Mike Wood MP: written questions 2025
1186 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: DisinformationDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84243More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department uses third-party providers to (a) assess, (b) index and (c) identify disinformation.
Answer: DSIT’s National Security Online Information Team (NSOIT) leads the operational response to information threats, including disinformation, capable of posing a risk to UK public safety and national security. Information on contracts awarded by the departmen...
Answered 31 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordAlan MilburnDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84242More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 15 September 2025 to Question 73327 on Alan Milburn, if he will list which other areas of health policy Mr Milburn has recused himself from.
Answer: Prior to appointment, non-executive candidates are required to declare all relevant interests. Appropriate mitigations are then put in place and approved by the Department.This process was carried out for the Rt Hon. Alan Milburn, whose interests, and any...
Answered 1 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: Workplace PensionsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84241More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2025 to Question 75037 on NHS: Workplace Pensions, why the 9.4% pension contribution for NHS staff is made by NHS England.
Answer: Currently, National Health Service employees who are a member of the NHS pension scheme pay between 5.2% and 12.5% of earnings as an employee contribution. In addition, the current employer's contribution rate is 23.78%. As set out in the NHS Pension Sche...
Answered 19 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment of Health and Social Care: Permanent SecretariesCabinet OfficeTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84240More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2025 to Question 63002on Department of Health and Social Care: Permanent Secretaries, for what reason the Permanent Secretary was appointed as a temporary civil servant on a SCS
Answer: The department launched a fair and open competition to appoint a Permanent Secretary in January 2025. As a result of this process, Samantha Jones was found to be an appointable candidate for this role. However, during the recruitment process it was announ...
Answered 11 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: StrikesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84239More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to answer of 11 September 2025, to Question 73326, on NHS: Strikes, if he will make it his policy to prohibit NHS employees who undertake strike action to be paid for work by other NHS bod
Answer: There are no current plans to prohibit National Health Service employees in England who undertake strike action from being paid for work by other NHS bodies on strike days.NHS staff who are on strike are not prevented by law from working for non-NHS bodie...
Answered 24 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: WomenCabinet OfficeTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84233More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make it his policy to review his Department's guidance entitled Government Function: People – Continuous Improvement Assessment guidance, in the context of the judgment of the Supreme Court in For Wom
Answer: A Continuous Improvement Assessment Framework is a management tool designed to provide consistent, comparable management information that supports functional assurance and continuous improvement. We will review and update policy wherever necessary to ensu...
Answered 31 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordSenior Civil Servants: ContractsCabinet OfficeTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84232More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the Model Contract for Senior Civil Servants.
Answer: Contracts for SCS are not published publicly, so we will not be publishing a model contract.
Answered 31 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordDiplomatic Service: Public AppointmentsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84231More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2025 to Question 77564 on Lord Mandelson, if she will publish her Department's HR guidance on the process to be followed once a head of m
Answer: HR procedures routinely draw from a range of established diplomatic protocols and policies.
Answered 10 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office: CorrespondenceForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83806More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will publish the letter of 16 May 2025 from FCDO staff to the former Foreign Secretary on HM Government's Middle East policy.
Answer: It is a long-standing principle that Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office staff should be free to express their views internally without concern that their views will be made public.
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordLord MandelsonForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83805More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2025 to Question HL10630, on Lord Mandelson, what role her Department played in the due diligence undertaken prior to the appointment of
Answer: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 22nd September to question 74188.
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordChina and North Korea: Inter MediateForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83804More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Inter-Mediate has received funding from the Government for work on (a) China and (b) North Korea.
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer he was provided on 25 September to Question 70454.
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: Social MediaCabinet OfficeTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83803More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2025 to Question 77545 on Cabinet Office: Social Media, whether the influencers are (i) contracted directly by the New Media Unit or (ii) procured through a third party agenc
Answer: The New Media Unit delivers campaigns to support the government missions and government priorities. The New Media Unit’s planned spend is £10.9m. No external individual contractors are employed by the New Media Unit. However, we use third party suppliers ...
Answered 11 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordPolice: Working ClassCabinet OfficeTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83802More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether (a) the Social Mobility Commission and (b) Office for National Statistics classifies police officers as (i) working class.
Answer: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Questions of 21st October is attached.
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordPeers and Members: Social ClassCabinet OfficeTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83801More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what is the Office for National Statistics’ National Statistics Socio-economic classification of (a) Members of Parliament and (b) peers in receipt of the Writ of Summons.
Answer: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Questions of 21st October is attached.
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordVetting: ReviewsCabinet OfficeTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83800More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Government Response to the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament Report on Iran, published on 4 September 2025, what is the timetable for the review on vetting policy by the Gov
Answer: Security vetting policy and processes are kept under constant review by the Government Security Group (GSG) in the Cabinet Office. This ongoing review is designed to ensure security vetting policy and processes are fit for purpose, to provide the greatest...
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversities: Fees and ChargesCabinet OfficeTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83799More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 21 July 2025 to Question 67904 on Universities: Fees and Charges, whether the European Commission has requested that EU students be given home fee status under the proposed UK-EU youth
Answer: We have agreed, under the UK-EU Common Understanding, that we will work towards the establishment of a balanced youth experience scheme with the EU. We have agreed that any scheme will be capped and participants’ visas time-limited. We have not agreed to ...
Answered 30 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic Office (Accountability) BillMinistry of JusticeTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83798More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill on (a) the (i) processing and (ii) public interest considerations of Freedom of Information Act requests
Answer: The provisions in the Public Office (Accountability) Bill are not intended to have any impact on the processing or public interest considerations of Freedom of Information Act requests. The Bill does not alter the existing law or guidance about how public...
Answered 27 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordNew Media Unit: FinanceCabinet OfficeTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83797More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's transparency data entitled Cabinet Office spend approvals: April to June 2025, published on 26 September 2025, what is the financial breakdown of (a) programmes within and (b)
Answer: The New Media Unit delivers campaigns to support the government missions and government priorities. The New Media Unit’s planned spend is £10.9m. No external individual contractors are employed by the New Media Unit. However, we use third party suppliers ...
Answered 11 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordGovernment Departments: DirectorsCabinet OfficeTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83796More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 3 September 2025 to Question 70517 on Government Departments: Directors, which departments did the five leave from; and what was the cost to the public purse of exit packages.
Answer: Although the directors may have left their post, they have not necessarily left their organisation, or the Civil Service. The Government Departments were:Foreign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroDepartment for...
Answered 30 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordClimate Change CommitteeDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83795More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the Climate Change Committee is subject to (a) the Civil Service Code and (b) guidance from the (i) Cabinet Office and (ii) Government Communication Service on political impartiality.
Answer: As an independent, statutory body, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) is not subject to the Civil Service Code. Board Members are expected to adhere to the Cabinet Office's code of conduct for Board Members of public bodies, as well as other central guida...
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordGlobal SwitchDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83794More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of (a) the cyber-security of services provided to the Government by Global Switch, (b) the potential implications of its Chinese ownership for na
Answer: We do not comment on specific national security cases or specific companies.Ensuring the security of UK data is a priority for the government. When the government procures any service, cybersecurity is a paramount requirement. Government departments condu...
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordEspionage: ChinaAttorney GeneralTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83793More
Question: To ask the Solicitor General, if she will publish legal advice provided to the Crown Prosecution Service on the case relating to the alleged breach of Official Secrets Act on behalf of China.
Answer: Decisions to prosecute are, rightly, made independently of Government by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).Consent was given by my predecessor on 3 April 2024. Following that date, no Law Officer intervened in the case at any stage.Where a case can no l...
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordEspionage: ChinaAttorney GeneralTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83792More
Question: To ask the Solicitor General, whether the Attorney General held discussions with the (a) CPS and (b) Director of Public Prosecutions on the available evidence prior to the decision not to proceed with prosecution in the case on Chinese espionage.
Answer: Decisions to prosecute are, rightly, made independently of Government by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).Consent was given by my predecessor on 3 April 2024. Following that date, no Law Officer intervened in the case at any stage.Where a case can no l...
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordEuropean Convention on Human Rights: ReformAttorney GeneralTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83791More
Question: To ask the Solicitor General, whether the law officers plans to seek to negotiate reforms of the European Convention of Human Rights at Council of Europe level.
Answer: As the Prime Minister has made clear, the United Kingdom will not withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights. To leave would be entirely contrary to this country’s national interest.We need to work with our friends and partners in Europe to tac...
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordLabour: LeadershipCabinet OfficeTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83790More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether any guidance has been issued to (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers on (i) ministerial and (ii) special adviser conduct during the Labour Party deputy leadership contest in addition to existing (A) mi
Answer: Ministers, special advisers and civil servants are expected to adhere to their respective codes of conduct at all times and a reminder of these obligations in the context of the deputy leadership elections was provided.
Answered 30 Oct 2025
Original Parliament record
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