Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many applications for the restoration of honours or medals have been received since February 2021; and how many have been granted in each year since.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Since 2021, the Ministry of Defence has received 24 applications for the restoration of medals from, or on behalf of, LGBT Veterans who had forfeited medals. Nine of these cases were found to be eligible for restoration, usually qualifying under the Government’s disregard process for convictions for decriminalised sexual offences (consensual gay sex).
The annual breakdown of applications received, and of those approved, is:
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many applications for the restoration of honours or medals have been received since February 2021; and how many have been granted in each year since then.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Since 2021, the Ministry of Defence has received 24 applications for the restoration of medals from, or on behalf of, LGBT Veterans who had forfeited medals. Nine of these cases were found to be eligible for restoration, usually qualifying under the Government’s disregard process for convictions for decriminalised sexual offences (consensual gay sex).
The annual breakdown of applications received, and of those approved, is:
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure equitable distribution of the gonorrhoea vaccine to economically and socially disadvantaged communities, including minority communities and women from minority communities.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The routine vaccination programme for gonorrhoea prevention is targeted towards gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM), as this group is disproportionately affected by gonorrhoea infection, accounting for nearly half of all diagnoses in England.
The Government recognises that gonorrhoea and its complications can also disproportionately affect minority groups, including women from ethnic minority communities, particularly in urban and more deprived areas, where longstanding inequalities in sexually transmitted infection rates persist.
Vaccination is offered nationally through sexual health services (SHSs), which are skilled in identifying individuals who should be vaccinated, trusted by eligible cohorts, and understand the local populations they serve. SHSs can perform individual risk assessments to identify those at equivalent risk of gonorrhoea infection to GBMSM and offer vaccination where appropriate. Many services also undertake innovative and effective outreach programmes to reach those less able to access mainstream services.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation continues to keep all vaccination programmes under review as further evidence and epidemiological data emerge. Anyone concerned about their own risk should consult their local sexual health clinic for tailored advice and testing.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's review of the adults at risk in immigration detention policy, whether she has considered the potential merits of including (a) lesbian, (b) bisexual and (c) gay people on the list of indicators of risk.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
As part of the review of the adults at risk in immigration detention policy, I can confirm that officials have considered the merits of including lesbian, gay and bisexual people on the list of indicators of risk under the policy. In addition, written comments and representations from a number of organisations that represent lesbian, gay and bisexual people were provided to the Home Office further to external engagement on the review.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to the FCDO press release entitled LGBTQIA+ Legal Guidebook launched in Philippines for Pride Month, published on 23 June 2025, whether her Department has a policy on the use of the phrase LGBTQIA+; and whether it has replaced (a) LGBT and (b) LGBT+.
Answered by Nia Griffith
The Office for Equality and Opportunity does not mandate the use of any particular acronym in reference to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office works with a range of organisations globally to protect and promote the human rights of the most vulnerable communities.
The Government uses LGBT+ in communications and publications, as these are widely recognised and understood.
Asked by: Claire Coutinho (Conservative - East Surrey)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether there is (a) lesbian, (b) gay and (c) bisexual muslim representation on the Working Group to define Islamophobia.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The independent working group includes members from a cross-section of society and have been selected for their technical expertise and experience and ability to work to deliver the objectives set out in the Terms of Reference. Alongside drawing on their own expertise, the working group are engaging widely to ensure their proposed definition accounts for the variety of backgrounds and experiences of Muslim communities across the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the (a) transgender, (b) bisexual and (c) Windrush flag has been flown from a Government building since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
None of the listed flags have been flown from a Government Property Agency managed Government Building since 4 July 2024. We do not hold information relating to buildings not managed by the Government Property Agency.
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 November 2024 to Question 13326 on Government Departments: Flags, which flags are owned by his Department.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
For the properties operated by the Government Property Agency (GPA), where flag flying forms part of its service, all buildings with flagpoles have the Union flag. In addition, buildings across the estate will have a variety of other flags depending on their function in Government. There have been no changes to the categories of flags owned since the General Election. Currently the GPA owns the following types of flags:
National
Union Flag
St George’s Cross (England)
St Andrew’s Cross (Scotland)
Y Ddraig Goch (Wales)
Flag of the Commonwealth of Nations
Flag of Ukraine
Flag of Israel
Armed Forces
British Armed Forces Flag
Red Ensign Flag
Royal Airforce Flag
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Flag
Cultural
Pride Flag
Transgender Flag
Bisexual Flag
Windrush Flag
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to fly the bisexual flag at 10 Downing Street.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare
There are currently no plans to fly the bisexual flag at 10 Downing Street.
Asked by: Paul Davies (Labour - Colne Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to ensure the gonorrhoea vaccination programme reaches (a) young people aged 15-24 (b) women, (c) gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men and (d) other communities most at risk.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In November 2023, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) issued advice on standing up a targeted, routine vaccination programme for protection against gonorrhoea.
Officials across the Department, the UK Health Security Agency and NHS England have been developing options based on the JCVI advice, assessing all the relevant factors to ensure that the United Kingdom’s high standards for world-leading vaccination programmes are maintained, and the best value for money for taxpayers is delivered. A decision on a vaccination programme for the prevention of gonorrhoea is expected shortly, following the outcome of this process.
NHS England will work with partners across national, regional, and local levels to ensure that plans for any new vaccination programme will meet local need, ensure equity of access and support a high level of uptake of the vaccination offer by those who are eligible.