Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has issued recent guidance to Departments on the disclosure of political activity at the same time as the announcement of appointments.

For public appointments, the Governance Code on Public Appointments requires that relevant political activity, as defined within the Code, should be publicly disclosed for successful candidates. This is expected to happen at the time that a department or appointing body announces the successful candidate. Or in the case of those appointments subject to pre-appointment hearing by a House of Commons select committee, the preferred candidate.

Direct ministerial appointments are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. This requires declaration of political activity where that is an actual or perceived conflict to their role. This is administered by the appointing body.