Asked by: Lord Myners (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they (1) received, or (2) sought, any information from (a) the government of Germany, (b) German financial regulators, or (c) the German Deposit Protection Scheme in connection with Greensill Bank before the British Business Bank accredited Greensill Capital as a Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme lender; and whether they were advised by the government of Germany that the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (i) had established a Greensill task force in July 2020, and (ii) appointed KPMG to conduct a review of the management of Greensill Bank in September 2020.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department neither sought nor received any information from the German government, German financial regulators, or the German Deposit Protection Scheme in connection with Greensill Bank.
The decision to accredit Greensill Capital was made independently by the British Business Bank (the Bank) and in accordance with the Bank’s usual procedures. The Bank ran an accreditation process for lenders to participate in the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), which included due consideration of whether a prospective lender met the criteria set out in the CBILS Request for Proposals (a publicly available document).
At the point of accreditation and based on the information provided to it, the Bank considered that Greensill Capital met the required criteria.
Asked by: Lord Myners (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether (1) Bill Crothers, or (2) his consultancy company, were employed by the Government on (a) project work, or (b) any other work, after Mr Crothers ceased to be a civil servant.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
Cabinet Office does not have records of Bill Crothers working on project work or any other work during the specified time.
With regard to his consultancy company, details of Government contracts above £10,000 should be published on Contracts Finder: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search.
I also refer the noble peer to the letters on the ACOBA website relating to business appointments and Mr Crothers.
Asked by: Lord Myners (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any records of the Rt Hon David Cameron (1) contacting, or (2) arranging meetings with, (a) ministers, or (b) senior civil servants, over the last three years, in connection with Afiniti Limited.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
Ministers and permanent secretaries’ meetings on official government business with external organisations are published on a quarterly basis and are made available on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Lord Myners (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the summary report published by the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists on 26 March following its investigation into Rt Hon David Cameron, whether the Registrar had sight of any contract of employment between Mr Cameron and Greensill companies; and whether (1) any such contracts, or (2) related job descriptions, made any reference to lobbying duties.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists is a statutory independent office holder responsible for maintaining the lobbying register. The Registrar's investigations and decisions must be made independently of the Government.
Details of the Registrar’s investigations are published on the website of the Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists at https://registrarofconsultantlobbyists.org.uk/, and his Office can be contacted at enquiries@orcl.gov.uk.
Asked by: Lord Myners (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government who was responsible for the appointment of Lex Greensill as a Crown Representative in March 2014, including him being issued a Cabinet Office entry pass; whether Bill Crother's appointment to the UK Board of Greensill Capital was (1) reviewed, and (2) approved, by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments; and, if so, when.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The Prime Minister has asked Mr Boardman to conduct a review that will look into the decisions taken around the development and use of supply chain finance (and associated schemes) in government, especially the role of Lex Greensill and Greensill Capital. The full terms of reference are set out at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/review-into-the-development-and-use-of-supply-chain-finance-in-government-terms-of-reference.
The review will report to the Prime Minister by 30 June 2021. The Government will publish and present to Parliament the Review’s findings and the Government’s response in due course thereafter.
Correspondence between the Cabinet Office and the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments is published at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/crothers-bill-government-chief-commercial-officer-cabinet-office-acoba-recommendation.
Asked by: Lord Myners (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Mr Lex Greensill had an entry pass (1) to Number 10 Downing Street, or (2) to the Cabinet Office; and if so, who made the request for the pass.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The Prime Minister has asked Mr Boardman to conduct a review that will look into the decisions taken around the development and use of supply chain finance (and associated schemes) in government, especially the role of Lex Greensill and Greensill Capital. The full terms of reference are set out at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/review-into-the-development-and-use-of-supply-chain-finance-in-government-terms-of-reference.
The review will report to the Prime Minister by 30 June 2021. The Government will publish and present to Parliament the Review’s findings and the Government’s response in due course thereafter.
Correspondence between the Cabinet Office and the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments is published at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/crothers-bill-government-chief-commercial-officer-cabinet-office-acoba-recommendation.
Asked by: Lord Myners (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government who nominated Mr Lex Greensill as a Crown Representative in March 2014; whether Mr Greensill continues to hold this status; and if not, (1) when did he cease to be a Crown Representative, and (2) why.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The Prime Minister has asked Mr Boardman to conduct a review that will look into the decisions taken around the development and use of supply chain finance (and associated schemes) in government, especially the role of Lex Greensill and Greensill Capital. The full terms of reference are set out at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/review-into-the-development-and-use-of-supply-chain-finance-in-government-terms-of-reference.
The review will report to the Prime Minister by 30 June 2021. The Government will publish and present to Parliament the Review’s findings and the Government’s response in due course thereafter.
Correspondence between the Cabinet Office and the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments is published at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/crothers-bill-government-chief-commercial-officer-cabinet-office-acoba-recommendation.
Asked by: Lord Myners (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether records held in (1) 10 Downing Street and, (2) the Cabinet Office, record or refer to any conversation since 1 January between David Cameron and ministers or senior civil servants relating to (a) Mr Lex Greensill, (b) Greensill Capital, or (c) Mr Sanjeev Gupta and his businesses; and if so, whether they will place copies of these records in the Library of the House.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The Prime Minister has asked Mr Boardman to conduct a review that will look into the decisions taken around the development and use of supply chain finance (and associated schemes) in government, especially the role of Lex Greensill and Greensill Capital. The full terms of reference are set out at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/review-into-the-development-and-use-of-supply-chain-finance-in-government-terms-of-reference.
The review will report to the Prime Minister by 30 June 2021. The Government will publish and present to Parliament the Review’s findings and the Government’s response in due course thereafter.
Correspondence between the Cabinet Office and the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments is published at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/crothers-bill-government-chief-commercial-officer-cabinet-office-acoba-recommendation.
Asked by: Lord Myners (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what functions Lex Greensill performed as a Crown Representative; how long he held that position; which person or office he reported to; and who was responsible for his appointment to that position.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The Prime Minister has asked Mr Boardman to conduct a review that will look into the decisions taken around the development and use of supply chain finance (and associated schemes) in government, especially the role of Lex Greensill and Greensill Capital. The full terms of reference are set out at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/review-into-the-development-and-use-of-supply-chain-finance-in-government-terms-of-reference.
The review will report to the Prime Minister by 30 June 2021. The Government will publish and present to Parliament the Review’s findings and the Government’s response in due course thereafter.
Correspondence between the Cabinet Office and the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments is published at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/crothers-bill-government-chief-commercial-officer-cabinet-office-acoba-recommendation.
Asked by: Lord Myners (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, as a creditor of Greensill Capital and Greensill Bank, they will ask the administrators of those companies and related parties (1) to examine the personal expense claims made by (a) directors, (b) executives, and (c) advisors, for non-business related payments, including use of private jets, and (2) to ensure that the companies reported such non-cash benefits to the relevant income tax bodies, including HMRC.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The Government provides a guarantee, rather than direct funding, to lenders who are participating in the Bounce Back Loan, CBIL or CLBIL Schemes. Lenders participating in the Schemes must source their own funding, as they do for standard business lending.
Greensill Bank is a German bank, and so is regulated by the German supervisory authority, BaFin.
The administrator of Greensill Capital must send the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, a report on the conduct of all directors who were in office in the last 3 years of the company’s trading.