Oral Answers to Questions

Cat Smith Excerpts

Wednesday 22nd February 2023 Commons Chamber

[Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Slough) (Lab)]

2. What assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s work on strengthening the Union of allegations of impropriety in public life.

[Cat Smith (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Lab)]

3. What assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s work on strengthening the Union of allegations of impropriety in public life.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Jack]

The Prime Minister put integrity at every level in this Government when he came in, and he acted decisively in appointing an independent ethics adviser. When he received the report on the incident the hon. Gentleman refers to, he acted immediately.

[Cat Smith]

In Scotland and across the UK, Parliament is being dragged down by Tory and SNP sleaze and impropriety. In Holyrood, Committees have been ignored, processes have been run over roughshod, and the responsibility to be truly accountable to both Parliaments, the press and the public has been ignored by Ministers of both Governments. Does the Secretary of State not agree that we need a reformed and renewed constitution across the country that is fit for a democratised United Kingdom?

[Mr Jack]

I did not catch all of that, but I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave earlier. There is a ministerial code that sets standards of behaviour for Ministers, and Ministers are personally responsible for how they conduct themselves. Ultimately, the Prime Minister is the judge and I think he is a man of integrity. I trust him to make the right decisions.