Written questions by Wood.

What costs have been re-charged from (a) Downing Street and (b) the Cabinet Office to the Labour Party since 4 July 2024.

I refer the Hon. Member to my answer of 28 May 2025, Official Report, PQ 53200.

Which Ministers have used Admiralty House as an office workplace in the last 30 years.

We do not hold this information.

Whether his Department has issued guidance to Ministers on whether they can undertake a personal holiday following an official visit to a foreign country.

The standards of conduct expected of ministers are set out in the Ministerial Code.

With reference to paragraph 13 of the policy paper entitled UK-EU Summit: Common Understanding, published on 19 May 2025, what estimate he has made of the annual number of EU visitors there would be under a youth experience scheme; whether he plans to negotiate a cap; and whether the scheme would provide a full right to work in the UK.

We have agreed that we will work towards the establishment of a balanced youth experience scheme with the EU. We have agreed that any scheme will be time-limited and capped, and we have also been clear that it should be in line with the UK’s existing schemes with countries like Australia and New Zealand. The exact parameters will be subject to negotiation.

With reference to paragraph 14 of the policy paper entitled UK-EU Summit: Common Understanding, published on 19 May 2025, whether he has estimated the number of EU participants in the Erasmus+ programme who will be eligible to enter the UK each year.

We have agreed to work towards the association of the UK to the EU Erasmus+ programme. The specific terms of this association will be discussed going forward. Erasmus+ offers a broad range of opportunities across education, youth, and sport sectors. Historically, many UK and EU participants took up opportunities under Erasmus+, which is about short-term exchanges, after which participants return to their home countries.

With reference to paragraph 14 of the policy paper entitled UK-EU Summit: Common Understanding, published on 19 May 2025, whether young people will be given voting rights in local elections in (a) England and (b) Northern Ireland under the proposed youth experience scheme from an EU Member State (i) that are residing in the UK and (ii) where there is not a bilateral reciprocal agreement between the UK and that EU Member State under the Representation of the People Act 1983.

Prior to the UK’s departure from the EU, in December 2018, the Government wrote to all 27 EU member states signalling willingness to enter into bilateral agreements to ensure continuity of local election voting and candidacy rights for each other's citizens. EU citizens from countries that have a bilateral agreement with the UK can therefore vote in local elections in England and Northern Ireland (alongside those who have been legally resident in the UK prior to withdrawal from the EU). We have such agreements with Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal and Spain. These agreements are separate from Youth Mobility Schemes.

With reference to the policy paper entitled UK-EU Summit: Common Understanding, published on 19 May 2025, if he will list the policy areas that dynamic alignment will apply to.

The UK has taken a sovereign decision to agree to dynamic alignment of some laws. By regulating consistently with the EU in specific areas, we will unlock further market access for UK firms with one of our largest trading partners, thereby improving growth for British people. Where we are making new commitments to introduce new laws Parliament will play a role in scrutinising the legislation that implements those commitments.

With reference to the policy paper entitled UK-EU Summit: Common Understanding, published on 19 May 2025, in which areas the European Court of Justice would have oversight that is not permitted by existing treaties in (a) Great Britain and (b) Northern Ireland.

The Common Understanding between the UK and the EU sets out the results of exploratory discussions ahead and a new agenda for cooperation. The UK and the EU have agreed to take forward these commitments swiftly through technical negotiations. The Common Understanding does not provide for oversight of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) within Great Britain or Northern Ireland. Instead it provides that the CJEU will have a limited role in assisting an independent arbitration tribunal responsible for deciding a dispute between the UK and the EU, and only where there is dynamic alignment of laws under any future SPS agreement, ETS linking agreement or an electricity agreement. The Windsor Framework continues to apply in Northern Ireland with a role for the CJEU within that framework.

With reference to the publication of the EU/UK Common Understanding of 19 May 2025, whether any of the measures directly affect (a) the Channel Islands and (b) Gibraltar.

The Common Understanding has the same territorial scope as the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The Crown Dependencies will be able to benefit from many of the measures if they wish to, including the SPS Agreement. The Government has separate negotiations concerning Gibraltar.

With reference to paragraph 16 of his Department's policy paper entitled UK-EU Summit - Common Understanding, published on 19 May 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the commencement of the EU Entry/Exit System on the use of eGates by (a) UK nationals and (b) other third party nationals travelling from the UK.

Since the UK left the EU, UK nationals, as third-country nationals, cannot use eGates in most Schengen countries. The UK-EU Common Understanding confirms that there will be no legal barriers to eGate use for British Nationals traveling to and from EU Member States after the introduction of the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES). This is a positive step forward and we can now work quickly with Member States to get these arrangements in place and improve our citizens’ travel experience reducing lengthy and imbalanced queues at various entry points across the EU. We continue to work with the European Commission, France and local authorities to ensure we are prepared for the introduction of EES.

With reference to the policy paper entitled UK-EU Summit: Common Understanding, published on 19 May 2025, whether (a) primary and (b) secondary legislation will be (i) repealed and (ii) amended to facilitate the agreement.

The UK has taken a sovereign decision to agree to dynamic alignment of some laws. By regulating consistently with the EU in specific areas, we will unlock further market access for UK firms with one of our largest trading partners, thereby improving growth for British people. Where we are making new commitments to introduce new laws Parliament will play a role in scrutinising the legislation that implements those commitments.

With reference to his written statement of 14 May 2024 on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the Civil Service, whether his Department plans to issue guidance to civil service diversity networks.

Guidance for Government Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) networks is currently being developed.

Pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2024 to Question 6083 on Civil Servants: Secondment, whether his Department's HR are informed when an individual is seconded to the Cabinet Office.

Secondments are arranged at a Business Unit level and must follow the processes as set out in the Civil Service Recruitment Principles. There are mechanisms in place for business units to notify the department's HR as necessary.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 April 2025 to Question 42043 on Elish Angiolini, whether the Government was aware of the legal restriction before the public announcement of Lady Angiolini as the Lord High Commissioner.

I refer the honourable member to the Answer of 4 April 2025 to Question 42043.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 April 2025 to Question 41645 on Cabinet Office: Email, whether the same provisions apply to non-Ministerial inboxes in Downing Street.

Mailboxes held by 10 Downing Street are subject to the Cabinet Office departmental information management policy, as detailed in the previous response.

Pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2024 to Question 8641 on Cabinet Office: Buildings, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of publishing a percentage figure on security and safety.

It has been the practice of successive governments not to comment, on grounds of both national security and staff safety, on the physical capacity or staffing numbers for individual buildings of the government estate.

Pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2025 to Question 38758 on Cabinet Office: Boston Consulting Group, whether any subsequent (a) call-offs, (b) uplifts, (c) extensions or (d) variations to the arrangement were approved by the investment committee.

The Cabinet Office Investment Committee has no role in awarding procurement of contracts to specific organisations or suppliers. The Investment Committee scrutinises and approves spending within the department. The Cabinet Office Commercial team manages the contract award process.

Pursuant to the Answer of 18 November 2024 to Question 13326 on Government Departments: Flags, which flags are owned by his Department.

For the properties operated by the Government Property Agency (GPA), where flag flying forms part of its service, all buildings with flagpoles have the Union flag. In addition, buildings across the estate will have a variety of other flags depending on their function in Government. There have been no changes to the categories of flags owned since the General Election. Currently the GPA owns the following types of flags: NationalUnion FlagSt George’s Cross (England)St Andrew’s Cross (Scotland)Y Ddraig Goch (Wales)Flag of the Commonwealth of NationsFlag of UkraineFlag of Israel Armed ForcesBritish Armed Forces FlagRed Ensign FlagRoyal Airforce FlagNorth Atlantic Treaty Organisation Flag CulturalPride FlagTransgender FlagBisexual FlagWindrush Flag

Whether (a) civil servants and (b) special advisers are asked to provide details of (i) spent and (ii) unspent criminal convictions when applying for (A) CTC and (B) SC security clearance.

All vetting applicants for Counter-Terrorist Check and Security Check clearances are asked to declare spent and unspent convictions.

With reference to his Department's press release entitled Hundreds of quangos to be examined for potential closure as Government takes back control, published on 7 April 2025, whether the review will include (a) public corporations, (b) non-ministerial departments and (c) government-owned companies.

The review is being led by departments. Departments are to justify every quango otherwise they’ll be closed, merged, or have powers brought back into the department. It will be for individual departments to enact this guidance, with policy teams determining the specifics.