Every parliamentary written question tabled by Mike Wood this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1,661–1,680 of 2,018 · Cabinet Office
Whether the (a) transgender, (b) bisexual and (c) Windrush flag has been flown from a Government building since 4 July 2024.
None of the listed flags have been flown from a Government Property Agency managed Government Building since 4 July 2024. We do not hold information relating to buildings not managed by the Government Property Agency.
How much (a) his Department and (b) the Office for Equality and Opportunity has spent on lanyards since 4 July 2024; and what designs of lanyards have been purchased.
The Cabinet Office has purchased a total of 6,376 lanyards for £5,069.99 since 4 July 2024. This includes those bought for the aforementioned business units and Crown Commercial Service as an executive agency.On 6 April, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster announced the ban on unnecessary branded merchandise. Whilst it was agreed that some expenditure on merchandise items is necessary for operational purposes (security lanyards), all of these orders were made prior to the ban on unnecessary branded merchandise.In comparison, the Cabinet Office purchased a total of over 18,000 lanyards for £17,322.76 in the 12 months to July 2024.Staff will continue to be able to wear existing lanyards.
Whether the Director of Policy, Delivery and Innovation is a (a) special adviser, (b) direct ministerial appointment or (c) member of the Number 10 Political Office.
The Director of Policy, Delivery and Innovation is a special adviser. A list of special advisers is published as part of the Annual Report on Special Advisers by the Cabinet Office on gov.uk. The next report will be published in due course.
How many responses from his Department to Freedom of Information Act requests have detailed Government Procurement Card spending below £500 in the last two years.
To establish the number of FOI responses in the last two years which have detailed Government Procurement Card spending below £500 would require a review of all responses issued by the Cabinet Office during that period and can only be provided at disproportionate cost. In support of the Government’s Transparency agenda, the Cabinet Office publishes Government Procurement Card spend data over £500 on GOV.UK at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-procurement-card-data--2
What guidance (a) his Department and (b) the UK Resilience Academy have issued on the consideration of equality, diversity, inclusion and equity in relation to (i) civil contingencies, (ii) emergency planning and (iii) disaster relief.
The Government will soon publish the new Resilience Strategy which will set out our approach to building national resilience for all with particular focus on supporting our most vulnerable individuals and communities. In April, the Cabinet Office published updated Vulnerable People Guidance to strengthen the capability of emergency responders in developing local action plans identifying and supporting vulnerable individuals and groups in an emergency. Additionally, the Cabinet Office has developed a Risk Vulnerability Tool which incorporates data such as ethnicity, age, gender, disability to improve understanding of the scale and location of disproportionately impacted populations to enable targeted support before and during crises.The recently launched UK Resilience Academy will provide learning and leadership to government, local authorities, organisations, communities, and individuals. We will also use the National Exercising Programme to test how well our planning supports vulnerable people and communities in an emergency.We will also continue to ensure that our current, and future, resilience guidance, including the Prepare website on GOV.UK reflects the diverse needs of individuals, households and communities.
For what reason transparency data on (a) Ministerial gifts and hospitality and (b) senior officials and special advisers are published with different frequencies.
Following updates to the Ministerial Code in November 2024, the Government moved publication of Ministers' gifts and hospitality from quarterly to monthly. This brought declarations broadly in line with those required by Members in Parliament. As with previous administrations, departments publish transparency data on senior officials and special advisers on a quarterly basis.
If he will make it his policy to ensure that all jobs advertised on the Civil Service Jobs website are publicly advertised.
The Civil Service Jobs website is fully accessible to the public. The website is used to advertise roles available to applicants who are external to the Civil Service, though departments may advertise on other websites. The website may also be used to advertise roles for inter- and intra-departmental moves, which enables an appropriate method of talent management and bears in mind the downward pressure on the cost of the Civil Service.
What guidance has been issued by (a) his Department and (b) the Government Communications Service on whether (i) photographs and (ii) video footage produced by the Civil Service which is not (A) in the public domain and (B) subject to an open license can be use by political parties.
As per GCS Propriety guidance, content created by the civil service should always be used as part of official government communications before being repurposed by Special Advisers or Ministers for political purposes.
Pursuant to the Answer of 12 May 2025 to Question 49766 on Cabinet Office: Staff, what is the reason for the entries marked nothing supplied by BU.
The entries marked “nothing supplied by BU” indicate that the Business Unit in which the individual works had not yet provided a role description for the position in the Cabinet Office’s position management system.
Pursuant to the Answer of 12 May 2025, to Question 49766 on Cabinet Office: Staff, and the associated SCS data, for what reason there no salary data for the EU Relations Secretariat Senior Civil Service staff in the February 2025 dataset.
The February 2025 dataset is based on data as at 31 December 2024. At this point EU Relations Secretariat staff had commenced work in the Cabinet Office but had not completed their payroll transfer from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Hence they were represented in our structure but did not have pay information attached. Their salary data was included in the April publication and will be included in future publications.
Whether the Lead Government Non-Executive Director is a non-executive member of the Cabinet Office Board.
The membership of the Cabinet Office Board will be established once the Non-Executive Board Member campaign has concluded.
Whether his Department's guidance on away days has been updated since the publication of the press release entitled Government-branded merchandise and away days banned on 6 April 2025.
The Cabinet Office has updated the guidance on the use of external venues for events and away days.
Pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2024, to Question 13438 on Civil Servants: Recruitment, if he will place in the Library a copy of the text on diversity included in civil service job adverts.
The current text was agreed by the previous administration and has not changed under the current government. The text included in Civil Service Job adverts is: Diversity and Inclusion The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.
If he will publish the Government Campus training course materials entitled Equality Analysis: Making Scrutiny Relevant to Promoting Equality.
Equality Analysis: Making Scrutiny Relevant to Promoting Equality is delivered by a third party supplier, who owns the intellectual property. An outline for this course can be found on the prospectus online:https://prospectus.governmentcampus.co.uk/02-diversity-equality-and-inclusion/equality-analysis-making-scrutiny-relevant-to-promoting-equality/
How many transactions referred to his Department under the National Security and Investment Act have involved private equity firms connected to state-backed sovereign wealth funds since 5 July 2024.
The Government publishes an annual report on the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act 2021, with information about the transactions that it has been notified about and reviewed. The period from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 will be covered in the next annual report, which will be published later this year. NSI Annual Reports do not present the number of acquisitions reviewed involving private equity firms connected to state-backed sovereign wealth funds as the Investment Security Unit does not routinely collect this information.
How many staff are employed in each Minister’s office.
There are 39 staff, at multiple grades, who support the 8 Cabinet Office ministers in private office roles. MinisterNumber of staff in Private OfficeChancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster8Minister for the Cabinet Office6Minister Oppong-Asare4Minister Reeves4Minister Gould6Minister Alexander1 (Cabinet Office portfolio only)Leader of the House of Lords3Leader of the House of Commons7
Pursuant to the Answer of 12 May 2025 to Question 49766 on Cabinet Office; staff, what are the job responsibilities of the Deputy Director for Meaningful Work.
There is no Deputy Director for Meaningful Work. Meaningful work refers to work that an employee must be provided with and undertake during the redeployment process. The nature of the work should be appropriate for their grade, skills and competencies and may take place within or outside of their existing business area.
Pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2025 to Question 51968 on Civil Service: Redundancy Pay, whether he plans to introduce clawback arrangements for people who return to an organisation that uses the Civil Service Compensation Scheme after receiving a compensation payment.
This is already in place. Under the current terms of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS), if an individual leaves an organisation with a compensation payment and then returns to any other organisation which uses the CSCS within six months, they are required to pay back a proportion of their compensation.
Pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2025 to Question 51453 on Civil Servants: Workplace Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of amending the (a) Classic, (b) Classic Plus and (c) Premium pension schemes to allow civil servants who retire at a later age than 60 to receive a higher pension or actuarial enhancement on the labour market.
I have no plans to make an assessment of the potential impact of the changes referred to.
Who the members are of the Cabinet Office Board.
Recruitment is due to conclude in the coming months for Cabinet Office Non-Executive Board Members. At present John Fallon, Maura Sullivan, and Lisa Tremble have been appointed as Non-Executive Board Members. Full membership of the Cabinet Office Board will be decided once all of the Non-Executive Board Members have been appointed. The Board will comprise ministers, officials, and Non-Executive Board Members.