Written questions by Wood.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 42740 on Smoking: Hospitality Industry, what his planned timetable is for the consultation on the vaping and smoking provisions in relation to outdoor public places; and what role local authorities would be expected to play in enforcement.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill sets a duty to consult on a range of powers before making regulations, including vaping and smoking provisions in relation to outdoor public places. We plan to consult on these measures in due course, and we will provide stakeholders with notice of when consultation processes are due to happen. We expect that enforcement of vaping and smoking provisions in relation to outdoor public places in England to be undertaken by the same local authority teams that enforce existing smoke-free legislation; these would typically be the environmental health teams. The exact details will be explored via future consultation processes.

Pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2025 to Question 67413 on France: Military Alliances, with reference to the Answer of 22 April 2025 to Question HL6719 on Nuclear Weapons, how his Department defines tactical nuclear weapons.

The UK does not categorise nuclear weapon capabilities as either strategic or sub-strategic/tactical. The UK and NATO have said that any employment of nuclear weapons against NATO would fundamentally alter the nature of a conflict. The UK’s nuclear weapons are a tool aiming to deter the most extreme threats to our national security and way of life, and that of our NATO Allies, rather than a warfighting capability intended to achieve a tactical or battlefield military advantage in a conflict.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many (a) ambassadors and (b) high commissioners are not (a) civil servants and (b) members of the Diplomatic Service.

All those appointed to Ambassador or High Commissioner roles are appointed as civil servants.

Pursuant to the Answer of 30 April 2025 to Question 46764 on Industrial Disputes: Trade Unions, if he will make it his policy to suspend (a) facility time and (b) check-off for NHS-recognised trade unions whilst they are on strike.

We have no plans to suspend facility time or check-off for National Health Service recognised trade unions whilst they are on strike.It is for the local NHS employers and trade unions to agree on the approach to facility time during any period of industrial action. NHS trade union representatives would normally hold contracts with their individual NHS employer.

Pursuant to the written statement of 21 July 2025 on Government of service, HCWS870, whether the new rules on repayment of Ministerial severance payments will come into effect on 13 October; and whether the Deputy Prime Minister has now signed a waiver.

The reforms to ministerial severance payments, including the use of waivers, will take effect from 13 October.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on industrial action in the NHS.

The Government is committed to reforming trade union legislation, to bring it into the 21st century. We want to create an industrial relations framework fit for a modern economy and workplaces that work for everyone.The Department of Business and Trade has published an overarching economic analysis of the Employment Rights Bill, namely the Employment Rights Bill economic analysis, a copy of which is attached. It has also published a specific impact assessment on the repeal of the Trade Union Act 2016, the Repeal of the Trade Union Act 2016, a copy of which is also attached.

Whether trade union diversity networks in (a) his department and (b) NHS England are eligible for trade union facility time; and whether people can claim both diversity network time and facility time.

Neither the Department nor NHS England have specific trade union diversity networks.

With reference to the Prime Minister's oral contribution of 3 September 2025 in response to the Rt hon. Member for North West Essex during Prime Minister's Questions, Official Report, Column 281, on what date the Deputy Prime Minister informed the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards that she had not correctly paid stamp duty.

The former Deputy Prime Minister referred herself to the Independent Advisor on Ministerial Standards on Wednesday 3 September.

With reference to the Prime Minister's oral contribution of 3 September 2025 in response to the Rt hon. Member for North West Essex during Prime Minister's Questions, Official Report, Column 281, on what date he was informed that the Deputy Prime Minister had not correctly paid stamp duty.

The Prime Minister was kept updated appropriately.

Pursuant to the Answer of 18 July 2025 to Question 66652 on Military Aircraft: Ministers, what the total cost to the public purse was for those tasks.

The total cost for Government Minsters travel on the RAF Command Support Air Transport between 3 July 2024 and 4 July 2025 is £858,724.23. This was approximately 51.3% lower than the previous year. Some elements included in the total cost are air passenger duty, catering, insurance, fuel, civilian airfield usage, landing & handling fees.Since my response to Question 66652, I can confirm that an additional task has been identified which is in scope and the total costs cover 44 tasks, that were completed between 4 July 2024 and 18 July 2025.It has been the practice of successive administrations not to publish granular information relating to the official movements of Ministers and those accompanying them within the United Kingdom. Information about official overseas travel is published as part of the Cabinet Office transparency returns and made available on the GOV.UK website.

How many non-party political life peers he intends to ask the Commission to nominate in 2025.

It is for the Prime Minister to make recommendations to the Sovereign on new peers. As set out in his written ministerial statement of 19 June 2025, in doing so he will continue to ask the House of Lords Appointments Commission to nominate individuals to sit as Crossbench peers. Any such appointments will subsequently be announced by the Commission in the usual way.

If he will make it his policy to ensure that people who are white British are eligible to apply for all (a) government and (b) (i) MI5 and (ii) MI6 summer internships.

A range of internships exist across government, any decisions relating to eligibility are taken in line with the CS Commission rules and in accordance with UK Employment Law. Specifically relating to the CS Summer Internship Programme, as set out in August, it will be exclusively for undergraduates from lower socio-economic backgrounds for 2026. White British people that meet the eligibility criteria for the Summer Internship Programme will be able to apply. The intelligence agencies, as with any arm to the Civil Service, must take any decisions seeking to improve the diversity of their workforce in-line with UK law and in adherence with the relevant measures of the Equalities Act 2010. These measures permit employers to take specific actions to enable or encourage those with protected characteristics to apply for particular roles. Such action is considered lawful and includes both individuals from White minority backgrounds, those from socially or economically underrepresented groups and those from an ethnic minority background.

What information his Department holds on the number of civil servants who are (a) full protection and (b) tapered protection members of the Civil Service (i) Classic, (ii) Premium, (iii) Classic Plus and (iv) Nuvos pensions.

The information requested is published in Table 1.2 in section 7.3 of Annex A of the Civil Service Pensions 2015 Remedy (‘McCloud’) consultation – Equality Impact Assessment.

With reference to the Written Statement on Government of service, HCWS870, of 21 July 2025, whether he plans to amend the Civil Service Management Code to reflect the transfer of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments' functions to the Civil Service Commission.

The Civil Service Management Code will be updated in due course to reflect the transfer of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments' functions to provide independent advice on the application of the Business Appointment Rules in respect of the most senior civil servants and special advisers to the Civil Service Commission.

With reference to the Written Statement of 21 July 2025 on Government of service, HCWS870, whether he plans to permit retrospective applications for business appointments to the (a) Civil Service Commission and (b) Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards.

The Business Appointment Rules state that retrospective applications will not normally be accepted. While the Rules rightly discourage retrospective applications in order to ensure initial compliance from applicants, the Government believes that, should someone acknowledge their error and agree to follow the process, there should be an opportunity for them to receive advice and be subject to conditions.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 August 2025 to Question 69070 on Syria: Inter Mediate, for what reason his Department does not disclose details of the individual projects funded.

In circumstances where sharing details of projects would present personal risks to partners working in sensitive contexts, or prejudice national security, international relations or data protection rights, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office does not share this information publicly.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether (a) his Department and (b) the British Council has provided funding to Common Purpose since 4 July 2024.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has not provided any direct funding to Common Purpose since 4 July 2024.The British Council has provided £7,650 to Common Purpose since July 2024. This was to deliver three workshops under the Study UK GREAT Scholarships programme, which is part of the Government's Great Britain and Northern Ireland (GREAT) Campaign. The workshops were delivered as part of an event to support postgraduate scholars in their transition from academia to work.

What proportion of applications from (a) ministers to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments were processed with substantive advice within 15 working days and (b) all other crown servants at SCS3 or equivalent and above were processed with in 20 workings days of receipt of that application; and what steps he plans to take to ensure that future applications under the Business Appointments Rules are processed quickly.

The latest report from the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments for its work between 2020 and 2024 sets out the proportion of cases completed within the 15 and 20 working day timelines, for ministers and crown servants, at page 6: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/669923de0808eaf43b50d22c/Advisory_Committee_on_Business_Appointments-21st_Report_-_April_2020_to_March_2024_PDF.pdf The Government is determined to create a more efficient and responsive system, for example by streamlining the application process for roles where there is lower threat to the integrity of Government, such as journalism, media appearances, and academia.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2025 to Question 54790 on FCDO: Holidays, whether there is any further internal guidance to Ministers on this issue.

No. The position remains the same as under previous governments.

With reference to the Written Statement on Government of service, HCWS870, of 21 July 2025, whether the new Business Appointment Rules administered by the Civil Service Commission will apply to (a) special advisers below SCS Pay Band 2, (b) special advisers at other pay bands and (c) special advisers previously covered by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments.

The transfer of responsibility for the administration and advice on applications for the most senior civil servants and special advisers from the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments to the Civil Service Commission, will only affect those at the SCS Pay Band 3 and equivalent, and above. Applications from those civil servants and special advisers at the SCS Pay Band 2 and equivalent, and below, will continue to be processed by their respective departments.