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, with reference to the UK-EU Summit - Common Understanding on linking the Emission Trading Systems of the European Union and the United Kingdom, of December 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the proposed reform of the EU Emissions Trading System.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK and EU agreed to work towards linking their respective emissions trading schemes at the May 2025 Summit and linking negotiations to that end are underway.
The EU Emissions Trading System is undergoing review currently and proposals emanating from that review are expected to be issued this summer.
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, with reference to the transparency data entitled Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for government’s most important contracts, Data for October to December 2025 for all departments, published on 31 March 2026, for what reason the UK Export Finance contract for Media Buying Services with Optimum Media Buying Limited requires the supplier to ensure 33% multicultural representation by year 2 in the media advertising; and what the definition used is for multicultural representation.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The contract in question was called off in 2022 from the Crown Services Framework, RM6123 Media Services, which requires suppliers to consider social value policy themes, and to support contracting authorities to deliver priorities relating to delivering a diverse supply chain. That is why a KPI for social value (specifically, promoting diversity, inclusion & social mobility in attraction recruitment) was set at ‘33% multicultural representation by year 2 (media industry avg. 18.7%).
UK Export Finance is currently reprocuring the contract under updated legislation, with revised key performance indicators.
For the purposes of this key performance indicator, the supplier uses self-identification of participants across a range of ethnicities.
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 20 March 2026 to Question 119894 on Gambling Commission: Managers, what the status is of employees of the Gambling Commission.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Gambling Commission is an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Employees of the Gambling Commission are considered to be public servants.
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 19 March 2026, to Question 118010, on FCDO: Artworks, if she will publish information on artworks installed at her Department’s headquarters in London since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government Art Collection is a working collection, used across government buildings in the UK and the global estate, which means that artworks may change their display location from time to time. Current locations of artworks in the collection can be found on their website.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, with reference to the Government press release entitled Ministers rip up consultation culture, published on 26 March 2026, whether the Attorney General intends to amend the Legal Risk Guidance to facilitate the removal of consultation requirements; and what assessment has been made of the new approach on consultation with the Gunning Principles on consultation.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Government is committed to identifying existing disproportionate reporting and consultation duties that are slowing down delivery. All options are currently being considered to facilitate the removal of unnecessary consultation requirements.
The new approach has taken account of existing legal principles, as will any future changes. Parliament will have the opportunity to scrutinise and challenge any changes to consultation requirements where they are legislative.
The Attorney General’s Guidance on legal risk neither precludes nor requires consultation. Its role is to assist lawyers and others advising on lawfulness and legal risk in government, by setting out a common framework to assess risk.
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 4 September 2025, to Question 70519, on Public Inquiries, what has been the public cost to date of the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The annual financial reports for the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry are available on their website: https://www.postofficehorizoninquiry.org.uk. The total spend outlined in these reports up to 31st March 2025, plus recent spend for 2025/26 (subject to final financial year closure), is £80 million. Updated costs for 2025/26 will be published in due course.
In addition, DBT funds Post Office’s costs of engaging with activities necessary of a core participant of the statutory Inquiry, such as legal representation and disclosure costs. As of 31st March 2026 the total spend for this is £134m, subject to final financial year closure. While the Department can clearly identify these direct costs of running the Inquiry, it is not possible to separately quantify the cost of departmental participation. Related expenditure, including staff time and legal support, sits within wider departmental budgets and is not recorded on a stand‑alone basis.
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, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2026 to Question 114881 on Jonathan Powell, if he will place a copy of the Envoy declaration in the Library.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Special Envoy submitted a Declaration of Interests Form as per the long-standing procedures for an appointment of that kind. In line with the same procedures, such forms are not routinely published.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what is his policy on (a) full-time staff working a four-day week on full-pay and (b) full-time staff working compressed hours on a four-day week.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
A four-day work week on full pay is not a civil service policy or something that is being considered.
The Civil Service is committed to flexible working, recognising the benefits it brings to delivering its priorities. While departments are responsible for determining specific terms and conditions, full-time Civil Service employees typically work 42 gross hours (37 net hours) across a five-day week. Some departments offer flexible working policies such as compressed hours, which allow the same number of hours to be worked over a shorter period with no impact on pay. There are no flexible working options that would permit reduced or part-time hours while maintaining full-time pay.
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 Cabinet Secretary's objectives 2026-27, published on 7 April 2026, what is the timetable for the publication of the strategic workforce plan.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Civil Service is committed to publishing a Civil Service Strategic Workforce Plan this year, following departments having finalised their own workforce plans, as per the financial settlements that were agreed with HMT in the Spending Review, and the priorities set by Ministers, including those set out in the Autumn Budget.
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 121770 on Government Departments: Facilities Agreements, whether Departments will be required to continue to collate internal figures on the cost of facility time.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Government Departments are recommended to continue to collate their facility time data. However, publication is no longer centrally mandated or collated, and there is no statutory requirement for Government Departments to collect or publish this data.