Written questions by Wood.

Pursuant to the answer of 5 November 2025, to Question 86056, on Government Departments: Social Media, and with reference to paragraph 1.6(d) of the Ministerial Code, what the public interest basis is for not placing the specific financial details in the public domain.

Due to commercial and broader sensitivities surrounding this expenditure, we are unable to provide a more detailed breakdown as this could negatively affect the government's ability to engage with influencers in the most cost-effective manner.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 10 October 2025 to Question 76804 on DSIT: Social Media, what campaigns or topics social media influencers paid for by her Department have been promoted.

The Department for Science Innovation and Technology has only spent money on social media influencers for reasonable expenses such as travel.We have worked with social media influencers to drive public awareness on the following topics; how the government is putting AI to work in healthcare; work to tackle digital exclusion; the National Underground Asset Register; and products launched by the Government Digital Service to improve access to public services for citizens.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 54273 on Government Departments: Sanitation, if he will publish all written submissions sent by PCS to the Cabinet Office on toilet provision in government buildings since the Supreme Court judgment in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025.

The Cabinet Office does not publish correspondence between unions and officials as this would undermine the ability to communicate freely.

Whether the Cabinet Office still operates a Hybrid Development Working Group.

The Civil Service has a number of cross-government groups to address common issues, find solutions to complex policy challenges and support the sharing of best practice.The Cross-Government Group on Working Flexibly meets on an adhoc basis and focuses on effective and positive ways of working in a hybrid world, as well as supporting the implementation of related legislation changes across departments.

Whether all special advisers who have joined since July 2024 were informed by Cabinet Office Special Adviser HR that they will lose their employer contributions if they leave before two years of employment unless they transfer in another pension scheme.

Special Advisers are provided with guidance regarding Civil Service Pension schemes during onboarding and offboarding, as well as throughout their tenure. Special Advisers are also directed to published Civil Service Pension scheme resources.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the answer of 10 October 2025, to Question 71941, on DSIT: Remote Working, and of 10 October 2025, to Question 71222, on Civil Service: Recruitment, for what reason staff in her Department are subject to a 40% workplace attendance policy instead of the 60% minimum agreed by Heads of Department in October 2024.

DSIT’s hybrid working policy requires employees to spend between 40% to 60% of their working hours in the office as the norm (with a minimum of 40%). DSIT allows some limited flexibility for minimum office attendance to reflect the size of the available office estate.

If he will make it his policy that the Office for National Statistics' December publication of its plans is drawn to the attention of the House via a written Ministerial Statement.

The ONS’ planned publication of the Economic Statistics Plan and the Survey Improvement and Enhancement Plan updates on 4 December is an important milestone in the ONS’ recovery plan. The Government welcomes the ONS’ open and transparent approach to its economic statistics recovery. We have asked the ONS Parliamentary team to note your question and they have assured us they will highlight the publication through their normal routes in the usual way.

How many complaints concerning (a) Lord-Lieutenants, (b) Vice Lord-Lieutenants and (c) Deputy Lieutenants have been received under the new Cabinet Office procedure since its introduction; and what the outcomes of those complaints have been.

There have been no complaints since the Cabinet Office guidance was updated on 7th October 2025.

With reference to paragraph 60 of the Decision Note from the Commissioner for Public Appointments on the Appointment of the Chair of the Independent Football Regulator, published on 6 November 2025, what is the timetable for his Department to (a) consult on and (b) implement the recommendations.

The Commissioner for Public Appointments provides independent assurance that public appointments are made in accordance with the Principles of Public Appointments and the Governance Code on Public Appointments. Following the Commissioner’s investigation into the appointment of the Chair of the Independent Football Regulator, the Government welcomes his findings against which we are reviewing the robustness of the current guidance with a view to learning the lessons from the report.

Pursuant to the Answer of 10 October 2025 to Question 71232 on 10 Downing Street: Renewable Energy, who the energy provider is; and what the tariff is.

The electricity supply at Number 10 is on zero carbon tariff supplied under the Crown Commercial Services. The gas is under a standard tariff supplied under the Crown Commercial Services. The heat is supplied under the Whitehall District Heat System.

What steps he is taking to ensure the 2025 Government Communications Service (GCS) audit includes all GCS staff; and how many GCS staff there are in (a) Downing Street and (b) his Department.

The Government Communication Service (GCS) conducts an annual data collection, requiring government organisations to submit accurate and timely returns through departmental single points of contact. It should be noted that some organisations may have undergone significant changes since the data was collected in July 2025. At the time of the collection:(a) Downing Street: The Number 10 Civil Service Communications team consisted of 44.8 FTE.(b) Cabinet Office: Core Cabinet Office comms roles consisted of 40.43 FTE (of which 22 are roles within Press Office and Cabinet Office Digital Communications) with 141.52 FTE in the Central GCS team (also based within the Cabinet Office).

How is the ethnicity definition of White Irish defined and what distinguishes it from White British (a) in relation to those who live or lived in Northern Ireland and (b) in general.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon. gentlemen’s Parliamentary Question of 14th November is attached.

Pursuant to the Answer of 10 October 2025 to Question 74276 on 10 Downing Street: Official Hospitality, if he will provide a hyperlink to that data.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 10 October 2025, Official Report, PQ 74276.

Pursuant to the Answer of 29 October 2025 to Question 75990 on Deputy Prime Minister: Admiralty House, on what date the first communication between the Government Property Agency and Westminster City Council was on the second homes council tax premium for the former Deputy Prime Minister’s official residence in Admiralty House.

Before the Second Home premium was introduced in Westminster, the Cabinet Office were aware that the former Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) was occupying Admiralty House (AH) as a second home and that council tax would therefore be payable by Government. In line with long standing precedent under successive administrations, as the property was a second residence the Government was responsible for paying the Council Tax on Admiralty House, not the former DPM. Similarly, the Cabinet Office is responsible for liaising with Westminster City Council (WCC) for matters concerning residency at Admiralty House. WCC were notified at the beginning of May that the former DPM was occupying AH as a second home for council tax purposes, and details were provided for WCC to issue a bill accordingly. GPA wrote to WCC in June to confirm that the second homes premium applied. WCC issued an invoice in July which was paid the same day.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2025 to Question 85495 on Deputy Prime Minister: Admiralty House, on what date was Westminster City Council informed by his Department that the official residence was liable for the second homes council tax premium due to its occupation by the then Deputy Prime Minister as a second home.

Before the Second Home premium was introduced in Westminster, the Cabinet Office were aware that the former Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) was occupying Admiralty House (AH) as a second home and that council tax would therefore be payable by Government. In line with long standing precedent under successive administrations, as the property was a second residence, the Government was responsible for paying the Council Tax on Admiralty House, not the former DPM. Similarly, the Cabinet Office is responsible for liaising with Westminster City Council (WCC) for matters concerning residency at Admiralty House. WCC were notified at the beginning of May that the former DPM was occupying AH as a second home for council tax purposes, and details were provided for WCC to issue a bill accordingly. GPA wrote to WCC in June to confirm that the second homes premium applied. WCC issued an invoice in July which was paid the same day.

Whether civil servants have used any of the residences in Admiralty House as an overnight dwelling since 4 July 2024.

A record of this information is not held. Admiralty House is occasionally used overnight by Civil Servants where there is operational need. This is in-line with the usage of Admiralty House across successive governments.

If the UK Statistics Authority will make it their policy to undertake an assessment whether HM Government's use of the Social Time Preference Rate to discount the total cost of the Chagos Islands Treaty is in line with the best practice in their Code of Practice for Statistics.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon. gentlemen’s Parliamentary Question of 14th November is attached.

If he will publish a list of (a) inward and (b) outward secondments by (i) Department, (ii) grade and (iii) external body.

Secondments into the Civil Service from other sectors are a key route to bring essential skills and experience into the right roles and teams, enabling talented individuals from outside the Civil Service to contribute to the work of Government by sharing critical capabilities and innovative thinking for a set period of time. The secondments data commission provides insight on inward and outward secondments taking place across government. The Cabinet Office has worked closely with departments to improve the amount, detail and quality of the data available. The limited number of records/data sets makes the data personally identifiable information, therefore it will not be possible to publish this data.

With reference to the Correspondence from the Interim Chair of ACOBA to the Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Office on the closure of ACOBA and reform of the Rules, published on 12 October 2025, for what reason the letter was removed from gov.uk.

The correspondence was published in error and therefore it was removed from GOV.UK.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 November 2025 to Question 86054 on Cabinet Office: Lord Lieutenants, when his Department first established a formal complaints procedure for (a) Lord-Lieutenants, (b) Vice Lord-Lieutenants and (c) Deputy Lieutenants; and on what statutory basis this procedure was created.

A formal complaints procedure relating to the Lieutenancies was published in 2021. The Lieutenancies Act 1997 and the Northern Ireland (Lieutenancy) Order 1975 provide the statutory framework relating to Lieutenancies.