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 2,181–2,200 of 2,446 · this parliament
What steps his Department is taking to increase funding for security vetting.
United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) is funded by its customers (government departments, the police, industry) through a burden-sharing model. Funding is agreed with customers on an annual basis, and in parallel with Cabinet Office business planning. In line with the practice followed by successive administrations, the Government does not otherwise comment on security matters.
Pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2024 to Question 6074 on Special advisers, whether his Department has set a maximum cap on the number of special advisers who can be appointed.
In line with the Ministerial Code, Cabinet Ministers and, with the authorisation of the Prime Minister, Ministers who regularly attend Cabinet, may appoint special advisers. All special adviser appointments require approval of the Prime Minister.
Pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2024 to Question 18822 on Government Departments: Social Media, how much his Department has spent on social media advertising, by individual firm since 5 July 2024.
Please see below Cabinet Office spend by social platform from 5 July 2024 to 8 April 2025: PlatformTotal SpendMeta£533,432.96LinkedIn£59,908.73Snapchat£62,535.42Reddit£840.75
With reference to the report entitled Security and Intelligence Agencies Financial Statement 2023-24, published on 2 December 2024, whether he has considered publishing the individual governance statements for the security and intelligence agencies.
As has been the policy of successive governments, the government does not comment on matters relating to the intelligence agencies. The Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament scrutinises the policies, expenditure, administration and operations of the intelligence agencies on behalf of Parliament.
How many Cabinet Office staff appointed by exception on a temporary basis were subsequently made full-time employees in the last 12 months for which figures are available.
In the last 12 months, no Cabinet Office employees have been made permanent using Exception 10 (conversion to permanency of suitable candidates appointed under Exception 1 and 2) of the Civil Service Recruitment Principles.
How many times the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals has met since 4 July 2024; and when those meetings occurred.
Since 4 July 2024, the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals has met on two occasions - 1st August and 19th November.
Whether appointments to the Border Security Command will be included in the Public Bodies Order in Council; and whether the chair appointment will be classified as a significant appointment.
The Border Security Command was established on 5 July 2024. Martin Hewitt CBE QPM was appointed as Border Security Commander, as a Civil Servant, on 7 October 2024.The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill will place the role of the Border Security Commander on a statutory footing, designating the postholder as a Civil Servant (Part 1, Chapter 1, Clause 1).
Pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2024 to Question 5306 on Special Advisers, if he will set out the (a) Minister and (b) senior civil servant in (i) Downing Street and (ii) each department that determines whether a special adviser's appointment is confirmed after the probationary period.
I refer the Hon. member to the answer to PQ 5306.
If he will include the policy areas that each Number 10 special adviser works on in the next published list of special advisers.
In line with the approach under previous administrations, the Government does not publish specific responsibilities of individual special advisers in the Annual Report on Special Advisers.
What the total cost was of the Civil Service paybill, by (a) salary costs, (b) National Insurance Contributions, (c) employer Pension Contributions, (d) severance costs and (e) total pay costs in the most recent year for which figures are available.
Salary data for the Civil Service is published annually as part of Civil Service Statistics, an Accredited Official Statistics release. The most recent salary cost figures as at 31st March 2024 were provided in response to Peter Bedford MP’s question on 16th October 2024. The latest estimates of the total paybill with and without estimated employer National Insurance contributions were provided in response to Richard Holden MP’s question on 8th April 2025. Both Employer Pension contributions and severance costs are not published by the Cabinet Office. For 2024/25, departmental pay awards have been made within the controls of the 2024/25 Pay Remit Guidance. Information on total paybill costs may be published by individual departments, but there is no routine publication of the overall Civil Service paybill figure.
With reference to Q45 of the oral evidence given by his Department's Permanent Secretary to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee on 4 December 2024, HC 463, if he will list the employers in the civil service.
The UK civil service is made up of civil servants employed at over 100 Ministerial and Non-Ministerial Departments, Executive Agencies and Crown NDPBs. These are listed and published each quarter by Office for National Statistics at Table 9 of their quarterly public sector employment statistics available at the following web address:https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/datasets/publicsectoremploymentreferencetable
Whether the Prime Minister must approve updates to guidance referenced within the Ministerial Code.
The Ministerial Code refers to a range of duties, obligations and guidance. The Code is the Prime Minister’s document and he is responsible for deciding which duties, obligations and guidance it refers to.
With reference to paragraph 1.41 of the Civil Superannuation Annual Report and Accounts 2023-24, HC481, which employers are part of the Civil Service Scheme.
The requested information can be found in the attached document.
If he will list the monetary levels of the each of the special adviser pay bands.
Special adviser pay bands are published in the Annual Report on Special Advisers.The most recent publication which includes the payband for the previous administration is availbale at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/674844e62ac8a6da3072393a/Annual_Report_on_Special_Advisers_2024.docx.pdf The current special adviser paybands will be published as part of the 2025 annual report in the summer.
Pursuant to the written statement of 3 February 2025, HCWS408, on transparency data, if he will ensure that the gov.uk transparency data is published in accessible open data formats, including via public APIs.
Transparency data is published according to the standard and best practice guidance from the Government Digital Service and Central Digital and Data Office. Accessible open data formats are already used.
With reference to the guidance entitled Response to call for input on single-sex spaces guidance, published on 17 December 2024, if she will publish each of the non-confidential responses.
The Government is sharing with the EHRC all the submissions that met the criteria of the previous Government’s call for input on single-sex spaces guidance. It is vitally important that service providers understand the single-sex service exceptions in the Equality Act 2010 and feel confident using them. The Government has committed to ensuring that there is guidance in place which gives service providers assurance about the rights afforded by the Act and how to lawfully apply its single-sex exceptions. We will set out our next steps on this soon.
How many Departments hire official photographers as staff members.
Information on how many departments hire official photographers as staff members is not held centrally by the Cabinet Office. The Cabinet Office Communications team employs two Digital Media Officers who support government work in Departments and undertake photography as a small part of their duties. There are also 2 full time, dedicated photographers in the No10 team. Although they are funded by the Cabinet Office, their work is managed by No10.
Pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2025 to Question 25674 on Prime Minister: Senior Civil Servants, if he will publish the Principal Private Secretary candidate pack.
Between 13 November and 1 December 2024 the candidate pack for the Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister was published and available to download via the Civil Service Jobs website.
With reference to her Departments document entitled Response to call for input on single-sex spaces guidance, published on 17 December 2024, when she will publish new guidance; and whether (a) her Department and (b) the Equality and Human Rights Commission will consult on that guidance.
The Government is sharing with the EHRC all the submissions that met the criteria of the previous Government’s call for input on single-sex spaces guidance. It is vitally important that service providers understand the single-sex service exceptions in the Equality Act 2010 and feel confident using them. The Government has committed to ensuring that there is guidance in place which gives service providers assurance about the rights afforded by the Act and how to lawfully apply its single-sex exceptions. We will set out our next steps on this soon.
With reference to the Financial Conduct Authority's press release entitled Update on the FCA’s enforcement transparency proposals, published on 12 March 2025, whether she has had discussions with the (a) FCA and (b) PRA on their decision not to introduce rules to improve diversity and inclusion; and what are the expected legislative developments in this area mentioned in the press release.
Treasury Ministers and officials regularly meet with both the FCA and the PRA to discuss their work. As set out in the King’s Speech last July, the government is committed to making the right to equal pay effective for ethnic minority and disabled people and introducing mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting for large employers. These measures will be part of the upcoming Equality (Race and Disability) Bill.