Written questions by Wood.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of section 1 of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill on judicial reviews of (a) public bodies and (b) Ministerial decisions.

Clause 1 of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill sets out that the purpose of the Bill is to ensure that public authorities and public officials at all times perform their functions (a) with candour, transparency and frankness, and (b) in the public interest. Clause 1 then sets out how the remainder of the Bill achieves that purpose. Clause 1 does not in itself establish new obligations subject to judicial review.

If he will publish any guidance issued to departments on producing internal Outcome Delivery Plans.

As part of this year’s Spending Review, we committed to a new planning and performance framework by the Autumn Budget. This will confirm our approach to how departments should plan and manage performance in the future.

With reference to the National Audit Office's report entitled Government exits and redundancies, published in September 2025, if he will publish the latest dataset on civil service exit scheme applications provided to the National Audit Office by his Department.

Data contained in the current National Audit Office’s (NAO’s) Good Practice Guide was provided to the NAO to help explain the context of the guidance that the NAO has issued. There are no plans to publish further data as this information is held by individual departments, and will be reported in their Annual Report and Accounts.

What the minimum level of security vetting is for people taking part in civil service internship schemes.

All Fast Stream Summer Interns will complete the Baseline Personal Security Standard (BPSS) checks as part of their onboarding. Candidates will be put forward for higher levels of clearance if their placement requires it. It is a condition of employment that candidates are required to successfully obtain all necessary levels of clearance prior to taking up their placement.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 September 2025 to Question 70476 on UK Multi-Stakeholder Forum for Open Government, for what reason that forum has not met in 2025.

The next MSF is being organised to take place before the end of 2025. There have been no meetings of the MSF thus far in 2025 due to a Machinery of Government change which moved the former Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) from Cabinet Office to the Department for Science Innovation and Technology. CDDO was the business unit previously responsible for open government policy, but this responsibility has now transferred to the Civil Service Strategy Unit within Cabinet Office.

Pursuant to the Answer of 25 September 2025 to Question 74509 on Members: Pay, whether the pay freeze for ministers who continue to claim a lower salary to their entitlement under law will be maintained for Ministers who are Members of the (a) House of Commons and (b) House of Lords for the rest of this Parliament.

The pay freeze for ministers remains in place.

With reference to his Department's press release entitled Civil Service staff networks to only meet outside working hours and have all events signed off by senior managers, published on 23 September 2025, what approvals have been given in (a) his Department and (b) the Office for Equality and Opportunity since 23 September 2025.

The cross Civil Service Network Policy applies as published to all cross-Civil Service Staff Networks only. However it also acts as a model policy for Departments to adopt or adapt depending on business needs for their departmental networks. The Cabinet Office is now working to be able to adopt this policy for internal departmental networks and will carry out their own engagement with internal stakeholders to be able to adopt the policy. The sign off and approval process for events will be part of this policy development for the Cabinet Office.The guidance will apply to all networks in Cabinet Office.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 September 2025 to Question 75368 on Parliamentary and Political Service Committee: Public Appointments, what the remaining period of time is for each of the independent members’ current terms of office.

The Parliamentary and Political Service Honours Committee (PPS Committee) is one of ten specialist honours committees, made up of individuals with considerable experience of the area the committee covers. The current membership of the PPS Committee comprises an independent chair and four independent members each appointed through a public appointments process, and three official members who are the incumbent chief whips from the three largest political parties in the House of Commons. The current independent committee memberships appointment terms are as follows:Chair: Dame Rosie Winterton DBE. Appointed August 2025 for a 5 year term.Member: Lord Johnny Oates. Appointed July 2024 for a 5 year term.Member:Lord Iain McNicol. Appointed July 2024 for a 5 year term.Member: Professor Stephanie Rickard. Appointed November 2024 for a 5 year term.Member: Craig Stephenson OBE. Appointed November 2024 for a 5 year term.

With reference to the Government Response to the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament Report 'IRAN', published in September 2025, CP 1403, what information the Government holds on whether hostile actors from Iran have infiltrated Parliament through parliamentary staffers.

HMG does not routinely comment on the details of operational matters or specific threats.However, we take all threats to national security, including those from Iran, incredibly seriously. Whilst the security of Parliament is a matter for the Parliament, HMG will do whatever is needed to help keep our democratic institutions safe from foreign interference and espionage threats. This includes protecting them from malign Iranian influence activity in the UK, including placing the whole of the Iranian State- including Iran’s intelligence services- on the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme. This means that those who are directed by Iran to conduct activities in the UK must register that activity, whatever it is, or face 5 years in prison.On 13 October, MI5’s National Protective Security Authority published new guidance to better protect the UK’s democratic institutions from all foreign interference and espionage threats.The guidance is designed to help MPs, peers, councillors, Parliamentary staff and candidates understand the threat and take simple, effective steps to protect themselves, their teams, and the integrity of the UK’s democracy.

What the total expenditure was on Government Car Service cars for Ministers in the week of (a) 1 September 2025 and (b) 8 September 2025.

Expenditure details for the period requested are not yet available. Invoicing for Ministerial car usage covering the specified dates has not yet been raised or processed.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 September 2025 to Question 70506 on Cabinet Office: Contracts, whether the Crown Commercial Service has made an estimate of the number of suppliers increasing prices as a result of the increase in National Insurance.

Crown Commercial Service (CCS) does not hold information that would show whether suppliers have increased prices in response to the April 2025 National Insurance rise, so cannot make an estimate. Pricing under CCS arrangements is determined at contract level by contracting authorities.

With reference to his Department's press release entitled Civil Service staff networks to only meet outside working hours and have all events signed off by senior managers, published on 23 September 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of that policy on the provisions on trade union equality representatives in the Employment Rights Bill.

Civil Service staff networks are separate to trade union activities and duties carried out by trade union representatives in the Civil Service. As such the Civil Service Staff Network Policy does not apply to its trade union representatives.

What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on making the appointment of Ambassadors subject to the regulated public appointments process.

Heads of Mission are civil servants and as such are subject to different recruitment and appointment rules and processes to public appointees. The Cabinet Office has no plans to make such roles subject to the regulated public appointment process.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 September 2025 to Question 71198 on Unherd: Advertising, whether the Government Communication Service SAFE framework currently permits government advertising on the websites of (a) The Sun, (b) The Daily Star, (c) Spiked and (d) Ladbible.

SAFE framework assessments have been conducted on The Sun, The Daily Star, and Ladbible, and they have been assessed as appropriate for government advertising. No SAFE framework assessment has been conducted on Spiked.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 August 2025 to Question HL9337 on Ministers: Official Residences, if he will publish the internal document which states that the sponsoring department will pay the council tax bill for the Minister.

Ministers are advised on allocation of an official residence that the responsibility for payment of council tax depends on whether the property is their primary or secondary residence. This is a long-standing policy position in place for successive administrations, reflected in a parliamentary question to the then Prime Minister the Rt Hon Sir Tony Blair as follows: “The level and responsibility for payment of council tax is determined on whether the property is the Minister's main or secondary residence. If a main residence, the responsibility for payment of the tax falls to the Minister. If the property is a secondary residence, responsibility for payment falls to the responsible Department.” This question is available at the following link: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199900/cmhansrd/vo000605/text/00605w14.htm#00605w14.html_spmin0.

Pursuant to the answer of 4 September 2025 to Question 70468 on Government Communication Service: Staff, what is the most recent estimate of the headcount size of the Government Communication Service, using the same methodology used by the Cabinet Office in the response to FOI IR2025/05101.

The figures cited in the parliamentary question and the FOI Internal Review of Government Communications remain the most up to date information available as the 2025 Data Collection is still undergoing validation.

How many Permanent Secretaries have left their posts since July 2024; and what was the cost to the public purse of exit packages.

Since July 2024, thirteen Permanent Secretaries have left their posts. Any exit package costs are published in Departmental Annual Reports and Accounts for the financial years in which they were made.

With reference to the Answer of 17 September 2025 to Question HL10221 on Baroness Shafik, what Baroness Shafik's remuneration is.

It would not be appropriate to comment on individuals. The level of remuneration and the management of relevant outside interests for this role have been agreed in line with relevant guidance and processes.

When he plans to publish an updated list of Ministerial responsibilities.

I refer the Hon Member to the response given to Question HL10390 of 26 September.

If he will publish the interests of the new Executive Director of Communications in 10 Downing Street.

There is a rigorous process to ensure any potential conflicts of interest are captured, and have appropriate mitigations in place to reflect specific circumstances. Ahead of his appointment, the new Executive Director of Communications in 10 Downing Street fully complied with this process.This is set out in the Special Adviser Code of Conduct and lists of Special Adviser interests are published annually.