Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to page 132 of the Cabinet Office Annual report and accounts 2024-2025, published on 23 October 2025, for what reason his Department retained £90 million of dividends and returned £71 million of dividends to HM Treasury from the Crown Commercial Service.
Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
In the spending review 2021, HM Treasury agreed that dividends received from Crown Commercial Service were to be returned to HMT and would be compensated with an annual reserve claim of up to £71 million.
In the Autumn Budget 2024, HMT approved that in 2024-25, in addition to the annual reserve claim, the Cabinet Office may retain up to £196 million in income from dividends from the Crown Commercial Service.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Information Commissioner decision notice of 29 October 2025, ref IC-362303-N0J6, if he will publish his Department's submission to the ICO, with personal information redacted.
Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Information Commissioner’s Office summarises the position of a public authority and the requester within its published decision notice.
As has been the case under successive administrations, the Cabinet Office does not publish the submissions it makes to the Commissioner during the course of his investigations.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the estimated cost is of the Census 2031 in cash terms.
Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 12th of December is attached.
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 9 December 2025 to Question 95639 on Civil Service: Redundancy, whether the Redundancy and Compensation Control process holds or collates data on departmental spending on exit payments and the number of civil servants leaving the Civil Service through such processes.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
Whilst indicative figures are part of the cases submitted to Cabinet Office, the Redundancy and Compensation control does not hold data on the final number or cost of exits payments. This data is available in each department’s annual report and accounts.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Public-sector trade union facility time data, updated on 27 November 2025, if he will define trade union (a) duties and (b) activities.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office guidance on reporting trade union facility time data includes examples of what counts as trade union duties and activities. See, the Cabinet Office guidance: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/report-trade-union-facility-time-data
For detailed definitions of trade union duties and activities, please refer to the Acas Code of Practice on time off for trade union duties and activities:
Acas Code of Practice: https://www.acas.org.uk/acas-code-of-practice-on-time-off-for-trade-union-duties-and-activities
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 25 November 2025 to Question 91375 on Cabinet Office: Facilities Agreements, whether paid trade union activity facility time in a (a) department and (b) Arm’s Length Body must be approved by a Minister.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office issued Facility Time Framework is intended to apply to all departments and executive agencies employing civil servants. It encourages Arms Length Bodies to adopt the Framework where possible.
The Framework specifies that paid time off to undertake trade union activities should be agreed by the department’s Secretary of State or Permanent Secretary.
A copy of the Facility Time Framework and its supporting guidance was deposited in the House Library earlier this year.
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 2 December 2025 to Question 94201 on Trade Union Officials: Facilities Agreements, if he will publish that guidance.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
A copy of the Facility Time Framework and its supporting guidance was deposited in the House Library in May of this year.
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 25 November 2025 to Question 91375 on Cabinet Office: Facilities Agreements, if he will publish the full facility time guidance.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
A copy of the Facility Time Framework and its supporting guidance was deposited in the House Library in May of this year.