Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, Pursuant to the answer of 12 December 2025, to Question 97383, on Proof of Identity: Digital Technology, how an individual who declines to have a Digital ID Card will be able to complete the mandatory right to work check in the absence of a digital credential for the employee; and whether the employee will be able to continue to present analogue or hard copy documentation.
Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As the Prime Minister has stated in the House of Commons, there will be checks. They will be digital and they will be mandatory.
We will consult on the technical detail of how this will be implemented.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Digital ID on Right to Work checks.
Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As the Prime Minister has recently stated in the House of Commons, there will be checks. They will be digital and they will be mandatory.
We will consult on the technical detail of how this will be implemented.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 27 November 2025 to Question 92613 on Digital Technology: Identity Cards, whether Digital ID will be required for Digital Right to Work checks.
Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As the Prime Minister has recently stated in the House of Commons, there will be checks. They will be digital and they will be mandatory.
We will consult on the technical details of how this will be implemented.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the trends in the level of excess mortality above pre-2020 trends in the 50- to 64-year-old age group.
Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Question of 5th February is attached.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to ensure modelled increases in expected deaths are not used to retroactively redefine excess mortality as normal.
Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Question of 5th February is attached.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what information his Department holds on the number of vacancies in the automotive manufacturing sector in (a) January 2024 and (b) each subsequent month up to and including the most recent month for which data is available.
Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Rt Hon. gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 4th February is attached.
Asked by: Andrew George (Liberal Democrat - St Ives)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to help ensure that bereaved families are treated equitably within the compensation scheme and retain a route to seek recognition of the full extent of injuries suffered by their relatives.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Infected Blood Compensation Scheme provides compensation to affected people, who have suffered the impacts of infected blood through their relationship with an infected person. This includes partners, parents, children and siblings.
All eligible affected people receive the Injury, Autonomy, and Social Impact awards. The Injury award compensates for both physical and mental injury, including the death of an infected person or the likely death of a loved one in the future. The Injury award is higher in circumstances where it is likely that the infection had caused or could cause death.
A supplementary route is also available to compensate financial dependents where the infected person has sadly died. Financial dependents include bereaved partners, and children who were under 18 at the time of death.
In its Additional Report, the Inquiry asked the Government to give consideration to there being a supplementary route for affected people, suggesting that this include opening the supplemental award for severe psychological harm to affected people.
The Government has consulted on whether, and how, an expanded supplementary route for affected people could be constructed whilst continuing to allow for timely delivery of compensation within a tariff-based scheme. The Government is considering each response to the consultation with the seriousness the issue deserves, and will publish its response within 12 weeks of the consultation’s closing date.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Direct Ministerial Appointments have to declare political activity prior to appointment; what requirements they have to declare political activity whilst in post; and whether they are subject to restrictions on political campaigning and activity.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Direct Ministerial Appointments are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. This requires consideration of all political activity where that is an actual or perceived conflict to their role. The Code of Conduct also outlines the processes to be followed to consult with an appointing body or a sponsor department before significant political activity is undertaken by an appointee. The scope of acceptable political activity, including exemptions for those appointees who already hold elected office, are set out within the Code’s guidance. These processes are administered by the appointing body.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will place in the Library a copy of the election purdah guidance distributed to Whitehall departments for the Gorton and Denton Parliamentary by-election.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The rules governing the conduct of UK Government civil servants during a by-election are an extension of those that apply at all times as set out in the Civil Service Code and as described in the published guidance on general elections, which is published on gov.uk and can be found here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/election-guidance-for-civil-servants. A reminder of these rules was provided to departments following the calling of the Gorton and Denton by-election.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to reassess compensation amounts under the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
In line with recommendations of the Infected Blood Inquiry, the Government has publicly consulted on proposed changes to the compensation scheme. The consultation closed on 22nd January, and we will publish our response within 12 weeks of the consultation’s closing date. The Government is keen to prioritise amendments to the compensation scheme as recommended, while continuing to focus on the swift delivery of compensation to all victims of this scandal.