Written questions by Wood.

(a) how many and (b) what value of (i) donations and (ii) bequests have been made to the donations in general towards public expenditure fund since 4 July 2024.

HM Treasury has, as of 18 June 2025, received 40 donations, totalling £85,191.62, since 4 July 2024.

With reference to the UK-EU Summit - Common Understanding of 19 May 2025, what changes she plans to make to the university home fee status of students of EU/EEA nationality studying in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland; and what changes she plans to make to the fee status of previously overseas British citizens who intend to study in the United Kingdom.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.On 19 May 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, welcomed Presidents Von Der Leyen and Costa for the first ever summit between the UK and the EU and a deal was agreed which will deliver on what the British public voted for last year. This package delivers for the British people, without compromising on our red lines, no return to the customs union, no return to freedom of movement, and no rejoining the single market.On home fee status, most new EU/EEA students who were not lawfully resident in the UK before the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020 will pay international fees.The Withdrawal Agreement provides that current EU principles of equal treatment continue to apply for those covered by the citizens’ rights provisions in the Withdrawal Agreement. This means that EU nationals lawfully resident in the UK before the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020 are eligible in England for support on a similar basis as previously, subject to meeting the usual residency requirements, which are unchanged. Similar agreements have been signed with the European Economic Area (EEA) European Free Trade Association (EFTA) states and Switzerland.UK nationals and their family members, living in the EEA or Switzerland at the end of the transition period will generally be eligible for home fee status, tuition fee and maintenance support from Student Finance England for courses starting on or after 1 August 2021 and before 1 January 2028, subject to meeting all other eligibility requirements.There are no plans to make any changes to the fee status for these persons.

(a) how many and (b) what value of (i) donations and (ii) bequests have been made to the Donations and Bequests Account since 4 July 2024.

The UK Debt Management Office (DMO) manages the Donations and Bequests Account. It has, as of 18 June 2025, received 14 donations, totalling £585 million, since 4 July 2024. Over the same period, the DMO received fewer than five bequests, totalling £101,740.83.We withhold the total number of bequests when fewer than five, because the information could be used to identify individual bequests.The Donations and Bequests Account falls under the CRND (Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt), for which the DMO publishes annual accounts. The 2024-25 accounts have not yet been published but the 2023-24 figures can be found here: crndrep2024.pdf

Whether special advisers in his Department have a role in the (a) preparation, (b) clearance and (c) publication of Official Statistics.

The Code of Conduct for Special Advisers sets out Special Advisers’ role and responsibilities.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 May 2025 to Question 41643 on Government Departments: Equality, whether his Department has provided updated internal guidance on diversity networks since 14 May 2024.

We have not provided internal guidance on diversity networks since 14 May 2024. The Civil Service Code, which is published and available here, sets out the standards of behaviour expected of all civil servants.

What guidance he has given to civil servants on speaking at press conferences.

As per the detailed Government Communication Service (GCS) Propriety & Ethics Guidance, when civil servants are acting as departmental spokespeople they must establish impartiality and neutrality with the news media, and ensure that they deal with all news media even-handedly. GCS also provides training and support to media officers.

With reference to his Department's publication entitled Civil Service EDI Expenditure Review Data, published on 29 May 2025, if he will publish a list of the external (a) organisations and (b) firms that provided (i) benchmarking and (ii) memberships in 2023-24.

As per the data published in the Civil Service EDI Expenditure Review Data on 29 May 2025, the expenditure in this category was £800,000 for all responding organisations during the twelve months prior to their return in July 2023. Naming organisations may breach commercial agreements between departments and providers.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 May 2025 to Question HL7182 on Cabinet Office: Zero Hour Contracts, what is the annual cost of staff on zero-hours contract; and in what business units do they work.

The requested information is not centrally held, and complying with this request would incur a disproportionate cost to the department.The Cabinet Office uses zero hours contracts to selectively manage temporary demand. To end exploitative zero hours contracts, under the government’s plans to Make Work Pay legislation will be brought in to give workers on zero hours contracts and workers with a ‘low’ number of guaranteed hours, who regularly work more than these hours, the ability to move to guaranteed hours contracts which reflect the hours they regularly work over a 12-week reference period.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the risk of large-scale disorder in (a) a single area and (b) multiple areas in Great Britain.

The Cabinet Office publishes a regular National Risk Register (National Risk Register 2025 - GOV.UK), including assessments relating to large-scale disorder, and the government also continues to work closely on an ongoing basis with the police who are responsible for monitoring threats to public orders.

If he will make it his policy to reduce the size of the Government Communication Service.

I refer the hon. member to the answer given to PQ25449, given on the 29 January 2025.

With reference to the Treasury's policy paper entitled Departmental Efficiency Delivery Plans, published on 11 June 2025, whether he has a headcount target for the size of his Department between 2026-27 and 2028-29.

In line with the 2025 Spending Review, we are restructuring the Cabinet Office into a more strategic, specialised, and smaller department to achieve £110 million in annual expenditure savings by the 2028/29 financial year. Our focus is on identifying budgetary savings rather than meeting a specific headcount target.

How many data breaches his Department has reported to the Information Commissioner's Office under the UK GDPR since 4 July 2024; and what type of information did these breaches relate to.

The Cabinet Office has reported eight data breaches to the Information Commissioner since 4 July 2024. The breaches and the data they related to is set out as follows:Date of breachType of information released12 July 2024Data relating to the Equality Hub copied to a private email account26 July 2024Data errors led to a civil service pension being paid to the wrong individual20 July 2024Data errors led to a civil service pension being paid to the wrong individual10 September 2024Employee email shared with incorrect recipients10 March 2025Vetting data was shared with the incorrect recipient19 March 2025An attachment of earnings order was sent to an incorrect recipient17 April 2025Ex-staff member retained departmental data on personal email account19 May 2025Data published in error as part of Cabinet Office transparency report

With reference to the Commissioner for Public Appointment’s letter to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar, whether the powers of the Public Appointments Commission to require appointing authorities provide information extends to information held by the No10 Political Office.

The scope of the powers of the Commissioner for Public Appointments to request information relevant to his inquiries are set out in Article 4(6) of the Public Appointments (No. 2) Order in Council 2023.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Mauritian counterpart on flying the (a) Mauritius Flag and (b) United Kingdom Union flag on the Chagos Archipelago after the UK/Mauritius treaty on the Chagos Archipelago comes into force.

A British flag will continue to be flown at the UK-US Base on Diego Garcia, alongside the US flag, as it has always done.After the treaty enters into force, Mauritius will be free to resettle on the outer islands. It will be for Mauritius to decide what flag they fly over these islands.Mauritius will be free to fly the Mauritian flag on the Chagos Archipelago other than on the Diego Garcia base.

Whether she has issued guidance on whether regulators should impose equality, diversity and inclusion requirements on regulated entities where such requirements are not set out in primary or secondary legislation.

The Office for Equality and Opportunity has not issued guidance on whether regulators should impose equality, diversity and inclusion requirements on regulated entities.

With reference to the Spending Review 2025, published on 11 June 2025, whether the assumed average annual real growth in RDEL spending includes the department efficiency savings.

All departments have committed to delivering at least 5% efficiencies and savings as part of Spending Review 2025. In the usual way, final department settlements take account of the efficiencies and savings departments have agreed. Average annual real growth rates are based on these settlements; no specific adjustment has been made for efficiencies.

With reference to Table 5.29 of the Spending Review 2025, published on 11 June 2025, if he will provide a breakdown of the forecast RDEL settlements in each year of the Spending Review for each of the independent bodies listed in footnote 6 of the Table; and what efficiency requirements are assumed for each of those independent bodies.

Independent bodies are public bodies set up by, and reporting directly to, Parliament. As independent bodies are funded within Departmental Expenditure Limits, HM Treasury requests a forecast of expenditure to inform the aggregate published in Table 5.29 of the Spending Review. These forecasts are indicative - and subject to change. A breakdown of the budget for each of the independent bodies is shared with Parliament at Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates in each financial year. As independent bodies are not directly accountable to ministers, the government cannot set efficiency targets in the same way as it does for other departments. In line with the government’s ambition to maximise the value or money for the taxpayer, independent bodies are encouraged to be more efficient.

With reference to Spending Review 2025: Departmental Efficiency Plans, published on 11 June 2025, whether there is an overall headcount target for the size of the Civil Service from 2026-27 to 2028-29.

We have set out plans to reduce back office costs by 16% over the next five years, delivering savings of over £2.2 billion a year by 2030 and targeting spending on front line services. Each department will take a decision on its individual size and shape as per the financial settlements that have now been agreed with HMT in the Spending Review.These plans will take a whole workforce approach based on the cost of civil servants, Contingent Labour, Consultancy and Managed Services.

Whether the (a) transgender, (b) bisexual and (c) Windrush flag has been flown from a Government building since 4 July 2024.

None of the listed flags have been flown from a Government Property Agency managed Government Building since 4 July 2024. We do not hold information relating to buildings not managed by the Government Property Agency.

Pursuant to the Answer of 14 May 2025 to Question 48955 on MI5: Stonewall, for what reason MI5 renewed its membership of Stonewall.

MI5 does not comment publicly on internal policy or organisational decisions.