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 guidance entitled Civil Service 2024/2025 External Expenditure on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, published on 30 May 2025, what the Cross-Civil Service Pride funding was spent on; and which suppliers were used.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The £8,500 funding listed in the data published on 30 May 2025 was the maximum approved budget. The current spend is £7,395. This money supported staff to participate in a number of Pride events across the UK.
Naming supplier organisations may breach commercial agreements between the department and suppliers. All purchasing followed Cabinet Office guidance appropriate to the level of spend.
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, with reference to the Prime Minister’s oral contribution of 4 June 2025, Official Report, Column 301, if he will provide evidential basis for his comment on China.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to my answer given to PQ 61199.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether TotalEnergies Gas & Power and its subsidiaries supply gas to 10 Downing Street; and what assessment he has made of whether TotalEnergies' LNG gas is sourced from Russia.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The UK has ended all imports of Russian fossil fuels in response to Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. This contract started under the previous government.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress has been made on appointing the new Conservative political member for the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The appointment of political members to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) is a decision for the Prime Minister following nomination from the relevant Party with a vacancy. A decision on the appointment of a Conservative member to the Committee will be confirmed as soon as possible.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the National Security Adviser is (a) secretary of the National Security Council, (b) head of the National Security Secretariat and (c) Principal Accounting Officer for the Single Intelligence Account.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The role of secretary to the National Security Council is fulfilled by the Deputy National Security Advisers. The Executive Deputy National Security Adviser is the corporate head of the National Security Secretariat. The Cabinet Secretary is the Principal Accounting Officer for the Single Intelligence Account.
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 answers of 3 June 2025 to Question 53890 on Civil Servants: Media and Public Speaking, and 18 June 2025 to Question 59753 on Civil Servants: Media and Public Speaking, if he will publish the guidance issued to civil servants.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Civil Service Management Code makes clear that civil servants “must clear in advance material for publication, broadcasts or other public discussion which draws on official information or experience.”
As it has done for several years, the Government continues to approve public activity by civil servants on a case-by-case basis. Informal, internal guidance is available to support this decision-making process. There are no plans to publish this.
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 ministerial statement of 19 June 2025, HCWS718, on House of Lords Appointments, whether the Prime Minister has a numerical target for the number of peerages that he will invite from HOLAC in each year of this Parliament.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
As set out in the Prime Minister’s recent statement, the Prime Minister will continue to invite nominations from the House of Lords Appointments Commission for individuals to sit as Crossbench peers. Future appointments will be announced in the usual way.
The number of nominations that HOLAC can make is a matter for the Prime Minister.
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 June 2025 to Question 62086 on King Charles III: Artworks, whether (a) the BBC and (b) Channel 4 took up the offer from the Cabinet Office of a free portrait of the King to place in their offices.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
As eligible public institutions, both the BBC and Channel 4 placed orders for Official Portraits of His Majesty The King while the Government scheme was operational, for the purposes of display in their buildings.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled UK to deliver on 5% NATO pledge as Government drives greater security for working people, published on 23 June 2025, what his Department's methodological definition of resilience and security spending is under the new 5 percent defence spending target.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Government defines defence and national security spending in line with NATO's definition. NATO's definition of defence and security related expenditure includes areas such as strengthening the defence industrial base and our energy security, enhancing civil preparedness and resilience, and countering hybrid treats.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential costs of the Reform Party policy on the Britannia Card.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The OBR has certified that the non-dom reforms the Government have implemented will raise £33.8 billion in total revenue over the five-year forecast period. Abolishing these reforms would result in lost revenue that would need to be raised through higher taxation or cuts to spending on essential public services.
As the Chancellor set out at the Spring Statement, the Government will continue to work with stakeholders to ensure that the new residence-based regime is internationally competitive and focused on attracting the best talent and investment to the UK.