Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions he has had with the Office for National Statistics to (a) remove and (b) amend questions on gender identity in the next Census.
Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 14th January is attached.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, pursuant to the answer of 10 November 2025 to Question 85184 on Office for Equality and Opportunity: Finance, whether the office plans to make efficiency savings; and what the change in staff headcount was from 2024-25 to 2025-26.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Office for Equality and Opportunity (OEO) is committed to ensuring that Britain’s equality framework remains robust and fit for the future. OEO’s budget and resource allocation are subject to rigorous business planning and governance to ensure delivery of maximum value for the taxpayer.
For the current financial year (2025/26), as part of a wider Cabinet Office exercise, we identified and committed to an in-year programme budget reduction. These savings are being realised through operational streamlining and a focus on cost-effective delivery.
OEO’s staff headcount has increased from 142.5 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) in 2024-25 to up to 184 FTE staff in the current year. This increase, agreed by Ministers, ensures OEO is properly resourced to manage a substantial and long-term programme of work in line with the Government’s manifesto commitments, missions and other priorities.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, when she plans to respond to the consultation on Equity law, which closed on 30 June 2025.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We published a call for evidence on equality law which considered areas of existing equality legislation and possible equality law reform.
We are giving the responses careful consideration as we consider next steps. We will publish the Government response in due course on: https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/equality-law-call-for-evidence.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, further to the Ofcom "Call for input: Review of postal regulation – pricing and affordability", of 4 November 2025, whether stamp prices for ordinary customers will have to cross-subsided the proposed reduction in stamp prices for those on the social tariffs.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
As the independent regulator for postal services, Ofcom is responsible for decisions on price controls. The government does not have a role in Ofcom’s regulatory decisions.
Affordability is at the heart of Ofcom's regulatory framework. Ofcom will consult on any proposals, ahead of the expiry of the current control on Second Class letter prices in early 2027.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, further to the Cabinet Office press release, Young people from all backgrounds to get opportunity to study abroad as UK-EU deal unlocks Erasmus+, of 17 December 2025, whether the Turing scheme will be continued, and whether she plans any changes to the Turing scheme’s funding or scope.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government remains committed to international mobility. That’s why we have announced the UK has agreed to join the Erasmus+ programme in 2027. The Turing Scheme continues to deliver these opportunities and is confirmed for the 2026/27 academic year.
Guidance on the Turing Scheme for the 2026/27 academic year has been published on GOV.UK, with applications for funding opening at 12:00 on Tuesday 20 January and closing at 16:00 on Monday 16 March.
The aims of the Turing Scheme for the 2026/27 academic year are to enhance transferable skills, widen opportunity and drive value for money.
We are continuing to focus the scheme’s funding on students from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds and those with special educational needs and disabilities.
Further details, including guidance for providers and application information, are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/turing-scheme-international-placements-2026-to-2027.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an estimate of the yearly number of (a) EU students who will study in the UK and (b) UK students who will study in the EU when the Erasmus+ is fully operational.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
In 2018/19, there were approximately 31,000 inbound higher education student mobilities via the Erasmus+ programme. There were approximately 16,000 outbound higher education student mobilities in the same year. The department expects there will be a greater number of higher education mobilities on reassociation, given the expansion of the programme. We expect that over 100,000 people could benefit from mobility and partnership opportunities from participation in 2027 across all sectors.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2025 to Question 88693 on Stamp Advisory Committee, if he will list the dates that officials have attended meetings of the Stamp Advisory Committee since July 2024.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Stamp Advisory Committee meetings are confidential and a matter for Royal Mail. However, our records show that, since July 2024, a government official attended five meetings.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, further to the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for government’s most important contracts, data for July to September 2025, published on 25 December 2025, how the publication timetable was determined.
Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The timetable for publishing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) is set by the Government Commercial Function (GCF). The data for July to September 2025 was published on time, and in the usual way.
Since this Government has come into office, the GCF has shortened the overall publication timeline of KPIs from approximately 16 to 12 weeks. This allows for the performance data to be published closer to the reporting period, thereby improving the transparency of government contract performance for the public.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, further to the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for government’s most important contracts, Data for July to September 2025, published on 25 December 2025, for what reason the Government People Group PeopleScout Ltd contract has a KPI where the Supplier will only accept work commissions directly from the customer, and not from VH or depts.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The process was designed and implemented to improve operational efficiency. Through streamlining our commissioning and invoicing approach we have demonstrated our continuous improvement ambition for effective contract management.
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 94708 on Senior Civil Servants: Training, what the syllabus is for the training; and whether it includes equality, diversity and inclusion training.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Senior Leaders Scheme (SLS) is a 12 month leadership programme aimed at SCS1 Deputy Directors which focuses on creating a diverse and robust pipeline through to the most senior roles in government. The curriculum consists of four core modules:
Development
Collaboration
Futures
Transformation
These modules are supported by executive coaching, action learning sets and elective masterclasses; ‘Futures Capability’ and ‘Practical Networking’
There is no specific module or training on equality, diversity and inclusion within SLS, although inclusive leadership is inherently part of the programme.
The Directors Leadership Programme is a 12 month leadership programme aimed at high performing SCS2 Directors which focuses on systems leadership, biases and power, public interest, building cultures of respect, as well as leading at scale.
This is done through a selection of residential modules, action learning sets, frontline experiences as well as workshops involving communicating including storytelling.
Although the topics look at inclusion in leadership, there is no specific EDI content or module.