Mike Wood

The National Audit Office (NAO) is independent of government and was not a recipient of the letter from the Government Chief Commercial Officer.

However, between 24 April 2025 and 31 August 2026, the NAO spent £3,555 (including VAT) on branded goods and merchandise such as pens, tote bags and notepads to be used over a full year. Branded merchandise is used on conference stands at a range of outreach events.

As an independent public body, the National Audit Office (NAO) is not part of the Government Communications profession. The NAO currently has a permanent headcount of 15 communications professionals working on external and internal communications.

The Information Commissioner's Office submitted a Spending Review bid as part of the Government's Spending Review process. The Government considers bids from a range of its arms length bodies. Final funding allocations have been determined through the Spending Review process and details of settlements are announced through the usual government channels. The Government does not routinely publish details of individual funding bids submitted as part of Spending Review discussions.

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is independent of Government and is responsible for deciding how Freedom of Information Act complaints are prioritised, investigated and resolved. Whilst DCMS sponsors the ICO, government policy for Freedom of Information sits with the Cabinet Office.

The Department does not hold the operational information requested. The ICO publishes information about its performance and case-handling activity on its website and reports annually to Parliament on its approach to complaints and investigations.

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is independent of Government and is responsible for deciding how Freedom of Information Act complaints are prioritised, investigated and resolved. Whilst DCMS sponsors the ICO, government policy for Freedom of Information sits with the Cabinet Office.

The Department does not hold the operational information requested. The ICO publishes information about its performance and case-handling activity on its website and reports annually to Parliament on its approach to complaints and investigations.

Artworks installed and de-installed in government buildings are routinely published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-art-collection-gac-artworks-installed-and-deinstalled-from-government-buildings

Staff on the Digital ID programme were existing Civil Service staff who, in line with standard Civil Service practice, are currently being redeployed to other government priorities.

A full business case had not yet been finalised prior to the cancellation of the national Digital ID programme. As such, a full estimate of planned expenditure for 2025-26 onwards is not available.

The Civil Service business appointment rules do not apply to Gambling Commission employees. The Gambling Commission's employee Code of Conduct and employment contracts provide the Commission with the ability to manage conflicts of interest. We have no plans to review the number of staff leaving the Gambling Commission to work in the gambling industry, or the length of appropriate restricted periods for conflicts of interest. The Gambling Commission regularly reviews employee turnover, and should any trends be identified, they have confirmed these will be reviewed as necessary. The Commission’s Corporate Governance Framework requires former employees to maintain safeguards against conflicts of interest for six months after their departure.

Given the specific nature of job titles and ability to individually identify employees, these titles have not been provided.

The Civil Service business appointment rules do not apply to Gambling Commission employees. The Gambling Commission's employee Code of Conduct and employment contracts provide the Commission with the ability to manage conflicts of interest. We have no plans to review the number of staff leaving the Gambling Commission to work in the gambling industry, or the length of appropriate restricted periods for conflicts of interest. The Gambling Commission regularly reviews employee turnover, and should any trends be identified, they have confirmed these will be reviewed as necessary. The Commission’s Corporate Governance Framework requires former employees to maintain safeguards against conflicts of interest for six months after their departure.

Given the specific nature of job titles and ability to individually identify employees, these titles have not been provided.

The Civil Service business appointment rules do not apply to Gambling Commission employees. The Gambling Commission's employee Code of Conduct and employment contracts provide the Commission with the ability to manage conflicts of interest. We have no plans to review the number of staff leaving the Gambling Commission to work in the gambling industry, or the length of appropriate restricted periods for conflicts of interest. The Gambling Commission regularly reviews employee turnover, and should any trends be identified, they have confirmed these will be reviewed as necessary. The Commission’s Corporate Governance Framework requires former employees to maintain safeguards against conflicts of interest for six months after their departure.

Given the specific nature of job titles and ability to individually identify employees, these titles have not been provided.

While DCMS Ministers are accountable to Parliament for matters concerning the National Gallery, the Gallery remains operationally independent from the Government, with all decisions about building management and flag flying taken by its trustees. As set out in response to Question 18835. I would therefore continue to refer the Member to the National Gallery.

From February 2026, the power to appoint new trustees and a Board Chair was vested in the trustees of the Southbank Centre, having previously been a power reserved for the Secretary of State for the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). This change to the charity's governing document was made with the Secretary of State's consent. This change is set out in the Southbank Centre's Annual Report and Accounts for 2025-26, which were laid in Parliament on 15th July 2026.

This now means the Southbank Centre operates in line with other independent arts organisations. As a charity, all Southbank Centre trustees are subject to charity law, and as an Arts Council-funded organisation, the Southbank Centre must adhere to the expectations on appointments set out by the Arts Council.

The Southbank Centre does not currently receive funds directly from the Department, but is supported as a National Portfolio Organisation by Arts Council England. Standard Terms and Conditions for National Portfolio organisations, along with Arts Council's "Relationship Framework" which sets out how Arts Council works with funded organisations and its expectations of them.

These are available at the following weblink: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/NationalPortfolio23/key-information-2023-26-npos-and-ipsos#t-in-page-nav-1

Details of Government contracts above £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search

Order Schedule 20 of the awarded contract (Procurement reference CCZZ25A11) provides the requested information.

The Council of Europe funding is directed at projects that take place in some of Europe's most challenging environments for LGBT+ individuals, and although specific details are withheld from the public domain, these funds have not directly funded projects in the UK.

Case law has established that gender-critical beliefs are protected under the Equality Act 2010.

We have consistently said that we expect all duty bearers to comply with the law as clarified by the For Women Scotland Supreme Court ruling.

Under the legislation, these appointments are made by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The No10 Appointments Unit was consulted in the usual way.

The decision to redact the names of staff Members in the Register of Interests of Members’ Staff is a matter for the Committee on Standards. The decision is set out in the Committee’s Seventh Report of Session 2024–26 (HC 1629).

Ministers and officials from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport regularly engage with stakeholders on a range of policy matters. Details of ministerial meetings are published on a quarterly basis on Gov.uk.

DCMS also engages with a range of civil society organisations in developing online harms policy, including where it relates to public safety. As part of this, the Centre for Countering Digital Hate has participated in official-level roundtables with the department in 2024 and 2026.

The department has not received representations from Amnesty International on either regulation of the press or legislative action to impose limitations but is aware of the published statement from its networks.

Ministers and officials from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport regularly engage with stakeholders on a range of policy matters. Details of ministerial meetings are published on a quarterly basis on Gov.uk.

DCMS also engages with a range of civil society organisations in developing online harms policy, including where it relates to public safety. As part of this, the Centre for Countering Digital Hate has participated in official-level roundtables with the department in 2024 and 2026.

The department has not received representations from Amnesty International on either regulation of the press or legislative action to impose limitations but is aware of the published statement from its networks.

DCMS has no plans to make changes to the 4th National Lottery Licence.

In line with the approach taken for preparing for previous licences, planning for future operations will be considered at an appropriate time, in accordance with public procurement policy and best practice.

The UK Soft Power Council has met five times in plenary since its launch. Information on the Council's membership and its full meetings is published on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-soft-power-council-membership-and-terms-of-reference

Over the past three financial years, Office for Equality and Opportunity headcount has been as follows:

• April 2024: 127 FTE
• April 2025: 141 FTE
• April 2026: 167 FTE

This staffing will ensure delivery of manifesto commitments such as parts of employment rights legislation, pay gap reporting consultations, updating the Code of Practice and the Conversion Practices Bill, alongside delivery of other ministerial priorities.

As the UK’s technical authority for cyber security, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is the lead public body responsible for providing cyber security advice and support to industry on such matters.

Ofcom, as the telecoms regulator, is responsible for monitoring and enforcing public telecoms providers’ compliance with their legal obligations under the Communications Act 2003, as amended by the Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021.

DCMS, as the lead government department for telecoms, is responsible for developing policies, including legislation, to help ensure the security and resilience of the UK’s public telecoms networks and services.

The Church Commissioners have indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

The Church Commissioners have indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) regulates equality law across England, Wales and Scotland and human rights across England & Wales.

The EHRC is independent of the government and makes its own enforcement and regulation decisions, including any inquiries and investigations it decides to conduct.

The Office for Equality and Opportunity (OEO) has spent nothing on branded merchandise since April 2025, adhering strictly to guidelines that limit procurement to essential, value-for-money operational items.

The Social Mobility Commission, which is an advisory non-departmental public body within the OEO family, spent £1,152.69 in 2025 on the following one-off items to update its branding for its symposium:

• 9 roller banners
• 1 lectern cover

These items will be reused for future events.

The Government has committed to speeding up decision making and delivery for the British people. As part of this, a proportionate approach is being taken to equalities impact assessments, so that they improve policy and outcomes. Guidance for public authorities is already available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-sector-equality-duty-guidance-for-public-authorities/public-sector-equality-duty-guidance-for-public-authorities.

This Government is committed to commencing the socio-economic duty. We are currently working towards commencement, which includes drafting statutory guidance that will clarify how the duty can be applied effectively. As part of this process and to maintain pace, we are engaging directly with listed public bodies to ensure the guidance supports them effectively.

The UK Government has provided funding for the Council of Europe’s LGBTI project alongside previous iterations of the fund for many years across consecutive government administrations.

Pursuant to the answer on 30 June 2026 to Question 9611, specific details of the funded activities are withheld from the public domain by the Council of Europe. Consecutive UK governments have made this voluntary contribution as a lump sum, rather than directing it toward individual initiatives or activities; it is for the Council of Europe to determine how the funds are spent.

This Government is committed to listening to all viewpoints and believes it is vital to engage with a wide range of stakeholders. When it comes to striking a balance of views, we aim to lower the temperature and look for common ground away from highly divisive arguments. Gender critical views remain to be protected as a philosophical belief under the Equality Act 2010, and trans people are protected from harassment or discrimination under the Equality Act 2010.

No. The Office for Equality and Opportunity (OEO) signposts government departments to ethnicity standards set by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), an independent organisation. However, it is down to individual departments to decide whether categories within that standard are best suited for them. As such, rules regarding the eligibility for the Summer Intelligence Internship is a decision for the Secret Intelligence Service.

The Office for Equality and Opportunity (OEO) does not centrally hold data on employees working compressed hours. Working compressed hours is a form of flexible working and is agreed and arranged between individual employees and their line managers.

Our ongoing work is focused on making Equality Impact Assessments (EqIAs) more targeted, scaled correctly to the policy in question, and effective at driving inclusive outcomes, rather than just acting as an administrative hurdle.

EqIAs are not a requirement of the Public Sector Equality Duty. The duty doesn’t require process for its own sake and does not mandate the use of EqIAs. Instead, the duty requires that active consideration is given to equality impacts, with EqIAs being one way to demonstrate this. The Office for Equality and Opportunity does not enforce compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty, that is the role of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

We followed a very specific process outlined in the Equality Act 2006. Following the For Women Scotland ruling, the EHRC submitted a draft to us in September 2025. EHRC continued to work on it and submitted an updated version in April 2026. They made the decision to amend the draft Code following feedback, consultation responses and legal advice. Our focus has always been to make sure that organisations have the guidance they need, and that it is clear and practical.

Pursuant to the answer of 20 May 2026 to Question 1185 regarding the Council of Europe: LGBT+ People, the supported project is officially titled "Promoting human rights and equality for LGBTI persons."

Information regarding the project's scope is publicly available on the Council of Europe’s website at the following link: https://www.coe.int/en/web/sogi/promoting-hr-for-lgbti-persons

Specific details of the 36 activities are currently withheld from the public domain by the Council of Europe. The activities take place in some of Europe's most challenging environments for LGBT+ individuals; specific details are withheld from the public domain to ensure the safety and privacy of those involved and to ensure the efficacy of the work.

In accordance with standard practice, additional information regarding the event, including associated costs, will be released at the appropriate time. Officials are working to ensure the event is delivered as cost-effectively as possible, in line with the Government’s usual approach to spending public money appropriately and in line with value-for-money principles.

We will also learn the lessons from the previous government’s failed attempt to host the ‘Safe To Be Me’ conference in July 2021, billed as the world’s first global LGBT+ rights conference with a budget of more than £5 million, and eventually scrapped in April 2022 with estimated irrecoverable losses of up to £0.6 million.

The Social Mobility Commission (SMC) is an independent advisory Arm’s Length Body, sponsored by the Office for Equality and Opportunity. The SMC makes its own decisions on spending within their set budget. This question has been passed to the SMC, who will provide a written response to the Member.

This response provides an update to PQ 122163. The research has been carried out and the report is undergoing quality assurance and clearance in line with the GSR publication protocol. It will be published in due course.

The Women and Equalities Unit is the name given to the section of the Office for Equality and Opportunity responsible for women’s equality, LGBT+ equality, and the overall framework of equality legislation in the UK. This is 3 teams in total.

There were 24 campaigns for the Women and Equalities Unit since July 2024. All roles within OEO are advertised across OEO (to allow level transfer between teams). If vacancies are not filled via internal expressions of interest then campaigns would be posted on the civil service jobs website.

A) None were posted on a public website

B) All of the 24 were advertised on the civil service website

(a) There have been no OEO civil servants seconded to other organisations

(b) There have been no secondments into the Women's Equality Division since July 2024.

The UK Government provided a one-off voluntary contribution to support the work of the Council of Europe’s LGBT+ programme. This programme funds activities designed to enhance the legislative and institutional capacities of national stakeholders, ensuring they can effectively uphold and advance the human rights of LGBT+ persons. To date, the project has successfully supported over 36 activities across 16 member states and Council-wide initiatives, focusing on legal reform and policy implementation.

Future funding decisions will continue to be reviewed and provided based on an assessment of performance, demonstrable impact, and value for money.

This Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, no matter their background, can thrive. Therefore, as set out in our response to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry’s Module 2 report, we agree with the recommendation that commencement of the socio-economic duty could drive the routine consideration of the impact decisions might have on those most at risk in an emergency.

The Government is giving careful consideration to responses to the equality law call for evidence as we consider next steps. We will publish a summary of responses and a Government response in due course on: https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/equality-law-call-for-evidence.

The socio-economic duty will require specified public bodies to actively consider how their strategic decisions might help to reduce the inequalities of outcome associated with socio-economic disadvantage.

We are now taking forward work to make sure that commencement of the duty in England is as effective as possible.

In 2025, the Office for Equality and Opportunity commissioned new research on equal pay and combined discrimination.

This research is currently underway, and we will provide an update in due course.​​

To reiterate we have always been clear that the proper process needs to be followed, which includes understanding the potential impact on businesses, public functions and services. The EHRC has been asked to provide some information on costs and an Equality Impact Assessment.

The Code will have implications for service providers up and down the country so it is important that we get this right.