Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he is taking steps to ensure that staff in his Department who are under investigation for alleged misconduct are not named before those allegations are proven.

The Department for Transport has a comprehensive Discipline Policy & Procedure published on the departmental intranet so it can formally manage any reports of alleged misconduct. This follows the Civil Service HR’s wider model discipline policy and includes clear instructions on appropriate disclosure, and the importance of confidentiality, during the course of an investigation and after the matter has been concluded. Confidentiality applies to all parties involved in the process, and it is considered a disciplinary offence to breach confidentiality requirements. This sits alongside a separate Whistleblowing/Raising a Concern Policy in line with the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.