We asked the Cabinet Office when it expects to publish the new strategic workforce plan. It told us that there is no confirmed publication date at present, but it hoped the government would be able to release the plan within four months of when we took evidence (which was on 15 December 2025). The Cabinet Office told us that the strategic workforce plan will set out how government will tackle skills gaps across government and that the biggest gaps are in digital and technology skills, and in project delivery and project management. The Cabinet Office expects that consultants can add value in these areas.46 The Cabinet Office also stated that the workforce plan will contain further details on departmental spending limits set by HM Treasury.47 When asked whether it also expects to use AI to increase productivity, the Cabinet Office stated that it does and is providing training on AI to the civil service. The Cabinet Office said it would like to consider whether AI can play a role in shaping the consultancy sphere but does not expect AI to fully replace consultancy services.48 42 Professor Andrew Sturdy (GDA0010) 43 Q 2 44 Q 2 45 Qq 10, 42 46 Qq 54-55 47 Letter from the Cabinet Office, 5 January 2026 48 Qq 59, 63, 69 14