Written questions by Wood.

Pursuant to the answer to question 95074 of 2 December 2025, how many of the businesses classified as hotels etc in the Valuation Office Agency draft 2026 rating lists have had their rateable value i) decrease ii) stay the same iii) increase compared to their 2023 rateable values.

The VOA published the Draft non-domestic rating list on 26 November 2025, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/non-domestic-rating-change-in-rateable-value-of-rating-lists-england-and-wales-2026-revaluation-draft-list

Pursuant to the answer of 2 December 2025 to question 95074 , how many of the businesses classified as holiday sites in the Valuation Office Agency draft 2026 rating lists have had their rateable value i) decrease ii) stay the same iii) increase compared to their 2023 rateable values.

The VOA published the Draft non-domestic rating list on 26 November 2025, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/non-domestic-rating-change-in-rateable-value-of-rating-lists-england-and-wales-2026-revaluation-draft-list

Pursuant to the answer to question 95074 of 2 December 2025, how many of the businesses classified as restaurants and cafes in the Valuation Office Agency draft 2026 rating lists have had their rateable value i) decrease ii) stay the same iii) increase compared to their 2023 rateable values.

The VOA published the Draft non-domestic rating list on 26 November 2025, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/non-domestic-rating-change-in-rateable-value-of-rating-lists-england-and-wales-2026-revaluation-draft-list

When he plans to answer Question 84239 tabled on 22 October 2025 by the Hon Member for Kingswinford and South Staffordshire.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 February 2026 to Question 84239.

What steps he is taking to reduce the time taken for Developed Vetting renewals.

I refer the Honourable Gentleman to the responses given on 27 November 2025 to PQs 93373 and 92997.

How many and what proportion of officials at each Senior Civil Service grade completed the One Big Thing 2024 Innovation Masterclass from each Department and executive agency; and if he will provide this information in tabular form showing, for each organisation, the total number of officials in scope, the number completing the Masterclass, and the resulting completion rate, alongside the corresponding figures for all staff in that organisation.

All publicly available data related to completions of the training can be found in the Evaluation of One Big Thing 2024, published on 10 October 2025. A breakdown of the proportion of officials at each Senior Civil Service grade who completed the One Big Thing 2024 Innovation Masterclass from each Department and executive agency is not publicly available.

Pursuant to the answer of 10 October 2025, to Question 70464, on Government Communication Service: Audit, what is the timetable for the completion of the current annual data collection.

The 2025 data collection is complete.

Pursuant to the answer of 3 September 2025, to Question 70509, on Government Departments: Buildings, what is the current ownership and freehold, leasehold or rental status, of the Department for Education building on Great Smith Street, London.

The property occupied by the Department for Education on Great Smith Street, London is known as Sanctuary Buildings. GPA, on behalf of the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, holds the leasehold interest in the property and pays the rent. The freehold interest is held by Legal and General Assurance (Pensions Management) Limited. Information on property registered in England and Wales is available to the public by following the following link to HM Land Registry - Search for land and property information https://www.gov.uk/search-property-information-land-registry

Whether the Office for National Statistics has made an assessment of the adequacy of GDP deflation forecasts.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of the 1st of December is attached.

What assessment they have made of the impact of vetting delays on (a) recruitment and (b) project delivery across government departments and national security agencies.

Since April 2024, United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) has consistently met its agreed Key Performance Indicators (KPI), across each product type. With the appropriate Ministerial oversight, UKSV works closely with the departments and decision-making authorities they serve to understand their forecasted demand for the provision of vetting services.

If he will ensure that direct ministerial appointments publish a declaration of interests on gov.uk.

It is the responsibility of individual sponsor departments to publish details of the direct ministerial appointments that they make, including their terms of reference. Information about managing conflicts of interest and the public announcements that should be made for Direct Ministerial Appointments is set out in the Guidance on Making Direct Ministerial Appointments.

With reference to the answer of 28 October 2025 to Question HL10808 on Official Residences, how long the other residences have been unoccupied.

There are two additional flats in Admiralty House which can be allocated to ministers as official residences at the Prime Minister’s discretion. Neither flat has been allocated to a minister under the current administration.

If he will publish the Permanent Secretary model contract released under FOI reference FOI2025/09712 of September 2025.

I refer to my answer to 88716, where I confirm a copy of the model contract has been placed in the House Library.

What is the most recent estimate of (a) the headcount size of the Government Communication Service and (b) staff who work in communications functions in the Civil Service who are not GCS.

I refer the Hon Member to the response provided for PQ 92419 for the headcount size of the Government Communication Service. Information regarding Civil Service staff working in communications functions who are not part of the Government Communication Service is not held centrally.

How many people are employed by UK Security Vetting by (a) permanent civil servants, (b) fixed-term appointees and (c) contingent labour.

United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) delivers National Security Vetting services to departments and agencies across government, police and industry. UKSV’s workforce planning is driven by the demand forecasting and operational employment requirements of these departments and agencies. The resourcing of UKSV includes a diverse range of staffing contracts to meet forecast demand.

Pursuant to the answer of 23 September 2025 to Question 75722 on Government Departments: Advertising, if he will publish equivalent data for spending on (a) hard copy advertising, (b) public relations and (c) marketing.

The requested information is not held centrally or in the specific categories outlined in the question. Please refer to departmental transparency data.

What his policy is on severance payments to outgoing Cabinet Secretaries and Permanent Secretaries not provided for in the model contract.

The Permanent Secretary model contract sets out the contractual detail on compensation payments for all Permanent Secretaries. This applies to the Cabinet Secretary and there is no separate internal guidance. A copy of the model contract has been placed in the House Library.

Pursuant 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 if he will place in the Library a copy of the new guidance on diversity networks.

The Staff Network Policy is an internal Civil Service staff policy. It is not in the public domain and as such a copy will not be placed in the Library.

Whether he has issued guidance on civil servants claiming trade union facility time and diversity network time.

The Cabinet Office Facility Time Framework, issued to Civil Service departments, provides guidance on the granting of time off for trade union facility time for civil servants who are trade union representatives. Civil Service staff network activity is separate to trade union activities and duties carried out by trade union representatives in the Civil Service. The Staff Network Policy covers the allocation of time for specific staff network roles and duties.

Pursuant to the answer of 2 September 2025 to Question 69278 Cabinet Office: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution, if he will itemise the £7,395 spent.

The £7,395 covered in the response to Question 69278 was part of the £8,500 budget referred to in Question 65788 asked by the same MP on 8 July 2025. Under EDI Expenditure rules that budget was listed in the data published on 30 May 2025 and was the maximum approved budget, a ceiling rather than actual spend. Expenditure within this budget facilitated a presence on behalf of the Civil Service at 26 Pride events across the UK. Itemising spend across all supplier organisations may breach commercial agreements between the department and suppliers.