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 Cabinet Office consultation paper on Digital ID, 10 March 2026, CP1498, what the estimated gross cost is of the Digital ID programme.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The design and delivery of the national digital identity credential are subject to a public consultation, which launched Tuesday 10th March.
The design and delivery of digital ID are subject to the consultation outcomes. The feedback from the consultation will inform our final approach and enable a more accurate assessment of costs.
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 page 35 of the Cabinet Office consultation paper on Digital ID, 10 March 2026, CP1498, whether his Department considered collecting data on sex for digital ID.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As set out in the Digital ID consultation paper, the national digital ID will only collect the minimum amount of data required to issue and manage securely. We are asking questions in the consultation about the type of data that should be included.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether (a) her Department and (b) the Civil Service Commission has received a Business Appointments application from the (1) departing chief executive of the Gambling Commission and (2) interim chief executive.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Employees of the Gambling Commission are not Crown servants and therefore not subject to the Business Appointments Applications process.
As required by the model contract for Public Bodies, the Gambling Commission has robust policies in place to manage business appointments and conflicts of interest, including clear obligations under their Employee Code of Conduct to ensure that the risk of conflicts of interest are considered at the earliest opportunity. The Commission is satisfied that appropriate mitigations are in place to manage and reduce the risk of any actual or perceived conflicts of interest.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2026 to Question 113723 on 10 Downing Street: Artworks, what the Government Art Collection reference number was of the portrait of Horatio Nelson previously installed in the state rooms of 10 Downing Street.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The portrait of Horatio Nelson previously on display in 10 Downing Street was a loan from the National Maritime Museum. The work is currently undergoing conservation and will be reinstated at 10 Downing Street when this work is complete.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether applicants for Developed Vetting are advised that giving false or misleading information, whether directly or by omission, would be a disciplinary offence.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Applicants and Clearance Holders, for all levels of National Security Vetting (NSV), are advised of their responsibilities with regard to the NSV process both at the point of data collection and through the ancillary guidance published on gov.uk. This includes the need for full and complete disclosure.
UKSV acts as a service provider for NSV only, any decision to take disciplinary action remains separate from NSV and would be undertaken by the employing authority.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many cases of suspected misuse of Flexible Support Fund equipment have been identified in the last three years for which figures are available.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Work coaches must ensure all awards made under the Flexible Support Fund (FSF) are reasonable and represent good value for money in terms of improving employment prospects and reducing the time spent on benefits.
Where a work coach identifies concerns that FSF funded equipment may have been misused, this information is recorded on the customer’s Universal Credit account and considered as part of ongoing engagement, including when determining the appropriateness of any future FSF support.
Misuse of FSF support does not always indicate fraud. Where there is evidence that misuse may involve deliberate dishonesty or a criminal offence, work coaches are required to make a formal referral to the Department’s fraud team, who determine whether further investigation or enforcement action is appropriate.
The Department does not hold central records on the number of cases of suspected misuse of FSF funded equipment. Information is captured at individual customer level and is not collated nationally for reporting purposes.
A new digital FSF application system, being rolled out nationally, will strengthen oversight of FSF spend by providing improved data and enabling more detailed scrutiny of awards.
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 3 March 2026 to Question 113613 on UK Integrated Security Fund: Equality, which Integrated Security Fund projects have been supported which relate to Gender Equality and Social Inclusion markers.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
I refer the Member to answers given to Parliamentary Questions 91383 and 92006.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Peter Mandelson has a (a) Ministerial and (b) Civil Service pension.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
In accordance with the Government Financial Reporting Manual, since 2005, information regarding the remuneration and pension interests of Ministers is published in the annual Resource Accounts (as then named) of the relevant departments for the periods an individual served in a qualifying role.
Historical information concerning Lord Mandelson’s Ministerial pension membership during his periods of government service can be found within the relevant departmental annual reports and accounts dating to 2005/6.
Regarding civil service pensions, the Cabinet Office does not disclose personal information relating to specific individuals' pension arrangements. Such information constitutes personal data and is protected under the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulation. It is a long-standing policy that individuals have a reasonable expectation of privacy regarding their financial affairs and pension entitlements, disclosing such details to a third party would conflict with data protection principles.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Cabinet Office or 10 Downing Street have asked former special advisers to provide material they personally hold as part of the return for the Humble Address on Lord Mandelson, and whether the fact they have left Crown Service affects such requests.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
I refer you to the Government's statement and release of information on 11th March, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The Government is working to ensure that Parliament’s instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.
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 19 March 2025 to Question 37424 on Parliamentary and Political Service Honours Committee: Public Appointments, in how many cases have reserve lists been used to appoint a member to an honours committee since July 2024..
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Reserve lists have been used in one instance to appoint two members to an honours committee since July 2024.