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 15 July 2025 to Question 66653 on Military Aircraft: Costs, what the annual operating costs are of the Airbus A321-Neo aircraft, registration G-GBNI.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The annual fixed operating cost of the Airbus A321neo registration G-GBNI is currently £10.7m.
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 official statistics publication entitled UK Public Survey of Risk Perception, Resilience and Preparedness 2025: Technical Report, published on 23 July 2025, for what reason data on gender was collected instead of data on sex.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The question used by our data supplier is in line with Office for Statistics Regulation and Market Research Society guidance, and is appropriate and proportionate for the research being conducted. We will continue to keep the survey questions under review.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if the Government will make it its policy to ensure that the former Deputy Prime Minister is not given a severance payment.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
This Government has introduced reforms to Ministerial severance pay to ensure severance payments are proportionate and fair. These changes will come into effect from 13 October.
In the interim, while this is implemented, decisions as to whether a Minister accepts a severance payment is for the outgoing Minister.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Ministers are asked by (a) his Department, (b) the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Interests and (c) their Department whether they have a criminal record prior to their Ministerial appointment.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
There is an established process in place for the appointment of ministers. Any conversations held take place in confidence. All ministers are expected to adhere to the high standards of conduct set out in the Ministerial Code.
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 Written Statement of 21 July 2025 on Government of service, HCWS870, if he will publish the audit findings by the Civil Service Commission on the application of Business Appointment Rules below senior levels.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Civil Service Commission is operationally independent of Government. The publication of information about the Commission’s audit activity in respect of the application of Business Appointment Rules below the most senior grades will be a matter for the Commission.
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 Written Statement of 21 July 2025 on Government of service, HCWS870, whether he plans to reconstitute the Joint Operations Committee.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Framework Document between the Cabinet Office, the Civil Service Commission, the Advisory Committee for Business Appointments (ACOBA) and the Commissioner for Public Appointments sets out the broad governance framework for the Independent Offices, including the role of the Joint Operations Committee established by those organisations.
The Framework Document will be updated to reflect the changes announced in the Written Statement on 21 July and will set out the governance arrangements of the Civil Service Commission and Commissioner for Public Appointments, following the closure of ACOBA.
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 Written Statement of 21 July 2025 on Government of service, HCWS870, who will be responsible for determining whether a former minister has seriously breached the (a) Ministerial Code and (b) Business Appointment Rules.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
As set out in the Ministerial Code, the Prime Minister is the ultimate judge of the standards of behaviour expected of a minister and the appropriate consequences of a breach of those standards.
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 Written Statement of 21 July 2025 on Government of service, HCWS870, whether he plans to increase the remuneration for the (a) First Civil Service Commissioner and (b) chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The remuneration of the First Civil Service Commissioner and the chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life will be set out in the annual reports and accounts for those organisations in the usual way.
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 written statement of 21 July 2025 entitled Government of service, HCWS870, whether he plans to make any changes to the House of Lords Appointments Commission.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
I refer the Hon. Member to the written statement by the Prime Minister of 19 June 2025 (HCWS718), which sets out the Government's position on appointments to the House of Lords, including the role of the House of Lords Appointments Commission.
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 4 September 2025 to Question 70748 on Disinformation, what (a) outputs and (b) reports on disinformation have been produced by the Government Communication Service using the Storyzy service.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Government Communication Service (GCS) has not produced any standalone reports on disinformation using Storyzy.
The tool is used to assess factually incorrect information during crises or threats to national security/public safety that may require a government communications response.