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The role of the Cabinet Office is to make government work better and I am proud of the way the Department has worked hard over the past year to make this happen in an ever-challenging environment. We have achieved this whilst maintaining our three core functions: supporting the Prime Minister; supporting the Cabinet; and strengthening the capability of the Civil Service.

From autumn 2008 the Cabinet Office has played a vital role in co-ordinating the response to the global downturn supporting the Prime Minister both nationally and internationally. This included the successful delivery of the G20 summit of world leaders and to the creation of the National Economic Council.

At the Prime Minister’s request we launched a review of information security in government to continue improving the way we handle data through the delivery chain. The improved communications across all stakeholders has led to greater transparency. The Cabinet Office also rolled out a data security e-learning package to all departments. This has been made available to all public sector organisations.

To encourage public debate on the risks facing the UK, and the action needed to address them, we published the National Risk Register. This proved to be the world’s first.

Last September, in Birmingham, we held the first of several Cabinet meetings outside London since 1921. The meetings were combined with public events which provided opportunities for the Cabinet to engage with local communities. These are a further demonstration of the way in which we have led the way in innovation and openness.

At the centre of government we have formed an even closer partnership with HM Treasury in order to improve the way we work with departments to help them deliver their objectives. I remain committed to building a capable and professional Civil Service which reflects the society we serve. Through the Capability Review programme we are continuing to build capable departments ready to meet the challenges of the future. This year the Cabinet Office led on the second phase of the programme, re-visiting departments two years on from their original reviews. This included a review of the Cabinet Office, which highlighted our achievements as well as the areas in which we must continue to improve.

It is important that we continue to focus on ensuring we have a diverse workforce. As a result we launched the Civil Service-wide strategy: Promoting Equality, Valuing Diversity: A Strategy for the Civil Service. The Cabinet Office also led on the Civil Service Diversity and Equality awards in Birmingham last year. These celebrated the success we have already made on this agenda.

In such challenging times, the Cabinet Office has worked hard to make value for money savings.   We know it won’t be easy but we must meet the challenges of the future head on, within the department and across the Civil Service, while continuing to deliver value for money for the taxpayer. This will increasingly require innovative ideas which can shape the future. I am confident that the dedicated and professional staff in the Department will meet this challenge.