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 March 2026 to Question 117761 on Cabinet Office: Public Expenditure, on what date his Department adopted the policy of not including the Prime Minister’s Office in answers to Parliamentary Questions on Cabinet Office spending; and whether this policy of excluding the Prime Minister’s Office extends to answering questions to the Cabinet Office on Cabinet Office headcount.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
There is no policy to include or exclude the Prime Minister’s Office from Cabinet Office spend data. Data is provided in the format it is held.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has issued guidance to special advisers on using Google Docs.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Special advisers are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers at all times. No specific guidance has been issued centrally from the Cabinet Office to special advisers on using Google Docs.
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 oral statement of 2 February 2026, Official Report, Column 47, on US Department of Justice Release of Files, whether he has a formal terms of reference for his review into Lord Mandelson; what his planned timetable is; to whom will it report; and whether there will be a public report.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The review, which was being carried out by the former Cabinet Secretary, has been paused in light of the ongoing criminal investigation that was announced. The government is cooperating fully with the police investigation and will provide any assistance required. We are also working to respond to the Humble Address motion.
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 Answers of the Lord Privy Seal of 10 February 2026, Official Report, House of Lords, Column 189, if he will publish a response to the questions raised by Baroness Laing of Elderslie on the Gordon Brown letter.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
There are no plans to publish this letter. I refer the Hon Member to the response of the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister on this topic during the 2 February debate ‘US Department of Justice Release of Files’ (Vol 780, Col 49).
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2026 to Question 113596 on Mission Boards, if he will publish the current terms of reference of the Make Britain a Clean Energy Superpower Mission Board; and whether the terms of reference have been amended.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Clean Energy Superpower Mission Board was a Cabinet Level Committee until November 2025.
Information about the proceedings of the Cabinet, or of any committee of the Cabinet, is not normally shared publicly.
The terms of reference for the Board are under review and have not yet been finalised.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 11 March 2026, to Question 118003, on Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, whether the absence of Iran on the public Foreign Influence Registration Scheme register is because (a) there has been no recorded political influence activities relating to Iran or (b) they have not been published on the public register.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Unless an exception to publication applies, registrations relating to political influence activity are published on the register once processed by the FIRS case management team. Publication of political influence activities will ensure that the public is informed of influence over issues which may affect their daily lives, such as policy decisions, votes in parliament, the proceedings of a political party or an election or referendum. Registrations under the enhanced tier which do not relate to political influence activity will not be published.
The Government will be publishing an annual report setting out, among other things, the number of registrations under both tiers, number of information notices issued, the number of persons charged with an offence and the number of persons convicted of an offence. The first report will be published as soon as practicable after 30 June 2026.
It would not be appropriate to provide separate information outside these processes as to do so could identify information not intended to be published and undermine the scheme’s objectives.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many staff work in the Cabinet Office Command Unit.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
As of the 28th of February 2026 there is no “Command Unit” in the Cabinet Office structure.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether (a) the Ethics and Integrity Commission will be placed on a statutory basis and (b) he plans to introduce primary legislation to reform lobbying regulation.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
We will continue to work with the newly established Ethics and Integrity Commission to ensure that it achieves its aim of promoting the highest standards in public life.
In respect of lobbying, on 11 March the Prime Minister wrote to the Chair of the Ethics and Integrity Commission, Doug Chalmers, to commission a review into lobbying, disclosure and access to government. As set out in the Terms of reference, the Government will publish the Review’s findings and present the Government’s response to Parliament in due course thereafter.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he will answer Question 54801, tabled on 30 May 2025, on Ministers: Official Cars.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
A response has been issued here.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to answer Question 44467, tabled on 7 April 2025.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
A response has been issued here.