered across the country.

5.5 million properties in England are at risk from flooding and the country has just experienced the wettest 18 months on record (to February 2024) following extreme weather including Storms Babet and Ciarán.

The next meeting of the Taskforce will take place in early 2025 and will discuss longer-term oversight of wider flood resilience strategy and investment, as well as any rapid learning on the response to major flooding.

Last week, Floods Minister Emma Hardy also met with representatives from the insurance industry to discuss the role they can play in building a resilient nation.  The meeting explored the support insurers can provide to their customers, which includes raising more awareness and take up of Build Back Better, which can provide for up to £10,000 in addition to like for like flood repairs to enable future resilience of a property.

In August, the government also launched the Floods and Droughts Research Infrastructure, which is backed by £40 million and will be the first UK-wide network looking to understand the impact of extreme weather conditions across the country, identifying where incidents are likely to occur and planning to limit their impact.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 10 September 2024.

Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States join UK Government for counter fraud summit in London.

• Senior government officials from UK’s closest intelligence allies meet to coordinate fight against fraud
• Meeting, chaired by Cabinet Office Minister Georgia Gould, forms centrepiece of five day summit in London
• Discussions will focus on fighting fraud committed during the pandemic, with the government currently recruiting a Covid Counter Fraud Commissioner

Tuesday 10th September

Cabinet Office Minister Georgia Gould will today convene senior officials from the UK’s closest intelligence allies to coordinate the fight against Covid fraud.

The meeting of Five Eyes – an intelligence alliance between the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States – will help to identify ways governments have been successfully detecting, recouping and prosecuting fraud committed during the pandemic.

Lessons learnt during today’s meeting will contribute to the ongoing work of the Public Sector Fraud Authority as it seeks to further support departments to prevent, detect and recover fraud and error.

The meeting forms the centrepiece of the fourth summit of the International Public Sector Fraud Forum held this week in London.

The Forum was originally set up by the UK Government in 2018 to encourage cooperation between the Five Eyes to reduce public sector fraud within member countries and across borders.

This is also the first time the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) will attend the summit. The OECD’s Anti-Corruption and Integrity Division has collaborated with the Public Sector Fraud Authority to lead talks on the pivotal role of advanced analytics and artificial intelligence in fraud prevention.

Today’s meeting comes as the UK Government redoubles efforts to tackle Covid fraud.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer recently announced recruitment for a fixed term Covid Counter Fraud Commissioner to scrutinise contracts awarded during the pandemic and ensure that everything possible is done to recover money lost to fraud.

Minister Gould, Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office, said:

Criminal networks threaten governments around the world and don’t respect international borders, so it’s vital we work with our allies to keep public money safe.

Through today’s meeting we will learn from our closest intelligence partners to help us redouble our efforts to track and recover public money lost to fraud during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mark Cheeseman, Chief Executive of the Public Sector Fraud Authority, said:

In the modern world, the threat of fraud against public bodies is a known issue that requires collaboration.

This week brings together leading experts from across partner countries to drive ourselves further in stopping those who attack the system dishonestly.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 7 September 2024.

St James’s Park, London announced as location for the UK’s national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II
The site was chosen due to its historical significance and personal connection to the late Queen, as well as its proximity to the ceremonial route of The Mall
The memorial will reflect Queen Elizabeth II’s extraordinary life of service and provide a space for pause and reflection
The site for the new national Queen Elizabeth II Memorial has today (7th September 2024) been announced as St James’s Park, London.

The memorial site will include the area of St James’s Park adjacent to The Mall at Marlborough Gate, and land surrounding the pathway down to the lake, including the Blue Bridge.

The site was chosen because of its close proximity to the ceremonial route of The Mall, its historical and constitutional significance and personal connection to Queen Elizabeth. It is close to Buckingham Palace – the Monarch’s official residence – the Commonwealth headquarters, and statues of her parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.

The Committee – established by the UK Government and Royal Household in 2023 – considered various options for the location and engaged with the wider public and with key stakeholders and experts across the four nations of the UK to ensure their feedback was considered.

The UK Government will support the successful proposals, and will work closely with the Committee as plans develop. In recognition of the impact Her late Majesty had across the UK, the UK Government will also make available funding for memorial projects in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Further details on how this will be taken forward will be available in due course.

The memorial is intended to provide not only a fitting monument but also a space for contemplation and community, and will be of an appropriate scale and ambition to match the impact of Queen Elizabeth II on national life, The Commonwealth and indeed the rest of the world.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said:

Queen Elizabeth II’s enduring legacy of service and devotion to our country will never be forgotten.

The national memorial will be located in St James’s Park, right in the heart of the capital, providing everyone with a place to honour the Late Queen and connect with the shared history we cherish.

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Rt Hon Pat McFadden, said:

Queen Elizabeth II was our longest reigning monarch, and gave her life in service to our nation. It is only right that the memorial is situated in a location that represents the scale of Her role at the heart of British society, and provides a place of reflection for the public.

The UK has a proud tradition of memorialising its monarchs and other significant historical figures, from the Royal Albert Hall and the Victoria Memorial, to Millicent Fawcett. London hosts permanent memorials to recent monarchs including George V, George VI, as well as Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. The creation of a permanent memorial to Queen Elizabeth II will continue this tradition. The announcement of the final design will coincide with what would have been Queen Elizabeth’s hundredth birthday year in 2026.

Later this year the design phase of the memorial will be launched, when architects, artists and designers will be invited to submit design proposals for the memorial.

Lord Janvrin GCB GCVO PC, Committee Chair and former Private Secretary to Queen Elizabeth said:

The Mall and St James’s Park at the ceremonial heart of our capital provides a location closely identified with so many events of the late Queen’s life. It is a fitting site for the national memorial in her honour to remember and celebrate her extraordinary contribution to our lives throughout her long reign.

Baroness Amos LG CH PC, Committee member and former Lord President of the Council said:

As Lord President of the Council I met the late Queen regularly. As our Head of State she played an important global leadership role over many decades. She understood the importance of integrity, understanding and values in decision making. She also knew how to connect to people and bring communities together. I admired her resilience and steadfastness, her belief in the people of Britain and the Commonwealth, her quiet diplomacy, her subtle use of power and ‘common sense’ approach.

Alex Holmes, Committee member and Queen’s Young Leader, said:

When I met her I was struck by Queen Elizabeth’s ability to connect with so many people – young and old, here and abroad. Her memorial, sitting in the heart of London, will create a lasting legacy and celebrate her long life of public service.

The Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee is tasked with the responsibility to present formal recommendations for a UK national memorial and legacy programme to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II. The Committee comprises eight senior figures from across British public life, selected for their expertise, and chaired by the late Queen’s former Private Secretary Lord Robin Janvrin. The Committee is also continuing its work to develop proposals for a UK-wide legacy programme to commemorate Queen Elizabeth. The Committee is expected to report final design and legacy programme recommendations to the Prime Minister and His Majesty The King in 2026.

Andrew Scattergood CBE, Chief Executive of The Royal Parks, said:

We are honoured that St James’s Park has been chosen as the location for the national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II. The park is steeped in rich Royal history, renowned worldwide for hosting spectacular Royal and ceremonial events, so it feels fitting that the memorial should be situated here, close to where our longest-reigning monarch spent a great deal of time. With a peaceful lake at its centre, the park enjoys an outstanding view of Buckingham Palace and provides a wonderful natural haven for wildlife in the centre of London. We hope that the memorial area will provide people with a tranquil space for reflection and contemplation.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 23 August 2024.

Today, the Government has laid regulations to establish the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme, as required by the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024. These regulations will give the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) the powers to pay compensation through the Core Route to infected persons, both living and deceased, as set out in the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme Summary: August 2024. The Government expects the IBCA to begin making payments to infected persons by the end of 2024.

A second set of regulations will provide for the payment of compensation to affected persons, and for claims under the Supplementary Route. This will ensure that the IBCA can begin compensation payments to affected persons in 2025.

Sign up to the Infected Blood Compensation Authority mailing list for regular updates on this work as it progresses – https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/Z55REY/.

The Regulations, the Explanatory Memorandum and the Equality Impact Assessment are available to view on the National Archives website.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 30 July 2024.

The Government will extend measures to speed up increasing the representation of women bishops within the Lords Spiritual for a further five years.

• Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015 (Extension) Bill will extend existing rules aimed at increasing the number of women bishops in the House of Lords.
• Women bishops have been introduced to the Lords more quickly since original legislation came into force in 2015.
• Baroness Smith says the new bill “I have no doubt that any new female bishops will have an important role in parliamentary business in the months to come.”

The Government will extend measures to speed up increasing the representation of women bishops within the Lords Spiritual for a further five years. The term ‘Lords Spiritual’ refers to the 26 Church of England diocesan bishops who sit in the House of Lords.

The new bill, which has been requested by the Church of England, will ensure that vacant seats are filled by women bishops if an eligible female diocesan bishop is available. With the first female Diocesan Bishop having been appointed in 2015, this is to address the temporary inequality created by a system based on longevity of service. There are exceptions for the five great sees (Archbishop of Canterbury, the Archbishop of York, Bishop of London, Bishop of Durham, and Bishop of Winchester) who have an automatic entitlement to sit in the House of Lords.

The measures have seen six women bishops enter the House of Lords more quickly since the passage of the Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015 than otherwise would have been the case. The original legislation had been due to expire in May 2025 and its extension will allow more time to achieve greater representation.

The extension to be granted under the Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015 (Extension) Bill to May 2030 will postpone a return to the previous process, which saw seats allocated to the longest serving bishops.

Diocesan bishops are appointed by The King on the advice of the Prime Minister based on nominations from the Crown Nominations Commission.

The Rt Hon Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office (Minister for the Constitution and EU Relations) said:

This Government is working to ensure our Parliament represents the country that it serves – taking steps to address gender inequality is a vital part of that work.

As a result, it’s important that steps like this are taken to ensure more female bishops are able to bring a greater range of experience to the House of Lords.

The Rt Hon Baroness Smith of Basildon, Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords, said:

We are pleased to support the Church of England in this matter. Lords Spiritual play a key role in the House of Lords and I have no doubt that any new female bishops will have an important role in parliamentary business in the months to come.

Six female bishops have been introduced to date and, as a direct result of this bill, we look forward to welcoming even more to the second chamber in the years ahead.

Rt Reverend Rachel Treweek, Bishop of Gloucester, said:

I welcome the decision to extend the measure aimed at increasing the number of women who serve as Lords Spiritual. We have made progress on this in recent years but there is still more work to be done.

Bishops in the House of Lords seek to speak to the hopes and needs of all people across the communities they serve. By better reflecting those communities we can carry out that service more effectively.

This extension of this system is being delivered following a request from the Church.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 18 July 2024.

The Specialised Committee on the Implementation of the Windsor Framework held a meeting today, co-chaired by officials from the European Commission and the UK Government.

The co-chairs took stock of the implementation of the Windsor Framework since the last meeting on 25 April 2024. In particular, they reviewed developments in the areas of agri-food, customs, medicines and trade.

The co-chairs discussed the outstanding implementation issues as well as the upcoming milestones. They agreed to step up work with renewed determination to fulfil the joint commitment to the full, timely and faithful implementation of all the elements of the Framework, noting the importance and priority of concrete practical steps to this end.

The Committee co-chairs also took stock of the work of the Joint Consultative Working Group and its structured sub-groups. They reiterated the importance of continued joint engagement with Northern Ireland stakeholders.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 15 July 2024.

The UK’s new Minister for European Union Relations Nick Thomas-Symonds will travel to Brussels today for his first face-to-face meeting with EU Commission Executive Vice President Maroš Šefčovič.

The meeting aims to set the ground for further discussions between the UK and EU as the UK seeks to reset its relationship with the bloc and build closer cooperation on shared issues.

The meeting follows their positive introductory call on Sunday 7th July and Minister Thomas-Symonds’ visit to Brussels on Monday 8th, on his first full day in the role, where he met with the UK Ambassador to the EU and addressed staff at the UK Mission to the EU.

The Minister was appointed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer to lead future UK discussions with the EU and to reset the UK-EU relationship.

Other UK Ministers have also held introductory calls with EU counterparts. Including Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s call with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s call with High Representative Josep Borrell, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s call with Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson and Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds’ call with Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis.

Minister Thomas-Symonds also accompanied the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary to the NATO Summit in Washington last week, meeting with European leaders including Germany, Poland, Sweden and Turkey alongside the PM. The Minister also met US lawmakers including the Chair and Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe.

Minister for European Union Relations Nick Thomas-Symonds said:

Our Government is committed to resetting the relationship with the European Union, to strengthen ties, reinforce our security and tackle barriers to trade.

The EU and Member States are among the UK’s closest friends and allies.  With war in Europe, and shared global challenges, in areas such as climate change and illegal migration, a strong UK – EU alliance is vital.

I am looking forward to meeting the Executive Vice President in Brussels today, it was a pleasure to speak to him immediately after my appointment last week. I expect to be engaging with him and EU colleagues much more in the coming months, as we work together to help make our continent safer and more prosperous.

EU Commission Executive Vice President Maroš Šefčovič said:

The EU and the UK are close neighbours, partners, and allies, sharing values as well as challenges that are global in nature. I am looking forward to receiving Minister Thomas-Symonds to discuss ways to strengthen our cooperation, while making the most of our existing agreements that form the cornerstone of our partnership.