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 24 October 2025, to Question 82331, on Unite: Conference Centres and Hotels, when he expects the Certification Officer to publish the conclusion of the inspection; if he will set out who paid for the BDO report; and if he will name the inspector who has been appointed.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Certification Officer is required to publish a final report following an inspection, which includes the name of the inspector appointed to any such inspection. While the legislation does not specify a timeline for publication, it is expected that the Certification Officer will take a short period to reflect on the findings, consider any next steps, and provide a copy of the report to the union before publication. In respect of the funding of the BDO report, this is a matter for the union itself. The Certification Officer received this report to assist in fulfilling his statutory duties.
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 24 October 2025 to Question 82331 on Unite: Conference Centres and Hotels, what steps the Certification Officer is taking to obtain (a) documents and (b) digital information from Unite.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Certification Officer has appointed an inspector to carry out the inspection in accordance with the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992. Under this process, the inspector has the statutory authority to require the production of relevant documents and digital information, and is empowered to request assistance, attendance and documentation, from officials and agents connected to the union, as well as from others who may be in possession of materials and information he considers relevant to his inspection, and it is their duty to comply. These powers ensure that the inspector can conduct a thorough and effective investigation.
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 29 October 2025 to Question 84210 on Jeffery Epstein, whether records held by Integrated Corporate Services for that period are held in (a) electronic and (b) hard copy format.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Records for that period are held in electronic format.
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 22 October 2025, to Question 82332 on Companies: Registration, for what reason Companies House recognises nations that the UK Government does not itself recognise.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The composition of the list of nationalities permitted for the purposes of company filings is a practical measure to ensure that the nationalities of directors are recorded consistently in the Register of Companies and are transparent to users of the Register.
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 10 July 2025, to Question 64917 on Stamp Advisory Committee, whether papers for that Committee are held by officials in his Department.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Stamp Advisory Committee advises Royal Mail on future stamp designs. The Postal Museum’s online catalogue lists copies of Stamp Advisory Committee minutes which are available to the public for research in line with Royal Mail’s retention policy.
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 17 October 2025 to Question 77460 on Department for Business and Trade: Social Media, on which campaigns influencers were used.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for Business and Trade used influencers as part of the National Minimum and Living Wage campaign, to raise awareness of the wage rate increases for workers that came into effect from 1st April 2025. This ensured workers understood their new entitlements and encouraged them to check their pay and act if they were paid incorrectly.
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 10 September 2025 to Question 76302 on Lord Mandelson, whether Lord Mandelson's mailbox during his time as Business Secretary, held by Integrated Corporate Services, holds (a) information and (b) correspondence relating to (i) Jeffery Epstein and (ii) the sale of Sempra Commodities to JP Morgan.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Integrated Corporate Services (ICS) do not hold any records of information or correspondence from Lord Mandelson’s mailbox relating to Jeffrey Epstein or the sale of Sempra Commodities.
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, what guidance has been issued to employers by (a) his Department and (b) the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service on whether staff who are on strike are permitted to work for other employers during periods of industrial action.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
No specific guidance has been issued to employers by the Department for Business and Trade or the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service on whether staff who are on strike are permitted to work for other employers during periods of industrial action.
The liability of a worker taking industrial action and working for another employer is likely to depend on their contract with their first employer and on how its terms apply to the circumstances.
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 Freedom of Information Act disclosure reference FOI2025/09531 of 16 September 2025, whether payments have been made to Mr Money Jar for social media activity since July 2024, other than for the Living Wage campaign.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Since July 2024, no payments have been made by the Department for Business and Trade to Mr Money Jar for social media activity, other than the National Minimum and Living Wage campaign.
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 11 September 2025 to Question 74315 on DBT: Social Media, how much has been spent since 4 July 2025; on what campaigns; and through what influencers.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Since 4 July 2025, no money has been spent on influencers by the Department for Business and Trade.