Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps are being taken to expand the number of digitalised MOD history records held by government and third party organisations to support the study and research into military family history.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence has a comprehensive programme to transfer its historical physical Service personnel records to The National Archives. The decision to digitise these records rests with The National Archives.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
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 13 October 2025 to Question 76809 on Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Public Bodies, how many appointments have been made to each of the respective Boards of her Department's public bodies since July 2024.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Since 10 July 2024, 121 regulated appointments and reappointments have been made to the Boards of the Department for Culture, Media & Sport’s public bodies. This data only includes regulated appointments made to relevant boards as listed in the Public Appointments Order in Council 2019.
Board Name | Number | Board Name | Number |
Advisory Council on National Records and Archives | 8 | National Citizenship Service | 2 |
Arts Council England | 4 | Royal Armouries | 1 |
British Museum | 12 | Royal Museums Greenwich | 3 |
British Tourist Authority | 4 | S4C | 6 |
Charity Commission | 4 | Sport England | 4 |
Departmental Non-Executive Directors | 2 | Sports Ground Safety Authority | 1 |
Historic England | 3 | Tate | 7 |
Historic Royal Palaces | 3 | The National Archives | 3 |
Horniman Museum and Gardens | 3 | The National Lottery Community Fund | 4 |
Horserace Betting Levy Board | 1 | The Royal Parks | 3 |
Imperial War Museum | 4 | Theatres Trust | 4 |
Independent Football Regulator | 3 | Treasure Valuation Committee | 5 |
Museum of the Home | 4 | UK Anti-Doping | 3 |
National Gallery | 4 | UK Sport | 2 |
National Museums Liverpool | 1 | Victoria & Albert Museum | 7 |
National Portrait Gallery | 1 | Visit England Advisory Board | 3 |
Natural History Museum | 2 |
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Asked by: Sonia Kumar (Labour - Dudley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that people in Dudley have access to improved employment prospects; and what steps she is taking to (a) reduce unemployment and (b) enhance skill development.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Under new leadership the DWP will shift from being a department for welfare to being the department for work. We will create a new jobs and careers service, bringing together Jobcentre Plus and the National Careers Service.
The service will be focused on helping people get into work and get on at work, not only monitoring and managing benefits claims. For our employment support systems, the outcomes that will matter are higher engagement, higher employment and higher earnings.
Jobcentre teams in Dudley and across the Black Country are supporting people into work and helping those in work to progress to higher paid jobs. We are working with local and national employers to help fill vacancies quickly, delivering Sector-Based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs), recruitment days, and job fairs.
We work closely with the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to shape and deliver the skills offer to residents. The devolved adult education budget forms the basis for our partnership work with discussions around pre-employment training, SWAPs and English for Speakers of Other Languages provision, with input from local Colleges and providers on delivery and plans. The Department is also an integral stakeholder on the West Midlands Local Skills Improvement Plans Delivery Board.
Recent examples of collaboration include Path 2 Apprenticeships, aimed at 19 to 29-year-olds, with Apprenticeship placements in a variety of sectors such as Business Administration, Construction and Hospitality, and an upskilling and recruitment programme, due to be piloted in Coventry, where we are working with employers to address progression and recruitment needs.
We currently have SWAPs linked to vacancies with Midland Metro Ltd as well as jobs in the Social Care, education and HGV sectors.
A recent job fair hosted by Dudley Jobcentre was supported by 20 employers and training providers, including NHS, Betfred, The Army, Edgeview Homes, and Trinity Personnel, and was well attended by jobseekers. The team work closely with Dudley Metropolitan Council and the local NHS to promote their vacancies to residents. Customers with health barriers benefit from additional time with their Work Coach to explore provision available, including the Work and Health Programme and Thrive into Work, and those over 50 have access to a range of support, including the Mid-life MOT with a focus on work, health and pensions.
The Youth Hub in Merry Hill Shopping Centre works with Dudley council to offer bespoke training and support to young people, including Movement to Work. We also offer an outreach service at the Dudley Archives and Local History Centre and the Black Country Skills Shop, working closely with the National Careers Service. This includes partnership work with Dudley Children’s Services to identify care leavers across the borough, offering training and employment opportunities. Our Supporting Families Employer Advisors also work alongside key partners in Dudley to offer a tailored service for families and individuals as a route back into work.
We are working with The Salvation Army to raise awareness of their UK Shared Prosperity Fund provision, which includes employment and volunteering opportunities. Our Schools Advisers work with over 15 secondary schools and colleges across the Dudley area, supporting students to transition into work, training, or further study. The team provide advice on the labour market, traineeships and apprenticeships, and insight into what local employers are looking for.
Asked by: Lord Godson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the titles and authors of works commissioned under the Official History Programme but not yet published; when these titles were commissioned; and when they are due to be published.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Shadow Minister (Treasury)
There are currently no Civil Servants allocated to the Official Histories Programme.
Works commissioned under the Official History Programme but not yet published are the fifth and final volume of the Official History of the Criminal Justice System and the second and final volume of the Official History of the Joint Intelligence Organisation.
It would not be possible to answer when titles were commissioned without disproportionate effort. However, this would have been well in excess of 10 years ago. We do not have any further prospective publishing dates at this time.
The Histories, Openness and Records Unit (HORU) was absorbed into the Knowledge and Information Management Unit (KIMU) in 2008. This is now known as the Cabinet Office Public Records and Archives (COPRA) Unit. The last Head of the Official History Programme retired from the Cabinet Office over 7 years ago.
The Government did not publish a response to the 2009 review of the Official History Programme led by Sir Joseph Pilling.
Asked by: Lord Godson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many civil servants are allocated to the Official History Programme; and what are their responsibilities.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Shadow Minister (Treasury)
There are currently no Civil Servants allocated to the Official Histories Programme.
Works commissioned under the Official History Programme but not yet published are the fifth and final volume of the Official History of the Criminal Justice System and the second and final volume of the Official History of the Joint Intelligence Organisation.
It would not be possible to answer when titles were commissioned without disproportionate effort. However, this would have been well in excess of 10 years ago. We do not have any further prospective publishing dates at this time.
The Histories, Openness and Records Unit (HORU) was absorbed into the Knowledge and Information Management Unit (KIMU) in 2008. This is now known as the Cabinet Office Public Records and Archives (COPRA) Unit. The last Head of the Official History Programme retired from the Cabinet Office over 7 years ago.
The Government did not publish a response to the 2009 review of the Official History Programme led by Sir Joseph Pilling.
Asked by: Lord Godson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Histories, Openness and Records Unit at the Cabinet Office still exists; if not, when and in what manner it ceased to exist; and where its former responsibilities and functions now lie.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Shadow Minister (Treasury)
There are currently no Civil Servants allocated to the Official Histories Programme.
Works commissioned under the Official History Programme but not yet published are the fifth and final volume of the Official History of the Criminal Justice System and the second and final volume of the Official History of the Joint Intelligence Organisation.
It would not be possible to answer when titles were commissioned without disproportionate effort. However, this would have been well in excess of 10 years ago. We do not have any further prospective publishing dates at this time.
The Histories, Openness and Records Unit (HORU) was absorbed into the Knowledge and Information Management Unit (KIMU) in 2008. This is now known as the Cabinet Office Public Records and Archives (COPRA) Unit. The last Head of the Official History Programme retired from the Cabinet Office over 7 years ago.
The Government did not publish a response to the 2009 review of the Official History Programme led by Sir Joseph Pilling.
Asked by: Lord Godson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when Tessa Stirling left her role as Head of the Histories, Openness and Records Unit at the Cabinet Office.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Shadow Minister (Treasury)
There are currently no Civil Servants allocated to the Official Histories Programme.
Works commissioned under the Official History Programme but not yet published are the fifth and final volume of the Official History of the Criminal Justice System and the second and final volume of the Official History of the Joint Intelligence Organisation.
It would not be possible to answer when titles were commissioned without disproportionate effort. However, this would have been well in excess of 10 years ago. We do not have any further prospective publishing dates at this time.
The Histories, Openness and Records Unit (HORU) was absorbed into the Knowledge and Information Management Unit (KIMU) in 2008. This is now known as the Cabinet Office Public Records and Archives (COPRA) Unit. The last Head of the Official History Programme retired from the Cabinet Office over 7 years ago.
The Government did not publish a response to the 2009 review of the Official History Programme led by Sir Joseph Pilling.
Asked by: Lord Godson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when the last 10 Official History titles published by Routledge were commissioned by the Official History Programme.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Shadow Minister (Treasury)
There are currently no Civil Servants allocated to the Official Histories Programme.
Works commissioned under the Official History Programme but not yet published are the fifth and final volume of the Official History of the Criminal Justice System and the second and final volume of the Official History of the Joint Intelligence Organisation.
It would not be possible to answer when titles were commissioned without disproportionate effort. However, this would have been well in excess of 10 years ago. We do not have any further prospective publishing dates at this time.
The Histories, Openness and Records Unit (HORU) was absorbed into the Knowledge and Information Management Unit (KIMU) in 2008. This is now known as the Cabinet Office Public Records and Archives (COPRA) Unit. The last Head of the Official History Programme retired from the Cabinet Office over 7 years ago.
The Government did not publish a response to the 2009 review of the Official History Programme led by Sir Joseph Pilling.
Asked by: Lord Godson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what its response was to the 2009 review of the Official History Programme led by Sir Joe Pilling.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Shadow Minister (Treasury)
There are currently no Civil Servants allocated to the Official Histories Programme.
Works commissioned under the Official History Programme but not yet published are the fifth and final volume of the Official History of the Criminal Justice System and the second and final volume of the Official History of the Joint Intelligence Organisation.
It would not be possible to answer when titles were commissioned without disproportionate effort. However, this would have been well in excess of 10 years ago. We do not have any further prospective publishing dates at this time.
The Histories, Openness and Records Unit (HORU) was absorbed into the Knowledge and Information Management Unit (KIMU) in 2008. This is now known as the Cabinet Office Public Records and Archives (COPRA) Unit. The last Head of the Official History Programme retired from the Cabinet Office over 7 years ago.
The Government did not publish a response to the 2009 review of the Official History Programme led by Sir Joseph Pilling.
Asked by: Gareth Johnson (Conservative - Dartford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to commemorate Second World War evacuees.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Government supports the commemoration of Second World War evacuees through the work of public bodies of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, including the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Since 1994, the National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded 120 grants, totalling £1,088,450, to projects across 95 local authorities that are specifically related to Second World War Evacuee activities. The Heritage Fund also works with museums, libraries and archives across the UK, funding a range of history-related projects, some of which will also go towards commemorating Second World War evacuees.
The Department also directly sponsors Imperial War Museums, one of our national museums devoted to highlighting the stories and experiences of the Second World War, and evacuees.