Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the article in The Times ‘Standards board ‘looks like a cabal’’, published on 7 February, whether they plan to investigate the report that the UK Endorsement Board intended to use Martin Moore QC for legal advice “behind the scenes” despite an acknowledged conflict of interest which prevented him from being formally instructed.

The organisations referred to in these questions - the UK Endorsement Board (UKEB), the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) – are responsible for procuring their own legal advice. The FRC which facilitates the UKEB is an arm’s length body which reports annually to the Department on how it has carried out responsibilities under its remit. The ICAEW is an independent organisation.

The issue of whether to publish legal advice is for the respective organisations to consider.