Written questions by Wood.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether (a) she and (b) her Ministers were consulted on and approved the exit payment to Lord Mandelson over and above the special payment approval by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

I refer the Hon Member 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.

Pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2026 to Question HL15477 on Lord Mandelson, whether special advisers, including Jonathan Powell, have any role in making recommendations on redactions of material relating to the Government response to the Humble Address.

I refer you to the Oral Statement on the 23rd February, in the name of the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, the Government's response to the Urgent Question tabled on 16th March, and 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 relevant material is being prepared for publication, including the appropriate checks relating to national security, international relations, legal privilege and the protection of personal data.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2026 to Question 118787 on Jonathan Powell, if she will list each meeting that Jonathan Powell had with external organisations, including foreign governments, whilst the Prime Minister's Special Envoy.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer cited in his question.

Pursuant to the answer of 2 April 2026, to Question 122728, on Cabinet Office: Email, whether John Pond's emails be transferred to the National Archives.

The Cabinet Office manages its departmental records in accordance with the provisions of the Public Records Act 1958. Section 3 of the Act sets out the provisions for selecting and preserving public records.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2026 to Question 114881 on Jonathan Powell, what his remuneration was.

Details of individual renumeration arrangements are not routinely disclosed. The Special Envoy's appointment and terms of engagement were agreed in accordance with established procedures.

Pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2026 to Question 122152 on Josh Simmons, in what circumstances does the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards obtain evidence from third parties when conducting a Ministerial conduct investigation.

The Independent Adviser provides advice to the Prime Minister in line with his terms of reference which are set out in the Ministerial Code.

Pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 121095 on Civil Servants: Dismissal, what is the policy of the Cabinet Office on whether a civil servant (a) can or (b) should be dismissed for dishonesty on their job application or associated job interview and vetting processes.

All Civil Servants are expected to carry out their role with dedication and a commitment to the Civil Service Code and its core values: integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality. Applicants for Cabinet Office roles are required to sign a declaration stating that the information they provide during the recruitment process is true and relates to their own experiences. If it is discovered that an applicant or Cabinet Office employee has given false information or withheld relevant details during the recruitment or vetting process, their application may be rejected and/or considered in line with departmental discipline policy. This may result in dismissal and implications for the employee’s security clearance. Internal policies and processes in response to dishonesty will only apply to Cabinet Office staff, with Ministers and other departments out of scope. The Cabinet Office adheres to the relevant national security vetting policies. A range of considerations related to vetting and honesty may be relevant to a vetting decision. Any indication from employee or contractor records of unreliability in a security context (e.g., disciplinary action related to abuse of trust, carelessness, dishonesty, lack of discretion, or disregard for security controls) may result in an adverse security decision regarding an individual's vetting.

Pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2025 to Question 119320 on Cabinet Office: Public Appointments, if he will make it his policy to publish the information on outside individuals in an anonymised or Barnardised format.

I refer to my answer to PQ 119320, in accordance with data protection regulations, we do not provide information about candidates in Civil Service recruitment processes, and there are no plans to publish in an anonymised or Barnardised format.

Pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question HL15477 on Lord Mandelson, whether Ministers are able to (a) provide a steer, (b) submit requests or (c) exercise a veto of Civil Service decisions to deem that material (i) is out of scope or (ii) should be redacted.

As set out in the Humble Address debate of 4th February, the process is being conducted and led by the Cabinet Secretary who has delegated the role to the Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary. Civil servants are of course accountable to Ministers, who are in turn accountable to Parliament.

With reference to the Written Statement of 26 March 2026 on Sludgebusting: Simplifying Government Processes to Drive Delivery, HCWS1467, what changes have been made to the write-round process for collective Cabinet agreement.

The Cabinet Office has launched a programme of work to simplify the state, removing unnecessary bureaucracy and speeding up the timeline from ministerial decision to delivery for citizens, including through the process for collective agreement of government policy.

What steps are being taken to improve the timeliness of (a) Hon Member and (b) public correspondence replies by the Cabinet Office.

The Cabinet Office is committed to providing timely and high-quality responses to correspondence from Parliamenterians and the wider public. The Cabinet Office regularly reviews and refreshes departmental processes, including the use of new digital tools, to ensure it meets these commitments. Annual Government data on response rates to Parliamenterian correspondence will be published in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 115555 on Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards, whether the Cabinet Office review into Labour Together requested evidence from the journalists who had been included in the APCO Worldwide and Labour Together dossier.

I refer the Hon Member to the response given to PQ 116772.

What types of information are routinely recorded from the Number 10 private office on the internal PMPost system for the official record.

It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation

Whether his Department has had discussions with Matthew Hancock on the copyright and ownership of electronic messages held on non-corporate devices relating to official government business from his time as Health Secretary.

It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2026 to Question 114881 on Jonathan Powell, how much Mr Powell was paid as Special Envoy for British Indian Ocean Territory negotiations.

Details of individual renumeration arrangements are not routinely disclosed. The Special Envoy's appointment and terms of engagement were agreed in accordance with established procedures.

How many auctions have taken place since July 2024 in relation to the disposal of gifts given to the Prime Minister and his predecessors that were retained by the department at the time.

Hospitality and gifts received by Ministers in their ministerial capacity are declared in accordance with the Ministerial Code on gov.ukThe Cabinet Office publishes guidance setting out the process that departments should follow to complete the publication of the Register of Ministers’ Gifts and Hospitality: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministers-gifts-and-hospitality-publication-guidance/ministers-gifts-and-hospitality-publication-guidance

Pursuant to the answer of 25 March 2026, to Question 119977, on Proof of Identity: Digital Technology, for what reason 16 and 17 year olds are not eligible to join the People's Panel, and whether they are deemed not to be of sufficient capacity to have views on Digital ID.

This has been answered with PQ 124822.

Pursuant to the answer of 25 March 2026 to Question 116506 on 9 Downing Street: Repairs and Maintenance, whether (a) all Government Property Agency spending data is published in the quarterly returns by Cabinet Office, or (b) only recharged spending data is published.

As an Executive Agency of the Cabinet Office, all spend by the Government Property Agency which meets the criteria for disclosure in the Cabinet Office spend data is disclosed in the published reports: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-spend-dataSpend which is recharged to the Cabinet Office group entities which meets the criteria is also published, and would be shown as income with the GPA accounts

With reference to the Answer of 19 March 2026 to Question HL15173 on Prime Minister: TikTok, whether the Prime Minister has been given permission to install TikTok on his Government phone.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 19 March 2026, Official Report, PQ HL15173.

Pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 120840 on National Security Council: Disclosure of Information, if he will make it his policy to make a statement to Parliament on the conclusion of the leak inquiry.

In line with the policy of successive administrations, we do not comment on live leak inquiries.