Written questions by Wood.

With reference to the Written Statement of 21 July 2025 on Government of service, HCWS870, whether he plans to reconstitute the Joint Operations Committee.

The Framework Document between the Cabinet Office, the Civil Service Commission, the Advisory Committee for Business Appointments (ACOBA) and the Commissioner for Public Appointments sets out the broad governance framework for the Independent Offices, including the role of the Joint Operations Committee established by those organisations. The Framework Document will be updated to reflect the changes announced in the Written Statement on 21 July and will set out the governance arrangements of the Civil Service Commission and Commissioner for Public Appointments, following the closure of ACOBA.

With reference to the written statement of 21 July 2025 entitled Government of service, HCWS870, whether the Ethics and Integrity Commission will consider complaints relating to alleged breaches of ethics and integrity.

The Written Ministerial Statement "Government of Service", laid on 21 July 2025, outlines the role of the Ethics and Integrity Commission. Further detail on the Commission will be published when it becomes operational on 13 October 2025.

With reference to the Written Statement of 21 July 2025 on Government of service, HCWS870, if he will publish the audit findings by the Civil Service Commission on the application of Business Appointment Rules below senior levels.

The Civil Service Commission is operationally independent of Government. The publication of information about the Commission’s audit activity in respect of the application of Business Appointment Rules below the most senior grades will be a matter for the Commission.

With reference to the Written Statement of 21 July 2025 on Government of service, HCWS870, whether he plans to increase the remuneration for the (a) First Civil Service Commissioner and (b) chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life.

The remuneration of the First Civil Service Commissioner and the chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life will be set out in the annual reports and accounts for those organisations in the usual way.

With reference to the Written Statement of 21 July 2025 on Government of service, HCWS870, whether changes to the Business Appointment Rules will be retrospective.

The changes to the way the Rules are administered will come into effect on 13 October. The changes announced in the 21 July Written Ministerial Statement will not be applied retrospectively.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 42571 on Cabinet Office: Equality, which diversity networks in his Department received network time in the last month for which figures are held; and how much time was given in each case.

Collating and recording network time would present a disproportionate administrative burden on the central HR team as this information is not held centrally.

Pursuant to the written statement of 21 July 2025 on Government of service, HCWS870, whether the new rules on repayment of Ministerial severance payments will come into effect on 13 October; and whether the Deputy Prime Minister has now signed a waiver.

The reforms to ministerial severance payments, including the use of waivers, will take effect from 13 October.

With reference to the Prime Minister's oral contribution of 3 September 2025 in response to the Rt hon. Member for North West Essex during Prime Minister's Questions, Official Report, Column 281, on what date the Deputy Prime Minister informed the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards that she had not correctly paid stamp duty.

The former Deputy Prime Minister referred herself to the Independent Advisor on Ministerial Standards on Wednesday 3 September.

With reference to the Prime Minister's oral contribution of 3 September 2025 in response to the Rt hon. Member for North West Essex during Prime Minister's Questions, Official Report, Column 281, on what date he was informed that the Deputy Prime Minister had not correctly paid stamp duty.

The Prime Minister was kept updated appropriately.

How many non-party political life peers he intends to ask the Commission to nominate in 2025.

It is for the Prime Minister to make recommendations to the Sovereign on new peers. As set out in his written ministerial statement of 19 June 2025, in doing so he will continue to ask the House of Lords Appointments Commission to nominate individuals to sit as Crossbench peers. Any such appointments will subsequently be announced by the Commission in the usual way.

If he will make it his policy to ensure that people who are white British are eligible to apply for all (a) government and (b) (i) MI5 and (ii) MI6 summer internships.

A range of internships exist across government, any decisions relating to eligibility are taken in line with the CS Commission rules and in accordance with UK Employment Law. Specifically relating to the CS Summer Internship Programme, as set out in August, it will be exclusively for undergraduates from lower socio-economic backgrounds for 2026. White British people that meet the eligibility criteria for the Summer Internship Programme will be able to apply. The intelligence agencies, as with any arm to the Civil Service, must take any decisions seeking to improve the diversity of their workforce in-line with UK law and in adherence with the relevant measures of the Equalities Act 2010. These measures permit employers to take specific actions to enable or encourage those with protected characteristics to apply for particular roles. Such action is considered lawful and includes both individuals from White minority backgrounds, those from socially or economically underrepresented groups and those from an ethnic minority background.

What information his Department holds on the number of civil servants who are (a) full protection and (b) tapered protection members of the Civil Service (i) Classic, (ii) Premium, (iii) Classic Plus and (iv) Nuvos pensions.

The information requested is published in Table 1.2 in section 7.3 of Annex A of the Civil Service Pensions 2015 Remedy (‘McCloud’) consultation – Equality Impact Assessment.

With reference to the Written Statement on Government of service, HCWS870, of 21 July 2025, whether he plans to amend the Civil Service Management Code to reflect the transfer of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments' functions to the Civil Service Commission.

The Civil Service Management Code will be updated in due course to reflect the transfer of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments' functions to provide independent advice on the application of the Business Appointment Rules in respect of the most senior civil servants and special advisers to the Civil Service Commission.

With reference to the Written Statement of 21 July 2025 on Government of service, HCWS870, whether he plans to permit retrospective applications for business appointments to the (a) Civil Service Commission and (b) Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards.

The Business Appointment Rules state that retrospective applications will not normally be accepted. While the Rules rightly discourage retrospective applications in order to ensure initial compliance from applicants, the Government believes that, should someone acknowledge their error and agree to follow the process, there should be an opportunity for them to receive advice and be subject to conditions.

What his Department's planned timetable is for publishing details of the new arrangements for applications relating to Business Appointments Rules.

Information on the new Business Appointments Rules process will be published when it becomes operational on 13 October 2025.

With reference to the Written Statement of 21 July 2025, HCWS870, on Government of service, whether he plans to amend the Ministerial and other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991 to implement the changes on Ministerial severance payments.

The government does not intend to amend the Ministerial and other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991 to implement changes on ministerial severance payments. These changes will be implemented via a waiver system.

With reference to the Written Statement on Government of service, HCWS870, of 21 July 2025, whether the new Business Appointment Rules administered by the Civil Service Commission will apply to (a) special advisers below SCS Pay Band 2, (b) special advisers at other pay bands and (c) special advisers previously covered by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments.

The transfer of responsibility for the administration and advice on applications for the most senior civil servants and special advisers from the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments to the Civil Service Commission, will only affect those at the SCS Pay Band 3 and equivalent, and above. Applications from those civil servants and special advisers at the SCS Pay Band 2 and equivalent, and below, will continue to be processed by their respective departments.

What proportion of applications from (a) ministers to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments were processed with substantive advice within 15 working days and (b) all other crown servants at SCS3 or equivalent and above were processed with in 20 workings days of receipt of that application; and what steps he plans to take to ensure that future applications under the Business Appointments Rules are processed quickly.

The latest report from the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments for its work between 2020 and 2024 sets out the proportion of cases completed within the 15 and 20 working day timelines, for ministers and crown servants, at page 6: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/669923de0808eaf43b50d22c/Advisory_Committee_on_Business_Appointments-21st_Report_-_April_2020_to_March_2024_PDF.pdf The Government is determined to create a more efficient and responsive system, for example by streamlining the application process for roles where there is lower threat to the integrity of Government, such as journalism, media appearances, and academia.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 July 2025 to Question HL9163 on Government Departments: Regulation, how many authorisations have been made within this Department.

I refer the Hon gentleman to the answer for PQ HL9163 of 21 July 2025.

With reference to the Written Statement of 21 July 2025 on Government of service, HCWS870, whether the Prime Minister plans to issue a direction under section 17 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 to give the Civil Service Commission new statutory functions relating to Business Appointment Rules.

As Minister for the Cabinet Office, I wrote to the First Civil Service Commissioner, Baroness Stuart, on behalf of the Prime Minister, on 9 July formally inviting the Civil Service Commission, under Section 17 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, to take on responsibility for the administration and advice on applications from the most senior civil servants (and equivalent special advisers) under the business appointment rules system. The First Civil Service Commissioner responded on 11 July on behalf of the Commission to formally agree to take on these additional responsibilities. The relevant correspondence is published on the Civil Service Commission website. These changes took effect on 13 October 2025.