Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office on 13 April (HC123652), whether there is a constitutional basis for ministers to be suspended by the Prime Minister, where they remain a Minister of the Crown but without active ministerial responsibilities, while an investigation into their conduct is undertaken.

Ministers are appointed and dismissed by the Sovereign on the sole advice of the Prime Minister.

As the Ministerial Code sets out, ministers only remain in office for so long as they retain the confidence of the Prime Minister.