Every parliamentary written question tabled by Mike Wood this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 461–480 of 2,405 · this parliament
Whether Morgan McSweeney, since departing Crown employment, has passed information held on his non-corporate communication devices relating to official government business to the Cabinet Office or the Prime Minister’s Office.
There is an established system for special advisers in place for the management of official government information held on non-corporate devices during the departure process. The policy covering non-corporate communication channels is published on gov.uk.
Whether the Whatsapps messages on 10 Downing Street official iPhones are automatically backed up to a cloud or central server.
There is established guidance on the management and recording of electronic communications on non-corporate channels. We keep all guidance around the use of non-corporate communications under review to ensure it remains fit for purpose.
What plans he has to make (a) primary legislative, (b) secondary legislative, (c) statutory guidance or (d) non-statutory guidance changes to activity under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
I refer the Hon Member to my previous answer (UIN122783).
Whether Downing Street staff are required to inform the No10 Security Team if their (a) official or (b) personal phone has been stolen.
It would not be appropriate to detail internal security matters. There are long established and robust processes to manage information security following the theft of No10 work devices
Pursuant to the answer of 19 March 2026, to Question 116505, on Disinformation, if he will set out what public narratives have been monitored using the tool in the last month.
Storyzy's platform empowers users to detect information manipulation and understand the information environment by analysing large quantities of data points to understand public narratives.
What steps did Darren Tierney, then the head of the Propriety and Constitution Group, take to ensure that Lord Mandelson was personally interviewed before his appointment as Ambassador.
No such interview took place. It is not unusual for political appointments to take place without direct conversations with the Cabinet Office. I refer the Hon Member to the Government's statement and release of information on 11th March which sets out the process of appointment and the steps the Government is taking to strengthen the process going forwards.
With reference to the written statement of 17 March 2026, HCWS1407, on Online Advertising Taskforce Progress Report 2025, whether the adherence to the Influencer Marketing Code of Conduct will be embedded in to the Government's contracts with creative agencies and social media influencers.
Government procedure and contracts with creative agencies and social media influencers align to requirements set out in the ISBA Influencer Marketing Code of Conduct.
Pursuant to the Answer of 23 March 2026 to Question 120836 on Prime Minister: Ministerial Boxes, whether there is guidance on how (a) oral, (b) written and (c) electronic responses by Ministers to formal advice and submissions should be recorded on the official record.
Yes there is. The Guidance for the management of Private Office information and records has been published and can be found on gov.uk.
Whether his Department has issued guidance to special advisers on speaking to the police about stolen Government property.
Cabinet Office's Security Breach Policy requires individuals, including SpAds, to follow directions from Cabinet Office Security when there is a security breach, such as theft of Government property. As part of its standard operating procedures Cabinet Office Security will direct individuals to report any stolen Government property to the police and request a crime reference number.
Whether his Department considers that electronic messages held on non-corporate devices relating to official government business held by (a) Ministers and (b) Special Advisers are owned by the Government.
Official information, wherever stored, is considered to be held by the Crown. I refer the Member for Kingswinford and South Staffordshire to the Government’s 2023 ‘Guidance on Using Non-Corporate Communication Channels for Government Business’ for further detail that was produced and published under by the previous Government.
Pursuant to the answer of 18 March 2026, to Question HL15004, on Government Departments: Communication, whether the Prime Minister approved the new guidance on UK/HM Government branding, or whether it was approved by an official or special adviser.
Relevant officials and special advisers reviewed the branding guidance.
Pursuant to the answer of 19 March 2026, to Question 120612, on Government Departments: Vetting, whether individuals joining the Civil Service are advised on giving false or misleading information in any other part of their application and vetting process.
Civil Servants applying for NSV Security Vetting (NSV) are advised of their responsibilities throughout the process and through the guidance published on gov.uk. This includes the need for full and complete disclosure.
How many Government phones were (a) lost and (b) stolen in the Prime Minister’s Office since 4 July 2024.
It would not be appropriate to detail internal security matters. There are long established and robust processes to manage information security following the theft of No10 work devices
Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Collection entitled Areas of Research interest of June 2017, whether there are plans to update the Government Office for Science's area of research interests.
The Government Office for Science does not publish its own Areas of Research Interests (ARIs). It instead provides advice and input to Departments, who are each responsible for developing and updating their own ARI. The latest version of each Department’s ARI is then made available on the gov.uk collection page.
Pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2026, to Question 111932, on Lord Mandelson, what assessment has been made of why the letter from Lord Glasman to the Prime Minister's Office on the probity of Lord Mandelson was not copied across to the official record.
I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 9 February 2026, Official Report, PQ 111932.
What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help reduce the number of Impact Assessments for Bills that were published late in the process.
The Guide to Making Legislation makes clear that, when they are required, impact assessments should be published alongside bills. Government departments are responsible for publication of any required impact assessments.
Whether his Department has issued guidance on whether a Minister can be suspended.
The Cabinet Office has not issued such guidance. The Ministerial Code sets out the standards of conduct expected of ministers and how they discharge their duties. As the Code sets out, the Prime Minister is the ultimate judge of the standards of behaviour expected of a minister and the appropriate consequences of a breach of those standards.
Whether electronic communications between Lord Mandelson and Morgan McSweeney have been copied to the official record and retained for the Humble Address.
I refer you to the Government's statement and release of information on 11th March, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The Government is working to ensure that Parliament’s instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves. All government departments, ministers and relevant individuals have been instructed to retain and provide to the Cabinet Office all information they hold that falls in scope of the Humble Address motion.
What is the status of the Cabinet Office fact-finding investigation into Labour Together, separate to the report by the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards.
The fact-finding exercise has concluded. The Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards wrote to the Prime Minister on this issue on 27 February. His letter is available online: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69a32870f534e7e99adaeaf8/Letter_from_the_Independent_Adviser_to_the_Prime_Minister.pdf
Whether the Metropolitan Police has asked the Government to not publish any communication between Morgan McSweeney and Peter Mandelson.
I refer you to the remarks the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister made to the house in response to the urgent question about the Humble Address on 16 March.