Written questions by Wood.

Pursuant to the Answer of 19 May 2025 to Question 51150 on Freedom of Information and Written Questions: Costs, what the notional hourly cost of civil service time when assessing a written parliamentary question further to the £850 threshold under paragraph 218 of the Guide to Parliamentary Work is.

I refer the Member to my previous answer to PQ 51150. The cost limit is calculated at a flat rate of £25 per hour. The Guide to Parliamentary Work also makes reference to the Procedure Committee's advice that the threshold “be calculated only with regard to policy team time—it should not account for any central processing in parliamentary branches or WPQ teams, or the time taken by Ministers or their advisers” (paragraph 219).

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the EU-UK Common Understanding, published on 19 May 2025, whether the dynamic alignment with the EU will apply to standards and regulations on the production and marketing of (a) wine and (b) other types of alcohol.

Rules related to the production and marketing of wine and spirits are outside the scope of the UK-EU SPS Agreement meaning dynamic alignment with the EU will not apply in these areas. Retaining this regulatory autonomy is important for this sector and will benefit the UK economy as a whole.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has issued guidance to local planning authorities on the (a) enforcement of and (b) inclusion of a (i) deposit and (ii) bond in section 106 agreements made in relation to embassies.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has not issued specific guidance to local planning authorities on the (a) enforcement of or (b) inclusion of a (i) deposit and (ii) bond in section 106 agreements made in relation to embassies. Overall guidance on planning obligations can be found on gov.uk here.

Pursuant to the Answer of 19 May 2025 to Question 52335 on Civil Service: Equality, whether the Civil Service Inclusive Practice Team are responsible for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the Civil Service; and if he will list their functions and responsibilities.

Organisational decisions about Equality, Diversity and Inclusion sit in individual departments. The Civil Service Inclusive Practice (CSIP) Team is part of the Government People Group in the Cabinet Office. The CSIP team sets the strategic direction for EDI for the Civil Service as a whole and is responsible for the development and delivery of the Civil Service EDI Strategy.

Pursuant to the Answer of 19 May 2025 to Question 51161 on Cabinet Office: Expenditure, what public service campaigns the Unlimited Group has supported since 4 July 2024.

The Unlimited Group has primarily supported the GREAT campaign within the Cabinet Office. The GREAT campaign continues to promote the UK internationally as a destination for tourism, education, and business.

Whether procurement guidance has been issued by (a) his Department and (b) the Crown Commercial Service to public bodies on equality, diversity and inclusion requirements for private sector companies which wish to bid for public sector contracts.

The National Procurement Policy Statement (NPPS) sets the Government's strategic priorities for public procurement in support of the Government’s missions. This includes delivering social and economic value. Procurement Policy Note 002 sets out how to take account of social value in the award of central government contracts, using procurement where relevant and proportionate to break down barriers to opportunity and increase productivity through opportunities for skills and jobs for growth.

Whether his Department has provided guidance to civil servants who are not members of the Government Communication Service on (a) speaking to the media and (b) publicly speaking at events where media may be present.

The Civil Service Code sets out that civil servants must have ministerial authorisation for any contact with the media. The Civil Service Management Code provides further guidance for civil servants on their obligations.

Through what mechanism the UK Statistics Authority will communicate its response once it has considered the (a) findings and (b) recommendations in the Sullivan Review.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 21st May is attached.

What the average salary is of civil servants at each grade in his Department.

Details of the salaries of civil servants at each grade can be found in the quarterly organogram published at https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/ff76be1f-4f37-4bef-beb7-32b259413be1/organogram-cabinet-office.

When he plans to update the transparency data entitled Cabinet Office senior officials high earners salaries.

The previous administration did not update this list prior to the General Election. The Cabinet Office will publish a new 2025 list in due course.

Which central government residential properties are unoccupied, according to data held by the InSite database.

Individual departments are responsible for management of their respective residential properties, including status of occupancy. The Cabinet Office therefore does not hold information on which central government residential properties are unoccupied.

If he will publish the Cabinet Office Freedom of Information Act response with reference FOI2025/05760 of 14 May 2025.

A copy of the response issued on the 14 May, with third party removed, has been deposite in the House Library .

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 May 2025 to Question 49956, and the Answer of 16 January 2025 to Question 21390, both on Armed Forces: Equality, what his Department's policy is on spending on equality, diversity and inclusion across the public sector.

The controls outlined in the Civil Service Equality Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Guidance which was published on 14 May 2024 remain in place.

Whether the creation of the Ethics and Integrity Commission will involve the (a) abolition and (b) merger of (i) the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, (ii) the Committee on Standards in Public Life, (iii) the Public Appointments Commissioner and (iv) the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists.

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer he was given to PQ UIN 46285 on 28 April 2025.

With reference to his Department's guidance entitled Public Bodies Handbook – Part 2: The Approvals Process for the Creation of New Arm’s-Length Bodies, whether his Department's public bodies team assessed the National Wealth Fund against the requirement that the creation of a new arm's length body should only be considered as a last resort; whether the Treasury provided evidence that alternative delivery models were considered; and which of the tests in Chapter Two of that guidance the National Wealth Fund met.

The UK Infrastructure Bank has become the National Wealth Fund with an expanded remit, therefore it is not a new ALB. It is captured by the government’s ongoing review of all ALBs, announced on 7 April. This review is part of the government’s plan to streamline the state by closing, merging or repatriating public bodies into departments unless their separate existence can be strongly justified.

Pursuant to the Answer of 19 May 2025 to Question 52338 on House of Lords Appointments Commission, whether other competitions have taken place since 4 July 2024 for the House of Lords Appointments Commission which have (a) concluded with appointees and (b) been cancelled after being opened.

There has been one recruitment campaign to appoint independent members to the House of Lords Appointments Commission since July 2024. This campaign is still live.

What unpaid advisers have been appointed by (a) 10 Downing Street and (b) his Department since the general election.

Since 5 July 2024, the Cabinet Office has made one unremunerated Direct Ministerial Appointment. This individual is providing advice on security and defence policy.

With reference to the Answer of 19 October 2023 to Question 202664 on Cabinet Office: Senior Civil Servants, how many (a) Directors and (b) Director Generals there are in the Cabinet Office; and how many of those are on secondment from other departments.

As of the 30th April 2025 there were less than 5 individuals on secondment to the Cabinet Office as Directors or Director Generals. Details of the number of Directors and Director Generals can be found in the quarterly organogram published at https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/ff76be1f-4f37-4bef-beb7-32b259413be1/organogram-cabinet-office.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 May 2025 to Question 52340 on Government Departments: Equality, in which departments have decisions on EDI spending controls been delegated to their Permanent Secretary.

The following Departments have formally informed the Cabinet Office that their Minister has delegated the decision to approve external Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) expenditure to the Permanent Secretary: Department for Science, Innovation and TechnologyHM TreasuryMinistry for Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentDepartment for Business and TradeCabinet OfficeHome OfficeDepartment for Culture, Media and SportDepartment for Transport

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 41435 on Arms Length Bodies, what the total number of Arms Length Bodies was on 4 July 2024; and what the total number was on 20 May 2025.

The Cabinet Office publishes an annual ALB Landscape Analysis around a year in arrears. The most recently published ALB Landscape Analysis was published on 17 December 2024 and is available here. The list of every Arm's Length Body that has existed between July 2024 and March 2025 is due to be published in 2026.