Written questions by Wood.

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 March 2026 to Question 908304 on Defence: Small Business, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access of defence industry SMEs to finance; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Environmental, Social, and Governance considerations and climate change requirements on the trends in the level of debanking and reduced access to finance for such SMEs.

As set out in the Defence Industrial Strategy, the Defence Finance and Investment Strategy (DFIS) is set to be published in early 2026. The DFIS will address barriers to financing and investment in the sector – including supporting businesses access finance, in partnership with public financial institutions and private capital. To inform the DFIS, we have held working sessions on debanking and on Environmental, Social, and Governance considerations, working with regulators, industry, the financial sector and other government departments.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2026 to Question 110806 on Palantir, whether the Defence Attaché to the United States has corresponded with, or met, representatives of Global Counsel since July 2024.

The Defence Attache has not corresponded or met with representatives of Global Counsel since July 2024.

Whether a Regulatory Impact Assessment has been produced in relation UK membership of the EU Electricity Market and the ETS scheme.

We will negotiate an electricity agreement with the EU to cut the cost of trading electricity with European partners, strengthen our energy security, drive investment in the North Sea, and help to achieve our Clean Power 2030 Mission. In parallel, the Government is negotiating the potential for linking the UK and EU Emissions Trading Schemes, which could help UK companies avoid paying taxes on up to £7 billion of exports. The detailed commitments under any such agreement, including any assessment of impacts, will be developed as part of the negotiations.

Pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 115553 on APCO Worldwide and Labour Together, what was the specific allegation and breach of the Ministerial Code that the Independent Adviser was asked by the Prime Minister to consider.

I refer the Hon Member to the response to the Urgent Question on 23 February, Labour Together and APCO Worldwide: Cabinet Office Review (Official Report, Column 27), and also to the Terms of Reference for the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards on gov.uk.

What dates the An NHS Fit for the Future Mission Board met since it ceased to be a Cabinet committee in November 2025.

Mission Boards ceased to be Cabinet Office committees at the end of last year. Since then, my ministerial colleagues and I have continued to engage stakeholders through a variety of fora to take forward the 10-Year Health Plan, through which we are delivering our Health Mission. Oversight is maintained by the Departmental Board, chaired by My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, details of which can be found on the GOV.UK website.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2026 to Question 110806 on Palantir, whether the Office of the UK Defence Attaché had any discussions with Global Counsel in relation to the visit.

The Defence Attache has not corresponded or met with representatives of Global Counsel in relation to the visit.

Pursuant to the answer of 2 July 2025, to Question 63328, on Intelligence and Security Committee: Press Releases, whether the Cabinet Office has now provided (a) additional and (b) independent resource, to the Intelligence and Security Committee and its secretariat; and what the status is of the updating of the Memorandum of Understanding.

Cabinet Office officials engage routinely and constructively with the Committee and will continue to do so. The Cabinet Office has agreed to the Committee’s requested uplift on budgeting and resourcing, which should help it to continue to undertake its critical role effectively. Cabinet Office officials are also working with the ISC to identify the best operating model for the future. The Prime Minister values the independent and robust oversight which the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) provides. Following discussions with the Committee, the Cabinet Office is conducting a review of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Prime Minister and the Committee. Any changes made to the MOU would need to be agreed by both the Prime Minister and the ISC.

With reference to his Department's news story entitled Modernising public procurement: backing British businesses and building a fairer economy, published 26 March 2026, if he will publish the hyperlinks to the procurement guidance on the (a) new Public Interest Test and (b) publishing insourcing strategies.

This government is committed to making the biggest wave of insourcing in a generation a reality. To do so, we will introduce a new Public Interest Test, requiring all departments to assess whether a service can be delivered more effectively in-house before any outsourcing decision is made. All departments will be required to also publish insourcing strategies to ensure delivery of this policy is effective. The Cabinet Office plans to publish detailed guidance on the introduction of this public interest test in the Summer. Guidance on the public interest test and insourcing strategies will be available on gov.uk.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Department's publications FCDO Services spend over £25,000, October 2025 and FCDO Services spend over £25,000, November 2025, published on 5 January 2026, for what reason the October and November payments to Inter Mediate listed on the FCDO Development Tracker website are not reported in the FCDO transparency spending data.

The payments the Hon Member refers to were made by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), not FCDO Services. FCDO spending transparency data for the relevant period will be published in due course.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential risks of the public availability of geolocated fitness data on national security, including the potential identification and tracking of (a) UK Armed Forces personnel, (b) deployments, and (c) sensitive military sites; and what guidance, policies or restrictions are in place governing the use of such applications by service personnel and contractors.

Defence takes the security of its personnel, operations and sites extremely seriously. The Department has long recognised the potential risks associated with the public sharing of geolocated data through fitness and other digital applications. Defence personnel are required to comply with departmental security policies and locally issued direction, and to manage their personal data responsibly to reduce the risk of inadvertent disclosure that could compromise personal or operational security.While it would be inappropriate to comment on specific security arrangements, Defence routinely monitors risks arising from emerging technologies and online behaviours, and issues guidance to personnel where such risks are identified. This guidance is kept under review and reinforced as necessary.

If he will list the (a) key performance indicators and (b) social value requirements for Palantir’s contracts with his Department.

The Ministry of Defence’s contracts with Palantir are managed in line with standard government commercial practices, including performance management and social value obligations. Performance is monitored through proportionate contractual measures such as delivery, service performance, security compliance and value for money, while social value requirements reflect government policy, including support for UK skills, innovation and the defence technology sector. For reasons of commercial confidentiality and security, it would not be appropriate to publish detailed contractual performance indicators.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 February 2026 to Question 113713 on Defence: Finance, what proportion of his Department's budget did not count towards the NATO percentage defence spending in 2024-25; and whether there were any funding streams outside the MOD budget which were counted.

Around 4% of the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) budget did not count towards NATO qualifying spend in 2024-25. This is to ensure that items such as accountancy treatments are not included in the UK's return. In line with NATO guidance and previous returns, we have included spend that sits outside the MOD budget provided it met the definition of NATO qualifying spend. This is a common approach used by this and the previous Government.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2026 to Question 114881 on Jonathan Powell, if he will place a copy of the Envoy declaration in the Library.

The Special Envoy submitted a Declaration of Interests Form as per the long-standing procedures for an appointment of that kind. In line with the same procedures, such forms are not routinely published.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what guidance her Department has issued on whether a civil servant should be dismissed for dishonesty (a) on their job application and (b) in their (i) job interview and (ii) vetting processes.

Conduct during recruitment, interview and vetting is governed by the Civil Service Code and Civil Service Management Code, both of which are available online at GOV.UK.

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2026 to Question 117762 on Erasmus+ Programme, when she plans to publish (a) the decision on Erasmus+ and (b) the associated technical amendments to Protocol I of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), including legal provisions for termination payments.

The text of the Decision and the amendments to Protocol I has been published on GOV.UK, at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/specialised-committee-on-participation-in-union-programmes.

Pursuant to the answer of 4 September 2025, to Question 70519, on Public Inquiries, what has been the total public cost to date of the Fuller Inquiry.

The total cost of the Fuller Inquiry from its commencement in November 2021 to the end of July 2025 is £3,767,395.

Media and Sport, pursuant to the answer of 1 April 2026, to Question 123211, on Gambling Commission: Managers, how many members of Gambling Commission staff have left to take up employment in or related to the gambling industry in the last 12 months.

Three members of Gambling Commission staff have left the Commission in the last twelve months (up to 31 March 2026) to take up employment in or related to the gambling industry.All Gambling Commission employees are subject to strict rules of conduct when applying for or taking up roles in the gambling sector after leaving the Commission. The Commission’s Corporate Governance Framework requires former employees to maintain safeguards against conflicts of interest for six months after their departure. This Framework is publicly available on the Gambling Commission’s website: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/policy/corporate-governance-framework/code-of-conduct-for-employees.

Pursuant to the answer of 25 March 2026, to Question 119897, and of 3 February 2026, to Question 108241, on Mission Boards, on what dates the Make Britain a Clean Energy Superpower Mission Board meet since it ceased to be a Cabinet committee in November 2025.

The Clean Energy Superpower Mission remains a key priority across government and is being driven by a number of different groups at Ministerial and official level, including the Clean Power 2030 Advisory Commission itself. As a result of this the Mission Board itself has not met since the change in Cabinet Committee structures.

With reference to his Department's document entitled MOD Area of Research Interest, published on 15 January 2018, what plans his Department has to update this document.

We recognise the importance of the MOD Areas of Research Interest (ARI) in signalling Defence priorities and enabling effective engagement with the UK research community. The Department is therefore updating the MOD ARI to ensure they clearly reflect current Defence and national security priorities, and to strengthen our partnership with academia. This work is being taken forward as part of a renewed focus on closer, more strategic collaboration with the UK academic community, including through the establishment of the Defence Universities Alliance. We expect to publish updated ARI before summer 2026.

Pursuant to the answer of 26 March 2026, to Question 114747, on Erasmus+ Programme, to whom will schools, and school teacher training organisation, need to apply.

For decentralised actions, which make up the majority of the programme, including Key Action 1 (learning mobility) and Key Action 2 (most cooperation partnerships), schools and school teacher training organisations would apply to the UK’s National Agency.For centralised actions, including certain Key Action 2 partnerships, Key Action 3, and Jean Monnet actions, applications would be made directly to the European Education and Culture Executive Agency.