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 2 September 2025 to Question 70506 on Cabinet Office: Contracts, whether the Crown Commercial Service has made an estimate of the number of suppliers increasing prices as a result of the increase in National Insurance.
Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Crown Commercial Service (CCS) does not hold information that would show whether suppliers have increased prices in response to the April 2025 National Insurance rise, so cannot make an estimate. Pricing under CCS arrangements is determined at contract level by contracting authorities.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that the Infected Blood Compensation Authority’s new registration service is accessible to claimants who (a) are digitally excluded and (b) have limited digital literacy.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The delivery of compensation, including the opening of a registration service, is a matter for the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA). IBCA opened their registration service on 9th October to allow people to register their intent to claim online. Those who are unable to register online or who require additional support can call IBCA’s dedicated registration support line on 0141 471 8886. Additionally, an individual can ask someone to register on their behalf. This could be a family member, trusted adult, legal representative, carer or someone with power of attorney. IBCA has worked with infected blood charities and community groups to raise awareness of the registration service opening.
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 press release entitled Civil Service staff networks to only meet outside working hours and have all events signed off by senior managers, published on 23 September 2025, whether guidance on staff diversity networks will be issued to (a) local government, (b) the police, (c) the NHS, (d) the armed forces and (e) other parts of the public sector.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office does not have responsibility for public sector organisations outside of the Civil Service.
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 press release entitled Civil Service staff networks to only meet outside working hours and have all events signed off by senior managers, published on 23 September 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of that policy on the provisions on trade union equality representatives in the Employment Rights Bill.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
Civil Service staff networks are separate to trade union activities and duties carried out by trade union representatives in the Civil Service. As such the Civil Service Staff Network Policy does not apply to its trade union representatives.
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 2 September 2025 to Question 69366 on 9 Downing Street: Repairs and Maintenance, what the provisional cost of the works approved is.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
A one-off refresh of the facility was undertaken in December 2024. This has restored the room back to its original politically neutral state. The indicative cost of these works was up to £80,000, as was reported at the time of undertaking the work. The final cost of these works will be published in due course in Cabinet Office transparency returns, when the invoice is submitted and paid.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to page 55 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what his planned timetable is for including the Office of Defence Exports within the GREAT campaign.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Defence is one of the key growth sectors identified by this government, and the GREAT Britain & Northern Ireland campaign (GREAT) has renewed its efforts to support defence exports. GREAT coordinates activities enabling government departments and overseas posts to deliver integrated local campaigns boosting British defence exports globally.
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 25 September 2025 to Question 74509 on Members: Pay, whether the pay freeze for ministers who continue to claim a lower salary to their entitlement under law will be maintained for Ministers who are Members of the (a) House of Commons and (b) House of Lords for the rest of this Parliament.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The pay freeze for ministers remains in place.
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 September 2025 to Question 70476 on UK Multi-Stakeholder Forum for Open Government, for what reason that forum has not met in 2025.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The next MSF is being organised to take place before the end of 2025. There have been no meetings of the MSF thus far in 2025 due to a Machinery of Government change which moved the former Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) from Cabinet Office to the Department for Science Innovation and Technology. CDDO was the business unit previously responsible for open government policy, but this responsibility has now transferred to the Civil Service Strategy Unit within Cabinet Office.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of extending the Armed Forces Covenant Duty on the work of his Department.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The extension of the Armed Forces Covenant Legal Duty will require the Cabinet Office to have due regard to the principles of the Covenant across a wide range of new policy areas. A full assessment of the impact of the extension on the Cabinet Office will take place once the necessary legislation is progressing through Parliament.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what support his Department has provided to bereaved families of infected individuals who died without receiving compensation to ensure awareness of the new registration process.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The delivery of compensation, including the opening of a registration service, is a matter for the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA). IBCA opened their registration service on 9th October to allow people to register their intent to claim online. Those who are unable to register online or who require additional support can call IBCA’s dedicated registration support line on 0141 471 8886. Additionally, an individual can ask someone to register on their behalf. This could be a family member, trusted adult, legal representative, carer or someone with power of attorney. IBCA has worked with infected blood charities and community groups to raise awareness of the registration service opening.