Oral Answers to Questions

Gregory Stafford Excerpts

Thursday 6th March 2025 Commons Chamber

[Gregory Stafford (Farnham and Bordon) (Con)]

15. Whether the Cabinet Secretary has issued guidance on ministerial appointments.

[The Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office (Georgia Gould)]

The Cabinet Secretary may be asked by the Prime Minister to advise on any matter supporting the smooth running of government, including ministerial appointments. There is no written or published guidance on such matters.

[Gregory Stafford]

Since July, three Ministers have had to resign for everything from fraud through to unwise entanglements in foreign affairs. What steps will the Minister take to strengthen the ministerial code so that the public can have confidence in the Ministers that this Prime Minister appoints?

[Georgia Gould]

We have strengthened the ministerial code, but we do not need to take any advice from the Conservatives. What we have seen from this Prime Minister is decisive action to uphold ministerial standards. Compare that with the record of the previous Government where the shadow Foreign Secretary, the right hon. Member for Witham (Priti Patel), was found guilty of bullying but was allowed to keep her post; where the Government whipped their MPs to block the suspension of former Minister Owen Paterson, who broke lobbying rules; and where the former Prime Minister Boris Johnson lied about being told of allegations of sexual misconduct by his Deputy Chief Whip.