Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 8 June 2023 to Question 187732 on Former Ministers: Public Inquiries, how many occasions has legal support been provided to former ministers on matters relating to their personal conduct.

Former ministers may be supported with legal representation after they have left office when matters relate to their time and conduct as a Minister of the Crown.

The Cabinet Office does not maintain statistics on the total number of occasions legal support has been provided to former ministers.

The Ministerial Code and the Cabinet Manual provide guidance on personal liability in the context of legal proceedings for ministers and, in the case of the latter, former ministers.