Corporate report

Cabinet Office Outcome Delivery Plan: 2021 to 2022

Published 15 July 2021

This was published under the 2019 to 2022 Johnson Conservative government

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Rt Hon Michael Gove MP

Permanent Secretary for the Cabinet Office and Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service
Alex Chisholm

Foreword

The true test of a government is not its success in the corridors of power, but its impact on the lives of its citizens. A good government is one that clearly, demonstrably, and measurably improves the security and prosperity of the country, delivers excellent public services, and makes opportunity more equal.

The Cabinet Office must achieve these ends both through its unique role bringing together different departments to address the complex problems facing our country, which show no respect for departmental boundaries, and through its work across government to raise standards and increase efficiency.

The Cabinet Office’s Outcome Delivery Plan reflects the unique nature of what we do. We are the department responsible for reforming the civil service and improving efficiency - and we set out here a clear set of metrics against which our success should be measured. At the same time, we also coordinate and lead the work of other departments in pursuit of outcomes such as strengthening the Union and ensuring that citizens across all four nations see the significant benefits of the Union in their own lives.

This focus on real-world outcomes, on world-class public services and maximum value for the taxpayer, runs through this plan. From national security, to supporting veterans; from strengthening our democracy, to guaranteeing the delivery of this government’s mandate; from making the government estate net zero, to hosting the UN COP26 climate conference.

A. Executive Summary

Vision and Mission

The Cabinet Office exists to support the Prime Minister and Cabinet government. It leads and coordinates the government’s response to cross-departmental challenges. It also acts as the corporate headquarters for the government as a whole. The department is both the command centre during immediate crises as well as the long-term steward and direction-setter for government.

The Cabinet Office includes No.10 and, together with HM Treasury, forms the centre of government. It fulfils a core coordination role - supporting the Prime Minister, and facilitating Cabinet and collective decision-making across government. It brokers decisions between departments and builds consensus on policies. The department organises and runs Cabinet and Cabinet committee meetings across a breadth of policy issues, ranging from the Economic and Domestic Secretariat through to the National Security Secretariat. It also oversees and enables the delivery of the government’s legislative agenda. The department’s work falls roughly across the following 6 areas:

• deliver the priorities of the Prime Minister and government
• maximise the opportunities of EU Exit
• lead the national security strategy and crisis response
• modernise and reform government
• ensure the benefits of the Union are visible and understood
• improve levels of equality across the UK

On behalf of the Prime Minister and the government, the Cabinet Office is responsible for monitoring and driving the delivery of priorities by other departments, centrally overseeing implementation and holding departments to account.

Our priority outcomes

This delivery plan sets out in detail how we will facilitate delivery of the 6 priority outcomes ^{[footnote 1]}, which were established at the Spending Review, and how we will measure our success and ensure we continuously improve.

These 6 outcomes fall across the two main purposes of the Cabinet Office, in its roles of:

• coordinating government priorities
• leading and enabling government functions

Given Cabinet Office’s key role coordinating other government work, following a description of the priority outcomes, this plan will document in detail a further 11 key deliverables which the department also seeks to achieve.

We will:

1. Deliver the priorities of the Prime Minister and government

The Cabinet Office sits in the centre of government and leads on outcomes by coordinating other government department (OGD) delivery.

2. Ensure the benefits of the Union are clear, visible and understood by all citizens

This is a cross-cutting outcome, contributing departments are Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland, Northern Ireland Office and Office of the Secretary of State for Wales. Their responsibilities are:

• provision of place-specific advice
• promoting economic development in the respective nations
• working with UKG departments, devolved institutions and partnering stakeholders
• leading on nation-specific communications and partnering with CO on Union communications
• leading on individual devolution settlements and their legislation and implementation

3. Seize the opportunities of EU Exit

Through creating the world’s most effective border to increase UK prosperity and enhance security. This is a cross-cutting outcome, with contributions from DEFRA, HMRC and HO. Their responsibilities are:

• DEFRA: Responsibility for controls for trade in animals, plants and their products (sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) regulations).
• HMRC: responsibility for customs and revenue collection.
• HO: responsibility for immigration, border security and Border Force operations.

4. Secure a safe, prosperous and resilient United Kingdom

By coordinating national security, crisis response, and the implementation of the Integrated Review.

5. Improve levels of equality across the UK

6. Increase the efficiency, effectiveness and accountability of government through modernising and reforming the work of the Government Functions

The Cabinet Office houses the cross-government leadership of the majority of government-wide functions, and a central cross-functional strategy unit. Through these teams, it leads and supports all government functions, ensuring a coherent and consistent strategy.

The department is also supporting the delivery of the following Priority Outcomes led by other departments:

Priority Outcome Title	Lead Department
Reduce the risk of terrorism to the UK and UK interests overseas	Home Office

Our key deliverables

This delivery plan outlines key deliverables that the department helps to coordinate:

1. Supporting the Prime Minister and Cabinet government

2. Strengthening the Union

3. Reforming the constitution and sustaining our democracy

4. Seize the opportunities of EU Exit

5. Securing a safe, prosperous and resilient United Kingdom by coordinating national security, crisis response, and the implementation of the Integrated Review

6. Improving levels of equality across the UK

7. Modernising and reforming government

8. Delivering the government’s legislative agenda

9. Delivering a successful COP26

10. Making the UK the best place in the world to be a veteran

11. Leading and enabling government functions

Strategic Enablers

To deliver our priority outcomes and deliverables - and reinforce the ambitions of the Declaration on Government Reform - we will focus on 4 key enablers:

1. Workforce, skills and location

2. Innovation, technology and data

3. Delivery, evaluation and collaboration

4. Sustainability

B. Introduction

1. Context

At the heart of government, the Cabinet Office leads the national response to large events or challenges. In 2020 to 2021 the department quickly reorganised its priorities to deal with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the negotiation of the future relationship with the European Union and preparing the country for the end of the transition period. The need to maintain resilience and agility necessitates strong risk management processes.

2. Governance and delivery agencies

Cabinet Office Board

Purpose: The Board provides overall direction on CO’s strategy, performance and risk management

Chair: The Rt Hon Michael Gove, Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Members:

• Ministers: Amanda Milling MP, Minister without Portfolio; the Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP, Paymaster General; Chloe Smith MP, Minister for the Constitution & Devolution; Lord Agnew of Oulton, Minister of State; Lord Frost, Minister of State, Lord True, Minister of State; Julia Lopez MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary; Leo Docherty MP, Minister for Defence People and Veterans (joint with MoD); the Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP, COP26 President-Designate.
• Non-Executive Board Members: the Rt Hon the Baroness Stuart of Edgbaston, Lead non-executive; Lord Nash, Government lead non-executive; Karen Blackett OBE; Mike Ashley, Anand Aithal; Henry de Zoete; the Lord Hogan-Howe QPM.
• Senior Civil Servants: Alex Chisholm, Chief Operating Officer of the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Office; Elizabeth Gardiner CB QC, First Parliamentary Counsel; Rich Hornby, Chief Financial Officer; Sarah Harrison, CO Chief Operating Officer.

CO Board Audit and Risk Committee (COARC)

Purpose: COARC supports the Board and Principal Accounting Officer by ensuring the following areas in the Cabinet Office, including its executive agencies and other executive arms-length bodies, are comprehensive and fit for purpose:

• governance and assurance
• risk management
• internal and external audit
• financial assurance

Chair: Mike Ashley, Non-Executive Board Member

Members: Lord Hogan-Howe QPM; Anand Aithal

Attending: Alex Chisholm, Chief Operating Officer of the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Office; Sarah Harrison, CO Chief Operating Officer; Rich Hornby, Chief Financial Officer; John Couborough, Group Chief Internal Auditor; Paul Keane, Representative from the NAO; Nick McManus, Deputy Director for CS & CO Governance.

Nominations Committee

Purpose: The Nominations Committee scrutinises and advises on:

• identifying and developing talent to fill SCS3 and above.
• succession planning for SCS3 and above.
• incentives and awards for SCS3 and high potential SCS2.
• to provide oversight to NEBM appointments processes and provide external reassurance that they are conducted in line with relevant procedures
• succession planning for Non-Executive Board Members.
• facilitating the best deployment of NEBM expertise across the Department.

Chair: the Rt Hon the Baroness Stuart of Edgbaston

Members: Karen Blackett OBE; Anand Aithal

Attending: Alex Chisholm, Chief Operating Officer of the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Office; Sarah Harrison, CO Chief Operating Officer; Carol Bernard, Director, People & Places.

CO Approvals Board

Purpose: The purpose of the Board is to decide on priorities for in year funding; scrutinise and approve business cases for projects whose funding has been withheld as part of business planning; scrutinise and approve expenditure on consultancy over £10,000; and scrutinise and approve all investment and project decisions over £1m.

Chair: Lord Agnew of Oulton, Minister of State.

Members:

• Ministers: Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for Cabinet Office; Julia Lopez MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary
• Non-Executive Board Advisory Members: the Rt Hon the Baroness Stuart of Edgbaston, Lead non-executive; Anand Aithal
• Senior Civil Servants: Alex Chisholm, Chief Operating Officer of the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Office; Sarah Harrison, CO Chief Operating Officer; Rich Hornby, Chief Finance Officer to the Cabinet Office; Nimisha Patel, Chief Digital and Information Officer to the Cabinet Office; Carol Bernard, Cabinet Office Director, People & Places.
• Civil Service CO Advisory Member: Tim Rogers, Cabinet Office Commercial Director

Executive Committee

Purpose: Operating within the overall strategic context set by Ministers, and taking into account the steers of the Cabinet Office Board, the Executive Committee is the senior executive leadership of the department. Its role is to monitor performance, communicate decisions made by the Permanent Secretary and take collective decisions on critical corporate decisions. This includes:

• setting CO’s corporate strategy and determining its priorities, its operating model, and its size, shape and resources
• setting the leadership expectations, culture, tone and behaviours
• actively managing performance, delivery and risk
• monitoring the implementation of corporate policies and procedures
• considering short and longer term issues and trends that could impact CO’s strategy, priorities, reputation and operating model

Chair: Alex Chisholm, Chief Operating Officer of the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Office

Members: Elizabeth Gardiner CB QC, First Parliamentary Counsel; Sarah Harrison, CO Chief Operating Officer; Rich Hornby, Chief Financial Officer; Sharon Sawers, CO Communications Director; Dominic Fortescue, Director General, Government Security Group; Tom Read, CEO, Government Digital Service; Peter Lee, Director General, UK Governance Group; Gareth Rhys Williams, Chief Commercial Officer; Carol Bernard CBE, Director, People & Places; Beth Sizeland, Deputy National Security Adviser; Darren Tierney, Director General, Propriety & Ethics.

Executive Committee Subcommittees

Performance and Risk Committee

Purpose: To monitor and improve the performance of the Department, to establish processes for addressing areas of poor performance, and to ensure robust mitigations are put in place to address Departmental strategic risks.

Responsibilities include:

• examining and challenging the Monthly Performance Report, the Quarterly Performance Report, the Strategic Risk Register, and the Monthly Financial Report
• monitoring and assessing risks to the Department (these include risks held by the functions, CO ALBs and those that CO holds on behalf of the government)
• agreeing what risks should be added and removed from the Strategic Risk Register
• commission Performance Analysis Reviews (deep-dives) on areas of risk, and advise on next steps. (Areas for review may be proactively identified or based on steers from the Board, COARC or ExCo)

Co-Chairs: Elizabeth Gardiner, First Parliamentary Counsel and Permanent Secretary of the Government in Parliament Group and Gareth Rhys Williams, Chief Commercial Officer.

Members: Elizabeth Gardiner, First Parliamentary Counsel (co-Chair), Gareth Rhys Williams, Chief Commercial Officer (co-Chair), Sarah Harrison, CO Chief Operating Officer, Fiona Deans, COO Government Digital Service, Nick Smallwood, CEO, Infrastructure Projects Authority, Rich Hornby, CO Chief Financial Officer, Carol Bernard, CO HR Director Deana Rouse, COO, Government Security Function, Jonathan Nancekivell-Smith, Director Prime Minister’s Implementation Unit, Nathan Paget, GIAA representative.

Associate member: Mike Ashley, Chair, COARC

People and Operations Committee

Purpose: To provide strategic oversight of the Cabinet Office’s corporate services and people strategies in support of the ambition to make the Cabinet Office a great place to work Responsibilities include:

• informing, monitoring, reviewing and making recommendations on the performance of, and risks to:
  • the Cabinet Office’s People Strategy and other programmes of work intended to ensure that the department’s people are motivated, supported and inspired to deliver the mission of the department
  • the facilities, systems, processes and other operational and support services and programmes which enable our people to deliver to the best of their ability towards the mission of the Cabinet Office.
• focus on strategic, policy, and compliance related issues. Monitoring of key metrics and dashboards will support assessment of the effectiveness of implemented changes

Co-Chairs: Sarah Harrison, CO Chief Operating Officer and Peter Lee, Director General, UK Governance Group.

Members: Carol Bernard, Director People & Places; Debra Soper, Chief Operating Officer Government Property Agency; Fiona Deans, Chief Operating Officer Government Digital Service; Paul Mayes, Deputy Director, Cabinet Office Internal Communications and Civil Service Communications; Helen Lederer, Deputy Director, Corporate Services No.10; Simon Tse, Race Champion; Gavin Barlow, Director NSS; Rob Kramer, Director Cabinet Secretariat; Dominique Forestcue, Director General Government Security Group and Government Chief Security Officer; Nimisha Patel, CO Chief Digital Information Officer; Members of the CORE Network (on a rotational basis):

• Yvonne Rogan
• Shernett Ranson
• Nishat Tasnim

Associate member: Lord Hogan-Howe QPM

3. Overview of strategic risk

Across Cabinet Office, the risk management policy in place operates on a two-tier level, allowing for a more granular business unit perspective and an overarching strategic perspective. To clearly define responsibilities and accountabilities, the three lines of defence model is utilised, ensuring that risks are appropriately identified, measured, managed and reported.

Risk is managed and recorded through centralised risk registers that are reported quarterly to the Performance and Risk Committee (PRC) and Executive Committee (ExCo), along with treatment plans that contain specific actions with assigned owners and timescales for resolution. All treatment plans are reviewed at appropriate intervals to ensure they are effectively mitigating risk impact and/or likelihood.

Due to its position at the centre of government, the risk profile for the Cabinet Office is broad, influenced by both internal and external factors. A quarterly process is used to identify and report overarching strategic risks that could have a significant impact on the departments’ ability to operate or meet its strategic vision. Current strategic risks include:

• Resourcing Risks: Reprioritisation of CO colleagues to delivering urgent COVID-19 response and EU transition work reduces the resource available for delivery of core Cabinet Office objectives. There is a risk of priority work not being completed due to reduced resource profile with no alleviation on tasking.
• Other Workforce Risks: The Department is working to improve workplace culture, and performance on bullying, harassment and discrimination. Combined with opportunities for promotion outside the department and continued ‘crisis working’, there is a risk of poor retention, low morale and high rates of staff burnout, increased staff sickness and reduced productivity. There is a risk that staff turnover continues to be high with a commensurate loss of corporate knowledge, and that CO fails to attract and retain the best talent, with the necessary skills and knowledge.
• Information Management Risks: The Department is improving approaches to managing and exploiting digital information, and faces challenges around keeping pace with the growing volume, complexity and variety of information held and the need to ensure important information can be properly archived for the government record. There is a risk of increasing difficulty in meeting obligations to be accountable to Parliament and our responsibilities to the National Archive. This carries the associated risks of multiple legal compliance issues and damage to the CO’s reputation.
• External and Contractual risks: A critical HMG supplier could become insolvent and fail to deliver its contractual obligations, leading to Critical HMG services being disrupted or stopped altogether. All critical services in the Cabinet Office rely on externally contracted services.
  • Specifically, election administration is dependent on a very small number of commercial suppliers who provide the software used by local authorities to maintain electoral registers and run elections. Critical election activity is dependent on this software functioning.
• Budgetary risks: Demand for Cabinet Office services can be volatile and can increase or decrease as a consequence of external events, bringing a risk that the department takes on more responsibilities than it is able to deliver within its budget. This could result in regular overspends and associated funding pressures, a reduction in the quality of our delivery, staff welfare impacts, and an inability to deliver the department’s objectives, leading to a loss of trust and respect with government and the public.
• Wider malicious and non-malicious, domestic and international risks: these are considered separately through the National Security Risk Assessment process, with individual risks managed by lead government departments, and reported elsewhere.

4. Our resources

Our finances:

• Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL): £1.73 billion
• Resource DEL (including depreciation): £1.22 billion
• Capital DEL: £428.77 million
• Annually Managed Expenditure (AME): £1.5 million

Control totals included in this document are in line with those presented in the Main Supply Estimates 2021/22. Any changes arising from the Parliamentary approval process will be reflected in due course. Source: Main Supply Estimates 2021/22

5. Our people

As of 31 December 2020, Cabinet Office had 9,060 full-time equivalent employees.

Source: ONS public sector employment data / Release schedule: quarterly

Breakdown of resource by work

In this environment, the importance of our work has never been greater. We need to have the resources to do our work effectively and respond to new priorities as they arise. The following shows how our resources are allocated to our different priority outcomes:

Priority outcome	Budget (£m)	Workforce (FTE)
Ensure the benefits of the Union are clear, visible and understood by all citizens	41.5	258
Seize the opportunities of EU Exit, through creating the world’s most effective border to increase UK prosperity and enhance security	56.4	329
Secure a safe, prosperous and resilient United Kingdom by coordinating national security, crisis response, and the implementation of the Integrated Review	50	513.1
Improve levels of equality across the UK	19.6	162
Increase the efficiency, effectiveness and accountability of government through modernisation and reform, including through the work of the government Functions	546.6	6,403

C. Delivery Plans for our Key Deliverables

1. Strengthening the Union

This deliverable contributes to the ‘Ensure the benefits of the Union are clear, visible and understood to all citizens’ priority outcome.

Lead ministers:

The Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, Prime Minister, as Minister for the Union
The Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster & Minister for the Cabinet Office

Senior sponsor:

Sue Gray, Permanent Secretary (Union and Constitution)

Outcome strategy

The Cabinet Office, through the Union Directorate leading the design and delivery of the Union strategy and Constitution Group’s expertise on intergovernmental relations and constitutional policy, will drive delivery of government’s priorities to strengthen the Union. Territorial Offices will inform this work with nation-specific knowledge and an understanding of the devolution settlement in each nation, working with other government departments and regional and local partners on the ground, devolved administrations and local authorities, business, and civic society. Cabinet Office and the Territorial Offices will work together to measure progress towards meeting this cross-cutting priority through targeted polling.

This work contributes to the SR priority outcome to ‘Ensure the benefits of the Union are clear, visible, and understood by all citizens’.

Delivery milestones

• Oversee and monitor government efforts to increase citizen and business engagement with the Union.
• Improve the relationships and frameworks that underpin the working relationships between UKG and the Devolved Administrations.
• Support activities of other government departments.
• Improve the knowledge, skills and behaviour of UK government civil servants about the constitution, the Union and devolution capability.

2. Reforming the constitution and sustaining our democracy

Lead minister:

Chloe Smith MP, Minister of State for the Constitution and Devolution

Senior sponsor:

Peter Lee, Acting Director General, UK Governance Group

Outcome strategy

The Cabinet Office works with local authorities on the successful delivery of elections and on constitutional policy. Major deliverables for 2021 include to deliver the manifesto commitment to repeal the Fixed Term Parliament Act, and deliver the May 2021 elections effectively and safely.

We will also introduce the Elections Bill to support the delivery of the government’s manifesto commitments on electoral integrity and our wider democratic system, such as measures to prevent electoral fraud, and removing the 15-year limit on the voting rights of British citizens overseas.

3. Seizing the opportunities of EU Exit

Lead minister:

Lord Frost CMG, Minister of State

Senior sponsors:

Jessica Glover, Director General, Transition
Emma Churchill, Director General, Border and Protocol Delivery Group (BPDG)
Matthew Taylor, Acting Director General, EU Secretariat

Outcome strategy

The Cabinet Office leads government efforts to seize the opportunities of EU Exit, through the work of the Brexit Opportunities Unit and the EU Secretariat, and by coordinating delivery of the 2025 Border Strategy across government departments through the Border and Protocol Delivery Group. These activities support the SR Priority Outcome to ‘seize the opportunities of EU Exit, through creating the world’s most effective border to increase UK prosperity and enhance security’.

Brexit Opportunities Unit

The Brexit Opportunities Unit supports Lord Frost in maximising the economic and political opportunities that Brexit has created. The unit will explore how, as we implement our flagship initiatives, such as the Plan for Growth, the Integrated Review and Net Zero Ten Point Plan, we can build a clear and actionable narrative about where our strengths lie and where we can seize opportunities.

EU Secretariat

The EU Secretariat supports the Prime Minister, Cabinet, and Lord Frost to deliver the UK’s policy towards the EU, following the negotiation of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement in 2020.

Northern Ireland/Ireland Unit

The Northern Ireland/Ireland Unit is part of the Cabinet Secretariat. It will, alongside the EU Secretariat and with government departments, particularly the Northern Ireland Office, oversee the management and operation of the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol, including leading discussions with the EU under the structures created by the Withdrawal Agreement. The Unit will also work with other parts of the Cabinet Office and the Northern Ireland Office to pursue the government’s priorities for Northern Ireland, including strengthening its place in the Union, and in the bilateral relationship with Ireland.

Border and Protocol Delivery Group

Specific programmes BPDG are working across government to deliver and scope before the next spending review include:

• Development of a UK Single Trade Window (STW)
  • We will support trade and business by improving end-to-end user experience for moving legitimate goods into and out of the UK.
  • Progress will be measured quarterly against agreed targets, with the longer term metric of success being to: Reduce the number of times on average that government collects the same data from traders during the import and export process.
• Development of the Border Analytic Capability through the Border Flow Service and Advanced Risk Analytics

4. Securing a safe, prosperous and resilient United Kingdom by coordinating national security, crisis response, and the implementation of the Integrated Review

Lead minister:

The Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, Prime Minister

Senior sponsors:

Sir Stephen Lovegrove, National Security Adviser, National Security Secretariat Jonathan Black, G7/G20 Sherpa

Outcome strategy

The Cabinet Office leads and coordinates government action to inform and implement the decisions made by the Prime Minister and National Security Council. These actions are guided by the Strategic Framework set out in the Integrated Review (IR), 2021 ^{[footnote 2]}. Multiple HMG departments, allies and partners are involved in delivery, including engagement and cooperation with the devolved administrations.

What the Cabinet Office does to support this outcome

The National Security Secretariat will work with departments to coordinate national security, crisis response, and the implementation of the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy. It will:

• support the National Security Council to operate effectively and realise its mandate
• drive implementation of the Integrated Review, which sets the national priorities and strategic framework for national security and international policy
• coordinate HMG’s international engagement to deliver the UK’s year of international leadership and international engagement in support of the UK’s significant multilateral events such as the G7 and COP26
• coordinate the UK’s resilience through the Civil Contingencies Secretariat by improving our ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies and disruptive challenges

Delivering a successful G7 Leaders Summit

The Cabinet Office is responsible for the successful delivery of the G7 Leaders Summit within the G7 Presidency Year (2021), including operational delivery of G7 Leaders Summit and other presidency events enabling successful buy in to the G7 policy communique, and supporting the collaborative work across the G7 to ‘Build Back Better’ post the EU Exit and COVID-19 pandemic.

Delivery milestones

• Support the National Security Council to operate effectively and realise its mandate.
• Drive implementation of the IR, which sets the national priorities and strategic framework for national security and international policy.
• Coordinate HMG’s international engagement to deliver the UK’s year of international leadership and international engagement in support of the UK’s significant multilateral events such as the G7 and COP26.
• Coordinate the UK’s resilience through the Civil Contingencies Secretariat by improving our ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies and disruptive challenges.

5. Improving levels of equality across the UK

Lead ministers:

Liz Truss MP, Secretary of State for International Trade and Minister for Women and Equalities
Kemi Badenoch MP, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and Minister for Equalities
Baroness Berridge, Minister for Women and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the School System
Justin Tomlinson MP, Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work
Julia Lopez MP, Parliamentary Secretary

Senior sponsor:

Marcus Bell, Director, Equality Hub

Outcome strategy

The Cabinet Office provides evidence, data and policy input to underpin cross-government efforts to improve levels of equality. The Equality Hub sponsors the Equality & Human Rights Commission and the Social Mobility Commission, and works closely with other departments, such as the Department for Work and Pensions and Department for Education, to achieve change. Overall the Equality Hub’s work contributes directly to the levelling up agenda, particularly through the focus on socio-economic and geographic inequality. Spending Review 2020 included a priority outcome to ‘Improve levels of equality in the UK’.

Delivery milestones

• Lead work to analyse and tackle disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 for ethnic minority and disabled people.
• Examine inequality in the UK, across the whole population through delivery and responding to the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities.
• Improve the quality of evidence and data in government about the types of barriers different groups face through the Equality Data Programme.
• Work with DWP to implement the National Strategy for Disabled People.
• Promote gender equality in the COVID-19 recovery, by working to increase women’s economic participation, and reduce occupational segregation.
• Legislating to ban conversion therapy, including consulting widely, and putting in place support for victims.
• Reduce bureaucracy in the gender recognition process through digitisation and reducing the fees for GRC application.
• Promote international action to protect and promote the rights of LGBT people, including through successful delivery of an international conference.
• Through the work of the Social Mobility Commission, assess progress on improving social mobility, provide published advice to ministers, and carry out social mobility advocacy.

6. Modernising and reforming government

Lead ministers:

The Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster & Minister for the Cabinet Office; Lord Agnew of Oulton, Minister of State

Senior sponsor:

Alex Chisholm, Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service and Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary

Outcome strategy

Government must continually improve how it operates if it is to meet the needs and expectations of the public. The Cabinet Office is therefore working across the whole of government to develop and execute a programme of modernisation and reform, focused on:

• People - ensuring that the right people are working in the right places with the right incentives
• Performance - modernising the operation of government, making full use of technology and data, being clear-eyed about our priorities, and objective in our evaluation of what is and is not working
• Partnership - strengthening the bond between ministers and officials, always operating as one team from policy through to delivery, and between central government and institutions outside it

We will publish a ‘Reform Statement’ setting out the plans and commitments that underpin this ambition. This is supported by a detailed Action Plan that sets out how identified actions will be delivered, who is responsible for delivering them and by when, and how we will measure success.

7. Supporting the Prime Minister and Cabinet government

Lead ministers:

The Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, Prime Minister

Senior sponsors:

Martin Reynolds, PPS to the Prime Minister
Rob Kramer, Director, Cabinet Secretariat
Darren Tierney, Director General Propriety and Ethics, Cabinet Secretary Group
Dr Emily Lawson, No 10 Delivery Unit

Outcome strategy

The Cabinet Office supports the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s decision-making, by coordinating collective government, leading priorities of the day and enacting policy. The Cabinet Office will:

• support the effective operation of Cabinet and Cabinet Committee business
• maintain high ethical standards of conduct throughout government
• support the Prime Minister and Cabinet to track implementation of the government’s priorities and public commitments, including by:
  • establishing a new Planning and Performance Framework - embedding of Outcome Delivery Plans for all departments, with 22 Outcome Delivery Plans in place at start of FY21/22 (fully costed and agreed with CO, HMT, No.10)
  • continuing to oversee implementation and deliverability of PM priority policies - including the conduct of ‘deep dives’ on particular policy areas
  • embedding a Digital Reporting Integration Platform, including successful delivery of prototype integrated planning platform, and uptake and usage by core delivery departments of prototype platform
• through the Economic and Domestic Secretariat (EDS), support the Prime Minister and the Cabinet in the development, coordination and implementation of its highest priority economic and domestic policy commitments. EDS work very closely with No.10 and the Cabinet Secretary, as well as policy and legal teams from across government, in developing and delivering the government’s priorities

8. Delivering the government’s legislative agenda

Lead ministers:

The Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, Prime Minister

Senior sponsor:

Elizabeth Gardiner, Government in Parliament Group

Outcome strategy

The Government in Parliament Group enables the delivery of the government’s legislative programme, as set out in the Queen’s Speech, and other Parliamentary business, including through legislative drafting on behalf of departments.

9. Delivering a successful COP26

Lead ministers:

The Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, Prime Minister
The Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP, COP26 President-Designate

Senior sponsor:

Peter Hill, Director General and CEO of the COP26 Unit

Outcome strategy

The department is responsible for the successful delivery of COP26 - the UN’s annual climate change conference - in November 2021, including operational delivery and achieving COP26 policy objectives.

10. Making the UK the best place in the world to be a veteran

Lead ministers:

The Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Leo Docherty MP, Minister for Defence People and Veterans

Senior sponsor:

Jessie Owen, Director, Office for Veterans’ Affairs

Outcome strategy

The Strategy for our Veterans, published by the UK government in 2018 and endorsed by all 4 nations, sets out commitments to deliver on the ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to be a veteran. The strategy aims to achieve 3 key principles:

1. Veterans are first and foremost civilians and continue to be of benefit to wider society
2. Veterans are encouraged and enabled to maximise their potential as civilians
3. Veterans are able to access support that meets their needs when necessary, through public and voluntary sectors

The Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA) leads the cross-government delivery of the Strategy for our Veterans, leading, coordinating and supporting work related to veterans across other government departments and key delivery partners and building relationships between public services and the veterans charity sector to deliver for those who served in our Armed Forces and their families. The OVA is predominantly a strategy, policy and coordination team and does not deliver services directly to veterans.

Governance

The Ministerial Covenant and Veterans Board is co-chaired by the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster and the Secretary of State for Defence and provides cross-government strategic direction and co-ordination of delivery of both the Armed Forces Covenant and the Strategy for Our Veterans. This Board includes representation from the Devolved Administrations.

The government has established a Veterans’ Advisory Board and an Independent Veterans’ Advisor to inform the government’s veterans policy and provide insight on the needs and priorities of the veterans community.

Delivery milestones

• Understanding the needs of veterans - delivering impact through building our evidence base on the veteran community and the services and support they need.
• Transforming veterans’ services and support - delivering impact through modernising service provision and progressing policy priorities.
• We will work with the NHS and Department for Health and Social Care to enhance the health and wellbeing of veterans including guiding the delivery of the NHS Forward View for veterans’ healthcare.
• Maximising the employability of veterans through targeted support from across government.
• We will work with VetsUK and the Government Digital Service to accelerate digital transformation of veterans services, including the development of a GOV.UK veterans portal and the digital ID verification required for rollout of veterans’ ID cards.
• We will develop policy proposals to address legacy issues, including the pre-2000 ban on serving in the Armed Forces for the LGBT community, and equalities related issues, including the support required by female veterans. Showcasing the contribution of veterans - delivering impact by understanding and improving the public perception of veterans and the support available.
• Publishing the next iteration of the Veterans Strategy Action Plan, setting out plans to further progress implementation of the Strategy for Our Veterans through to 2024.

11. Leading and enabling government functions

Lead ministers:

Lord Agnew of Oulton, Minister of State

Senior sponsor:

Alex Chisholm, Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service and Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary

Government Commercial Function

The Government Commercial Function drives efficiency and capability across government by building commercial and contract management capability, strategic engagement with markets and suppliers, controlling and assuring strategic expenditure with suppliers, providing sourcing guidance, setting standards and driving continuous improvement, developing commercial policy and providing senior targeted expertise into departments.

Government Communication Service

GCS delivers public service communication that supports Ministers’ priorities, enables the efficient and effective operation of public services, and ultimately improves people’s lives. Its budget covers the entire No.10/CO communication operation, including a shared digital team, the Rapid Response Unit, national security, international operations and the CO communication directorate which oversees ministerial engagement, media monitoring and Civil Service Live. It also includes major government campaigns including COVID-19 and GREAT. The central GCS team is responsible for the talent management, professional assurance and development of the wider communication function of 7000 colleagues in departments and ALBs.

Digital, Data and Technology

The new Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) leads the Digital, Data and Technology professions across government. It sets the aspiration and strategy for digitisation, builds capability so that the government is equipped with the skills needed to succeed in the internet age. CDDO designs and implements standards to systems and services that are delivered in the right way.

The Government Digital Service (GDS) builds best-in-class digital products and services to be built once and used across government. GDS is working towards providing the kind of personalised, seamless and intuitive online service and information users should expect from government.

Debt Management Function

The purpose of the Debt Management Function is to improve the government’s debt management capabilities and as a result, manage the overdue debt balance better. It does this by developing best practice and policies that span central and local government, advising on emerging policy risks and through specific initiatives such as the Government Debt Strategy, Debt Market Integrator and Debt Centre of Expertise.

Counter Fraud Function

The purpose of the Counter Fraud Function is to support public servants to reduce loss through fraud and error by improving their ability to identify and prevent fraud and corruption. It does this by developing policies and providing expert advice, as well as leading the Counter Fraud Profession. There have been clear steers from senior figures in the department that FEDG, but more specifically the fraud function, should be prioritised and financially supported where possible.

Grants Management Function

The purpose of the Grant Management Function is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of grant funding by reducing losses from fraud and minimising reputational and economic risks. It achieves this by providing leadership, policy direction and expert advice on how the £114bn of annual grant expenditure across government should be administered through the Grants Transformation programme and publishing data on the government repository of grants.

Civil Service HR

CSHR exists to ensure that the civil service has the requisite skills and knowledge, and that the government sources talent from all parts of the UK and all parts of society. It sets the policies for departments to follow, it delivers services to departments (e.g. leadership development programmes, running a recruitment service, providing expert consultancy and advice), and it heads the HR profession across government. The business unit is therefore pivotal to Ministerial ambitions around the levelling-up agenda and government reform. In recent years, it has also redeployed staff across government to meet urgent needs associated with EU Exit and the COVID-19 pandemic. This unit now houses Pamela Dow’s Government Skills and Curriculum Unit, which is a CDL priority.

Project Delivery Function

The Project Delivery Function is owned and managed by the IPA, which was formed in 2016 by the merger of Infrastructure UK and the Major Projects Authority. Infrastructure UK (IUK) was established in 2010 to support major infrastructure projects involving public sector capital; and the Major Projects Authority was established in 2011 with a mandate to oversee and assure the largest government projects. The IPA is the government’s centre of expertise for infrastructure and major projects reporting to both the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury.

Government Property Function

The Office of Government Property (OGP) has led the property function across government since its establishment in 2010 (originally as the Government Property Unit). It provides strategic leadership on the Property Function for the delivery of public services across the largest property portfolio in the UK, working with all departmental property leaders and arms length bodies (ALBs) to manage the public sector estate for public benefit. The OGP is responsible for the Government Estate Strategy 2018, which sets the direction for changes to the government estate up to 2022.

Government Security Function

The Government Security Function was established in the wake of a review of Government protective security for the Cabinet in 2016. The function enables the government to protect citizens and provide vital public services by understanding and managing security risks. The function is responsible for the oversight, coordination and delivery of protective security across central government departments, their agencies and arms-length bodies.

It also works to enable wider Government to do its business better, including ensuring that systems are interoperable, so they work smoothly across departmental boundaries (secure and reliable vetting clearances, IT platforms and common access to buildings), the Government Cyber Security Strategy, and the Transforming Government Security strategy.

Spending Review metrics

Percentage of government contracts published by departments in a timely fashion on GOV.UK

Number and percentage of departments reaching the objective of paying 90 per cent of undisputed invoices from small and medium sized businesses within five working days

The percentage of government services that are fully digitised, partially digitised or not digitised

Percentage of departments publishing regular and detailed Senior Civil Service organograms

How our work contributes to the delivery of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)

Functions	Details
Spending Review Priority Outcome 4: Increase the efficiency, effectiveness and accountability of government through modernisation and reform, including through the work of the government Functions.	This outcome contributes to the following SDGs: 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth 10: Reduced Inequalities 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions All aspects of the Modernisation and Reform programme directly contribute to Target 16.6; developing effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels. Procurement Reform in particular will support increased transparency over government’s commercial activity. Additionally, the Places for Growth agenda will Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban areas (Target 11.a) In particular, GDS reforms, including improvements to GOV.UK and development of the Single Sign-on will help ‘ensure public access to information’, contributing to Target 16.10)
Coordination of Government Priorities
Strengthening the Union Spending Review Priority Outcome 1: Ensure the the benefits of the Union are clear, visible, and understood by all citizens	This outcome contributes to the following SDGs: 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions This outcome contributes to the SDG for Decent Work and Economic Growth through supporting Target8.2. UK-wide funding for areas that were previously devolved will support higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation. Supporting departments’ development and delivery of funding to Scotland, Wales and NI will also contribute to strengthening national level planning (Target 11.a). Key activities contributing to Outcome 1, such as improved Civil Servant knowledge on the Constitution, governance, and devolution will contribute to Target 16.6; developing effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels Further, increased citizen and business engagement, alongside the Union Comms campaign, will help to support more responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels (Target 16.7).
Seizing the opportunities of EU Exit Spending Review Priority Outcome 2: Seize the opportunities of EU Exit, through creating the world’s most effective border to increase UK prosperity and enhance security	This outcome contributes to the following SDGs: 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions Improved end-to-end user experience for moving legitimate goods into and out of the UK will help achieve higher levels of economic productivity (Target 8.2). Improved ability to detect threats before they reach the border will support Target 16.4, which aims to significantly reduce illicit financial and arms flows, strengthen the recovery and return of stolen assets and combat all forms of organized crime Through improving resilience of international supply chains and minimising the risk of disruption at UK ports, the Future Borders Programme will contribute to the development quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and trans-border infrastructure, to support economic development (Target 9.1).
National Security and Crisis Response Spending Review Priority Outcome 3: Secure a safe, prosperous and resilient United Kingdom by coordinating national security, crisis response, and the implementation of the Integrated Review	This outcome contributes to the following SDGs: 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions Improved Cross-Government approaches to security will support building capacity at all levels, in particular in developing countries, to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime (Target 16.a) Outcomes of the IR will contribute to improved national security and support Target 16.1, reduction in violence and related death.
Improving levels of equality in the United Kingdom Spending Review Priority Outcome 5: Improve levels of equality in the UK	This outcome contributes to the following SDGs: 3: Good Health and Well-Being 5: Gender Equality 10: Reduced Inequalities 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions All aspects of the Equality Outcome primarily contribute to Goal 5, Reduced Inequalities. Impact on equalities will be measured via metrics including, ‘Increased ethnic minority, disability, socio-economic and diversity of background and location within Fast stream and SCS Fast Stream and Early Talent Diversity Programme’. All contributing activity lines especially support Target 10.2, to empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status. Improving the quality of evidence and data within Government about the types of barriers different groups face will lay the foundation for Target 10.3, ensuring equal opportunity and reducing inequalities of outcome, and eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard. The Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, the National Strategy for Disabled People, and the Gender Recognition Certification Digitisation will support improved health and wellbeing of ethnic minorities, disabled people and trans people respectively (Target 3.8).
Supporting the Prime Minister and Cabinet government	This outcome represents the work of teams which support the operation of Cabinet Government, and ensures the delivery and monitoring of the Prime Minister’s key priorities. Through this work it contributes to a wide range of SDG, across all government work but most specifically and directly: 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss Successful delivery of COP26, the UN’s annual climate change conference, will directly support Targets 13.a, Implementing the commitment undertaken by developed-country parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) and 13.2 Integrating climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning. Additionally, the proposed policy goals surrounding the UK’s COP26 Presidency will contribute to improving education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change (Target 13.3). Effective and safe delivery of the May 2021 elections will ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels (Target 16.7). Delivery of the government’s 5 year UK Geospatial Strategy will contribute to Target 15.9; improved access and use of geospatial data will support integrating ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning and development processes.
Enabler 4: Sustainability	This enabler contributes to the following SDGs: 7: Affordable and Clean Energy 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities 12: Responsible Consumption and Production 13: Climate Action Through achieving compliance with DEFRA’s Green Government commitments, the Cabinet Office Estates team will contribute to multiple SDG Targets, including: Target 7.1, improved access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services. Target 11.6, reducing the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities. Target 12.5, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse. Through empowering CO colleagues to challenge and improve Sustainability, Estates colleagues will contribute to Improving education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change (Target 13.3)

Through this ODP we have demonstrated how the Priority Outcomes of the Cabinet Office contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). We have shown how each Outcome supports relevant SDGs, and specifically which Target each detailed activity line supports.

Projects and programmes

The Cabinet Office has a number of projects, all but one of which fall under the scope of its role of managing and coordinating government functions. The projects in the department for 2021 to 2022 are as follows:

• Government Property Hubs
• Whitehall Campus
• Commercial Capability Expansion Programme
• Verify
• Digital Identity
• Crown Commercial Service Transformation Programme
• 2015 Pension Remedy Programme
• Future Service Programme
• Workplace Services Transformation Programme
• Vetting Transformation Programme
• Electoral Integrity
• One Public Estate

D. Strategic Enablers

Workforce, skills and location

We invest our resources effectively across the department, including into our projects and our people

Metric	Frequency	Lead Official
Turnover of Permanent CO contracts (excluding loans, DEXEU, Fast streamers, SpAds, C/Specialists and other short term arrangements)	Quarterly	Carol Bernard
Full time equivalent by location by grade	Quarterly
% of teams’ L&D budget which is spent	Quarterly
Diversity of recruitment	Quarterly
% staff declaring diversity on SOP	Quarterly
Average number of days to fill vacant post: working days for TTH (Advert to offer accepted)	Quarterly
Average number of days to fill vacant post: working days for STS (Advert to clearance)	Quarterly
Department's Learning & Development People Survey score	Annually
Department's Pay & Benefits People Survey Score	Annually
Department's Inclusion & Fair Treatment People Survey Score	Annually
Median and Mean Gender pay gap (decrease on previous year)	Annually

 

People survey engagement score

Year	Engagement score
2020	63%
2019	65%
2018	67%

Source: Civil Service People Survey / Release schedule: annually

Representation of female staff, ethnic minority staff and disabled staff

Year	Total Number of Staff	Female	Ethnic minority	Disabled
2020	8,072	Not yet published	Not yet published	Not yet published
2019	6,313	52.9%	18%	14.8%
2018	5,720	52.7%	16.3%	11.9%

Source: Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Dashboard / Release schedule: quarterly

Innovation, technology and data

We are a diverse organisation, creating an environment where we can use a wide breadth of experience to drive innovation in new ideas and to grow the organisation.

Metric	Frequency	Lead Official
People Survey: My Team theme score (supported for trying new ideas)	Annually	Alex Chisholm
% of departmental APIs included in GDS's API catalogue	Quarterly	Nimisha Patel
% of department's critical datasets that have a regular assessment of their data quality	Quarterly	Nimisha Patel
DDaT professionals (both civil servant and contractors) as a proportion of overall department headcount	Quarterly	Nimisha Patel
Contractors vs Civil Servant split for the DDaT workforce	Quarterly	Nimisha Patel
Number of customer-facing services that are digitised end-to-end; number of services that are partially offline; number of services fully offline	Quarterly	Nimisha Patel

Delivery, evaluation and collaboration

Our core corporate processes are efficient, delivering on time and to expected levels. Our controls are effective at identifying and reducing risks to the organisation’s delivery. This includes processes around recruitment, committee engagement, audit, and assurance and compliance.

Metric	Frequency	Lead Official
Commercial Blueprint  is in place and approved by COO or Permanent Secretary	Annual	Richard Hornby
Assessment against Government Commercial Operating Standard 008	Annual
% of qualified staff vs expected (and % of staff on studying towards finance qualification)	Bi-annual
Mandatory budget holder training and accreditation in place	Annual
Record-to-report: were the last set of accounts qualified	Annual
Record-to-report: Annual Report and Accounts publication date, relative to admin deadline	Annual
Record-to-report: Board packs meet minimum standards and match OSCAR upload	Monthly
Record-to-report: OSCAR upload date relative to deadline	Monthly
Prompt payment: % of undisputed, correctly rendered invoices paid for procurement of goods and services. On time publication of quarterly prompt payment statistics to CO: paid within 5 days	Quarterly
Prompt payment: % of undisputed, correctly rendered invoices paid for procurement of goods and services. On time publication of quarterly prompt payment statistics to CO: paid within 30 days	Quarterly
Aged debt as a % of total debt (over 180 days)	Quarterly
Aged debt as a % of total debt (over 60 days)	Quarterly
Minimise use of the reserve (as % of Total Managed Expenditure)	Annual
Full year forecast v. budget: Total DEL (T-DEL) underspend target %, excluding depreciation and Financial Transactions (FT)	Annual

Sustainability

Metric	Frequency	Lead Official
Number of CO owned buildings for which ISO 14001 accreditation is retained (4 in London)*	Annual (Environmental Sustainability is externally audited annually).	Carol Bernard
% of DEFRA’s 2021/2022 Green Government commitments achieved. TBD - CO is currently engaged in negotiations with DEFRA over 2021/2022 Green Government commitments and targets. New targets are due to be published in April 2021.	Quarterly (CO report on progress of Green Government commitments to DEFRA quarterly).
Empowerment of CO colleagues to challenge and improve Sustainability	Quarterly

 

*Number of CO owned buildings for which ISO 14001 accreditation is retained (4 in London): ISO 14001 is the international standard that specifies requirements for an effective environmental management system (EMS).

Greenhouse gas emissions

Year	Total Emissions Reduction
2020/21	Not yet published
2019/20	65% reduction
2018/19	51% reduction

Source: Greening Government Commitments annual reports / Release schedule: annually

E. Our equality objectives

As the host of the Equality Hub, the Cabinet Office is supporting the priority outcome of improving levels of equality, outlined above. We have set further objectives to help us advance equality. These are:

1.Work with all departments to realise the ambition that by 2022, 50% of all public appointees are female and 14% of all public appointments made are from ethnic minorities, including ensuring that Cabinet Office public appointments contribute to this.

2.Work towards a Crown honours system that is representative of the people of the UK.

3. Increase ethnic minority, disability, socio-economic and diversity of background and location within Fast stream and SCS through the Fast Stream and Early Talent Diversity Programme.

1. Provisional priority outcomes and associated metrics will be adjusted through the next Spending Review as necessary, including to deliver the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy. ↩

2. Global Britain in a Competitive Age: the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy ↩