Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance his Department has issued on whether party political events held in Ministerial diaries are held for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act.
Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office has not issued guidance on whether party political events held in Ministerial diaries are held for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act.
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 18 March 2026 to Question 119321 and of 2 June 2025 to Question 54277 on Cabinet Office: Freedom of Information, if he will place in the Library the version of the handbook released under Freedom of Information Act request reference FOI2025/05759, dated 16 May 2025.
Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
As stated in the response to PQ 116510, the Honours Committee handbook released through this request is a version from January 2023 which is no longer accurate. The current handbook is currently being updated. An updated version with relevant redactions will be laid in the House Library as soon as is practicable.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much his Department has spent on locksmiths in each of the last five years.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The GPA note that for Cabinet Office sites (where the GPA provides services) across the years noted locksmith services cost £58.41.
The GPA does not hold information in respect of Cabinet Office locations that are contained within HMRC Hubs.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the UK Government will be required to contribute to EU Cohesion Funds as a consequence of the UK/EU reset.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK is not currently contributing to EU Cohesion Funds as a consequence of the UK/EU reset. Whilst the EU is seeking to establish a mechanism for a UK financial contribution towards reducing economic and social disparities between the regions of the Union as part of participation in the Internal Electricity Market, any UK financial contribution would be subject to negotiations with the EU, and no contributions have yet been made or agreed upon. The Prime Minister and Chancellor are clear that agreements made with the EU must be in the national interest, and that whilst trade-offs will be required, these are worth making where the economic gains to the UK exceed the costs.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Morgan McSweeney has been paid a severance payment, or payment in lieu of notice, following his departure as a special adviser.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
It is a longstanding policy not to comment on individuals. The Model Contract for Special Advisers is published online and details the specific circumstances in which payments are payable.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has had recent discussions with the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament on providing independent resourcing to the Committee, separate from the Cabinet Office.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Cabinet Office officials engage routinely and constructively with the Committee and will continue to do so. The Cabinet Office has agreed to the Committee’s requested uplift on budgeting and resourcing, which should help it to continue to undertake its critical role effectively. Cabinet Office officials are also working with the ISC to identify the best operating model for the future.
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 116771, on Vetting, whether Lord Mandelson’s Developed Vetting considered his links to Jeffery Epstein.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
I refer the Hon Member 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, with reference to the the State Council of the People's Republic of China's press release entitled, China's top diplomat holds talks with British prime minister's national security adviser, published on 15 July 2025, whether Jonathan Powell discussed the Chagos Islands with the Chinese Government at this meeting.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The National Security Adviser meets with a range of individuals and organisations as part of his role providing advice to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet on national security matters. Such meetings are often sensitive in nature, and the Government does not routinely comment on them or their content.
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 policy paper, EM on Level Playing Field for Open Competition (COM(2026)89), published on 24 March 2026, how will the UK panellists be selected; and whether they will be regulated public appointments.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The UK panellists were selected via a public expression of interest campaign, with applications scrutinised against criteria set out in [Article 409 of] the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The panellists are not public appointments, but the process for their selection was conducted in line with the same proprietary and ethics standards.
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 18 March 2026, to Question 119321, on Cabinet Office: Freedom of Information, what is the timetable of the revisions to the Honours Handbook to be completed.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The handbook is currently being updated. An updated version with relevant redactions will be laid in the House Library as soon as is practicable.