Every parliamentary written question tabled by Mike Wood this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1,041–1,060 of 2,899 · this parliament
Pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2026, to Question 98795, on Deputy Prime Minister: Admiralty House, if he will place in the Library the letter from the Government Property Agency to Westminster City Council sent in June 2025.
I refer the Honorable Member to the response to PQ 105774
Whether any changes are being made to the requirements of Whitehall departments and their agencies to publish trade union facility time information in their annual report and accounts, and the broader collection of such data by departments.
The current published HMT financial reporting manual (FReM) requires organisations in scope of FReM to report facility time data in their annual accounts. However, the FReM requirement is linked to the Trade Union (Facility Time Publication Requirements) Regulations 2017. These regulations were repealed on 18 February 2026, when the relevant provisions of the Employment Rights Act 2025 came into force.Therefore, Whitehall departments and agencies do not need to report facility time in their accounts published following the repeal.
What steps the Prime Minister’s Office takes to retain information relating to Ministerial submissions; and whether Prime Ministerial feedback on a submission is copied to and recorded on the internal PMPost system.
As has been the case under successive administrations, there are a range of different ways that ministers respond to advice, and long- established processes for those responses to be recorded.
Whether the No10 private office uses disappearing messages on its corporate (a) WhatsApp and (b) Signal messaging.
All official business should be conducted using official systems wherever possible. Where official information is created or received on non corporate communication devices, it must be handled in accordance with records management requirements, as set out on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/non-corporate-communication-channels-for-government-business/using-non-corporate-communication-channels-eg-whatsapp-private-email-sms-for-government-business-html
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Lord Mandelson was granted STRAP clearance.
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.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has considered clawing back the exit payment made to Lord Mandelson under common law.
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.
Whether the Propriety and Ethics Team utilised AI tools to produce due diligence on Lord Mandelson.
I refer the Hon Member to the former Cabinet Secretary’s letter to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee of 30 October: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/50019/documents/269409/default/
Whether the input of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office was requested by the Cabinet Office Propriety and Ethics Team in producing the due diligence on Lord Mandelson.
I refer the Hon Member to the former Cabinet Secretary’s letter to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee of 30 October: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/50019/documents/269409/default/
Further to the Cabinet Office consultation paper on Digital ID, 10 March 2026, CP1498, page 57, if he will list examples of cultural communities with less engagement in mainstream society, other than religious communities and travellers.
The consultation identifies several groups that may face barriers to mainstream digital engagement and is seeking views on how to support these individuals.
What discussions her Department has had with the Bank of England on the removal of historic figures from UK bank notes.
As set out in the Memorandum of Understanding between HM Treasury and the Bank of England, the Bank of England is entirely responsible for the design, production, issue and distribution of banknotes. HM Treasury has not discussed images for banknote design with the Bank of England.
Pursuant to the answer of 11 March 2026, to Question HL14990, on Lord Mandelson, whether the policy intention is the new legislation to remove peerages will include power to remove peerages of individuals who are not members of the House of Lords, including the Duke of York title.
Further details about the legislation to create a mechanism to remove peerages from disgraced peers will be announced soon.
Whether the Bank of England still has a sitting Banknote Character Advisory Committee.
The Banknote Character Advisory Committee, whose members had a five-year term starting in 2015, advised the Governor of the Bank of England on the choice of field and character for the current £20 and £50 banknotes. In July 2025 the Bank of England asked the public for their views on what the theme should be for the next series of banknotes. The Bank of England decided the theme for the next series of banknotes based on the feedback from this public consultation and focus groups. The Bank of England will launch another consultation in summer 2026 to seek the views of the public again on images for the next banknote. Further detail can be found on the Bank of England’s website. The final decision about what imagery will appear on the next series of banknotes will be made by the Governor.
Whether the legal mechanisms to join Erasmus will be subject to the Treaty ratification process under Part 2 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010.
As was the case with our association to Horizon under the previous Government, the legal mechanism to associate to the Erasmus+ programme will not be subject to the treaty ratification process set out in Part 2 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. Protocol I to the UK-EU Trade Agreement will be amended by a decision of the UK-EU Specialised Committee on Participation in Union Programmes. A decision to amend the Protocol does not require ratification. The power to amend Protocol I to add new programmes is already delegated to this committee. The decision will come into force on adoption by the Committee. Once the Specialised Committee decision is adopted, this will be made publicly available on gov.uk.
For what reason Simon Case and Alex Chisholm were given differing exit payments.
I refer to my answer to 108238, as set out in the Cabinet Office accounts (page 86), the payment for the former Cabinet Secretary, Simon Case, was a severance payment, with the value calculated using the Civil Service Compensation Scheme tariff. In answer to the second part of your question, I refer to my answer to 112182. The Business Appointment Rules for Crown Servants set out that Permanent Secretaries are required to observe a three month waiting period, and the Rules set out that it may be appropriate to pay former civil servants who are required to observe a waiting period before taking up an external role.
Pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2026 to Question 117004, whether those provisions applied to the recent Cabinet Secretary recruitment process.
I refer to my answer 115556, the Cabinet Manual sets out that the Cabinet Secretary is appointed directly by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister receives advice from the First Civil Service Commissioner, but is the final decision maker. The announcement (here) explained that “this appointment was made following a full fair and open external competition, chaired by the First Civil Service Commissioner.” The announcement of the current Cabinet Secretary (here) explained that “the Prime Minister and the First Civil Service Commissioner agreed a process to appoint a new Cabinet Secretary. Once this process was complete, the First Civil Service Commissioner confirmed that Dame Antonia Romeo is an exceptional candidate of the highest calibre, having run two of the largest operational departments in Government, and confirmed her track record makes her the right candidate for the role.
If he will publish the creators’ template contract used by the Cabinet Office and its creative agency.
There are no plans to publish the contract template due to commercial sensitivities.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Lord Mandelson completed his register of interests form electronically.
I refer the Hon Member to the Government's statement and release of information on 11 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 10 March 2026 to Question 116158 on Prime Minister: Press, whether the Parliamentary Press Gallery was (a) informally and (b) formally consulted before the afternoon lobby media briefings were abolished.
I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 10 March 2026, Official Report, PQ 116158.
Whether the Cabinet Office or 10 Downing Street have asked former special advisers to provide material they personally hold as part of the return for the Humble Address on Lord Mandelson, and whether the fact they have left Crown Service affects such requests.
I refer you 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.
Through what oral, written or electronic mechanism does the Prime Minister provide his feedback to Ministerial submissions in his daily box.
As has been the case under successive administrations, there are a range of different ways that ministers respond to advice.