Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what advice the Deputy Prime Minister received from (1) the Permanent Secretary to the Cabinet Office, (2) the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards, and (3) the Cabinet Office propriety and ethics team, regarding ministerial discussions with the Unite trade union.

As set out in the Ministerial Code, there is an established process in place for the declaration and management of private interests held by ministers. This ensures that steps are taken to avoid or mitigate any actual or perceived conflicts of interest. Any advice given to ministers as part of this process would be in confidence.