Transparency update

The Minister for the Cabinet Office Matthew Hancock laid a written statement in Parliament on government transparency data.

Enhancing transparency and accountability continues to be at the heart of our approach to government, ensuring that Whitehall’s elected representatives and senior officials uphold the highest standards in public life through transparency and democratic scrutiny.

In support of this aim, the government is today publishing:

• The list of ministers’ interests. Under the terms of the Ministerial Code, ministers must ensure that no conflict arises, or could reasonably be perceived to arise, between their ministerial position and their private interests, financial or otherwise. The list captures those interests relevant to ministers’ ministerial responsibilities, and should be read alongside the 2 Parliamentary Registers. In addition, we have today published an update report by the Prime Minister’s Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests, Sir Alex Allan.

• The list of special advisers. The list sets out the names of the special advisers in post as of December 2015, each special adviser’s pay band, and actual salary (where this is higher than the Senior Civil Service entry-level salary), together with details of the total pay bill for 2014 to 2015 and the estimate for 2015 to 2016. The cost has fallen from last year, and the cost represents just 0.08% of the Civil Service pay bill.

• Details of the salaries of officials in departments, agencies and non-departmental public bodies earning £150,000 and above. Excluding machinery of government transfers, the number of people of people earning £150,000 and above in central government has reduced by a third since 2010.

• Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations and overseas travel, ministerial and special adviser gifts and hospitality, the use of official residences and the Prime Minister’s UK visits and charity receptions for the period April to September 2015.

• Details of permanent secretary meetings with external organisations, and senior officials travel and gifts and hospitality for the period April to September 2015.

Copies of the list of ministerial interests and the list of special advisers have been placed in the libraries of both Houses. All publications will be available on GOV.UK.