Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent steps he has taken to eliminate conflicts of interest in Government business.

The Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Code both set out the requirement for Ministers and Civil Servants (including Special Advisers) to act with integrity. Under these codes, it is not appropriate for a conflict of interest to exist and any such conflicts must be resolved. Further requirements are set out in those Codes and in the Civil Service Management Code regarding the declaration, assessment and management of outside interest - these details include how any actual, perceived or potential conflicts should be handled. For Ministers, the Independent Adviser, Lord Geidt, provides independent advice about outside interests. For Civil Servants, the independent Civil Service Commission is able to consider where the requirements of the Civil Service Code have not been met.

The Prime Minister asked Nigel Boardman to conduct an independent review into the development and use of supply chain finance in government earlier this year. Mr Boardman provided recommendations which were published on 16 September, some of which were in relation to improved management of outside interests in the Civil Service.

The government also notes the work of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs and Treasury Committees, as well as the Standards Matter 2 report from the Committee on Standards in Public Life. We will consider their work alongside Mr Boardman’s recommendations and set out a substantive government policy statement to Parliament in due course.