To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Chagos Islands: Flags
Tuesday 24th June 2025

Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Mauritian counterpart on flying the (a) Mauritius Flag and (b) United Kingdom Union flag on the Chagos Archipelago after the UK/Mauritius treaty on the Chagos Archipelago comes into force.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

A British flag will continue to be flown at the UK-US Base on Diego Garcia, alongside the US flag, as it has always done.

After the treaty enters into force, Mauritius will be free to resettle on the outer islands. It will be for Mauritius to decide what flag they fly over these islands.

Mauritius will be free to fly the Mauritian flag on the Chagos Archipelago other than on the Diego Garcia base.


Written Question
Government Communication Service
Monday 23rd June 2025

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 make it his policy to reduce the size of the Government Communication Service.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

I refer the hon. member to the answer given to PQ25449, given on the 29 January 2025.


Written Question
Statistics
Monday 23rd June 2025

Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether special advisers in his Department have a role in the (a) preparation, (b) clearance and (c) publication of Official Statistics.

Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Code of Conduct for Special Advisers sets out Special Advisers’ role and responsibilities.


Written Question
Government Departments: Equality
Monday 23rd June 2025

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 13 May 2025 to Question 41643 on Government Departments: Equality, whether his Department has provided updated internal guidance on diversity networks since 14 May 2024.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

We have not provided internal guidance on diversity networks since 14 May 2024. The Civil Service Code, which is published and available here, sets out the standards of behaviour expected of all civil servants.


Written Question
Cabinet Office: Zero Hours Contracts
Friday 20th June 2025

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 21 May 2025 to Question HL7182 on Cabinet Office: Zero Hour Contracts, what is the annual cost of staff on zero-hours contract; and in what business units do they work.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The requested information is not centrally held, and complying with this request would incur a disproportionate cost to the department.

The Cabinet Office uses zero hours contracts to selectively manage temporary demand. To end exploitative zero hours contracts, under the government’s plans to Make Work Pay legislation will be brought in to give workers on zero hours contracts and workers with a ‘low’ number of guaranteed hours, who regularly work more than these hours, the ability to move to guaranteed hours contracts which reflect the hours they regularly work over a 12-week reference period.


Written Question
NHS: Drugs
Friday 20th June 2025

Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the amount the NHS spends on drugs imported from the US.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has made no estimate of the amount the National Health Service spends on drugs imported from the United States. Published information from the Office for National Statistics on imports into the United Kingdom from the United States for all pharmaceutical products, including human blood, bandages, and wadding type goods, is available at the following link:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/nationalaccounts/balanceofpayments/articles/uktradewiththeunitedstates2023/2023#:~:text=There%20were%20%C2%A37.8%20billion,chemicals%20from%20the%20United%20States

The data included does not disaggregate NHS and non-NHS spending.


Written Question
Civil Service: Equality
Wednesday 18th June 2025

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 Civil Service EDI Expenditure Review Data, published on 29 May 2025, if he will publish a list of the external (a) organisations and (b) firms that provided (i) benchmarking and (ii) memberships in 2023-24.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

As per the data published in the Civil Service EDI Expenditure Review Data on 29 May 2025, the expenditure in this category was £800,000 for all responding organisations during the twelve months prior to their return in July 2023. Naming organisations may breach commercial agreements between departments and providers.


Written Question
Prime Minister: Aviation
Wednesday 18th June 2025

Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the cost of domestic flights undertaken by the Prime Minister set out in the Freedom of Information Act response with reference FOI2025/05760 included carbon offsetting.

Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The flights in-scope of FOI2025/05760 were not carbon offset. This is in line with the Carbon Offsetting Reduction Scheme.


Written Question
Civil Servants: Media and Public Speaking
Wednesday 18th June 2025

Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance he has given to civil servants on speaking at press conferences.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

As per the detailed Government Communication Service (GCS) Propriety & Ethics Guidance, when civil servants are acting as departmental spokespeople they must establish impartiality and neutrality with the news media, and ensure that they deal with all news media even-handedly. GCS also provides training and support to media officers.


Written Question
Official Residences: Internet and Telephone Services
Wednesday 18th June 2025

Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, who is responsible for paying for the (a) internet broadband, (b) wi-fi and (c) telephone lines for the Ministerial residences of (i) 10 Downing Street, (ii) 11 Downing Street, (iii) Admiralty House, (iv) Dorneywood and (v) Chequers.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The maintenance of 10 and 11 Downing Street is managed by the Cabinet Office with costs accrued in the usual way.

The maintenance of Admiralty House is managed by the Government Property Agency with costs accrued in the usual way.

The maintenance of Dorneywood and Chequers is managed by the Dorneywood and Chequers Trusts respectively, with costs accrued in the usual way.