Question
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to page 4 of the Annual Report on Special Advisers 2020, published on 15 December 2020, how much of the £2.7 million in severance payments paid to special advisers between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2020 was repaid by individuals who were reappointed after the election.
Answer
The Cabinet Office publishes an annual report on special advisers, and far more detail is transparently provided than ever issued under the last Labour Government, and far more than is published by the Labour-led Welsh Government.
As set out in the July 2023 annual report, laid in the House today, special advisers represent just 0.02 per cent of the Civil Service workforce.
Special advisers are classed as temporary civil servants. They receive a severance payment if their appointment automatically ends when their appointing Minister ceases to hold ministerial office. This reflects the lack of any formal notice period. The substantive contractual provisions in the Model Contract are the same as under previous Administrations of all political colours, including the last Labour Government. They also reflect the statutory provisions set out in the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, as legislated for under the last Labour Government.
For example, £1 million in then-prices was paid in severance payments in 2007-08 (as per out in 17 November 2008, Official Report, Col. 244W) and £1.8 million in April-May 2010 (as set out in 28 October 2010, Official Report, Col. 18WS).
With regards to the specific questions asked:
The £7.2 million figure in the 2012-13 annual report includes all salary costs, including severance costs, however the amount relating specifically to severance was not reported.
No severance was paid in 2013-14.
The 2015-16 annual report covered the period April 2015 through 13 July 2016, to cover the paybill costs until the end of the David Cameron Administration. The severance figures reported covered this entire period rather than the financial year.
In 2018-19, £208,000 of severance was paid, as per the annual report.
In 2019-20, the £2.7million severance figure stated in the annual report is net of repayments.
Given the Rt Hon Member has such an interest in special adviser severance payments, the Labour Party should state how much Short Money, Cranborne Money and Policy Development Grant has been spent on severance payments following multiple changes to Labour Party leaders and the Shadow Cabinet in this time period.