Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 28 July 2025 to Question 66478 Innovation: Beer and Public Houses, for what reason it is his policy to prohibit sales of non-alcoholic products to people under the age of 18; and how non-alcoholic drinks would be differentiated from soft drinks.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to supporting further growth of the no- and low-alcohol market, which has grown significantly over the past 10 years.
A non-alcoholic product differs from a soft drink as it is a beverage intentionally crafted to mimic traditional alcoholic drinks like beer, wine, or spirits but with very little to no alcohol content. A full definition of an alcohol substitute drink can be found in regulation 9 to the Soft Drinks Industry Levy Regulations 2018, which are available at the following link:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/41/made
This policy is being pursued as these alcohol substitute drinks are intended for consumption by adults and should not be sold or supplied to children.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 42740 on Smoking: Hospitality Industry, what his planned timetable is for the consultation on the vaping and smoking provisions in relation to outdoor public places; and what role local authorities would be expected to play in enforcement.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill sets a duty to consult on a range of powers before making regulations, including vaping and smoking provisions in relation to outdoor public places. We plan to consult on these measures in due course, and we will provide stakeholders with notice of when consultation processes are due to happen.
We expect that enforcement of vaping and smoking provisions in relation to outdoor public places in England to be undertaken by the same local authority teams that enforce existing smoke-free legislation; these would typically be the environmental health teams. The exact details will be explored via future consultation processes.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much her Department has allocated (a) overall, (b) to the Ministry of Defence and (c) to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to fund payments under the UK/Mauritius: Agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia [CS Mauritius No.1/2025] in each year of the agreement.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The overall cost of the agreement can be found in the document ‘UK/Mauritius: Agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia’ published by the government on 22 May 2025, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ukmauritius-agreement-concerning-the-chagos-archipelago-including-diego-garcia-cs-mauritius-no12025.
The payments to Mauritius will be split between the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Ministry of Defence. They will be published in the normal manner alongside other departmental spend in the annual accounts.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much and what proportion of employer pension contributions for NHS employees are funded by NHS England.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As of 1 April 2024, the National Health Service employer pension contribution rate rose to 23.7%. Employers pay 14.38% and central payments are made by NHS England for the remaining 9.4%.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment (a) HM Treasury and (b) the Government Actuary Department has made of the accuracy of the GDP deflator forecasts by the Office for Budget Responsibility.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Economic forecasts, including assessments of the impact of policy decisions, are the responsibility of the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).
The OBR are required to produce a Forecast Evaluation Report (FER) each year under the Budget Responsibility and National Audit Act (2011). The OBR are required to explain reasons for divergence between its forecasts and subsequent outturns, to support future forecast improvements.
The latest FER can be found here: Forecast evaluation report 2025 - Office for Budget Responsibility. This includes information about the GDP deflator on Page 29-30.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the students from Gaza granted permission to study in the United Kingdom under the Chevening scheme will be subject to any security checks or vetting.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Robust security checks will be undertaken on the Chevening Scholars and all students who enter the UK through this process. Biometrics will be collected as part of the visa application process and prior to the final decision on granting entry to the UK as a student.
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, in what circumstances would the (a) Mauritius and (b) UK Government be able to terminate the UK/Mauritius: Agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia once it is in force.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Details of grounds for termination can be found under Article 15 of the Agreement.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Business Engagement Lead is a (a) special adviser, (b) direct ministerial appointment, (c) civil servant appointed by open and fair competition and (d) civil servant appointed by recruitment principles exemption.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
There is a business engagement team in HMT made up of civil servants recruited via fair and open competition.Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many times the Treasury Board has met since 4 July 2024; and on what dates she attended.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
There are no plans for the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury to meet.
As set out in the Annual Report and Accounts, the Treasury Board met once since July 2024 and the Chancellor of the Exchequer was in attendance.
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 written statement of 21 July 2025 entitled Government of service, HCWS870, whether the reformed Committee on Standards in Public Life will have political members nominated by the main political parties in the House of Commons.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Ethics and Integrity Commission will be established in Autumn by the Government strengthening and reforming the Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL). As with CSPL, the Ethics and Integrity Commission will continue to have political members nominated by the main political parties in the House of Commons.