Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Smith of Basildon on 4 September (HL Deb col 1157), and to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office on 4 September (HC2317), whether Peter Kyle declared as a political donation in kind the reported use of a seconded member of staff from Public Digital to the departmental Permanent Secretary before that member of staff, Emily Middleton, was appointed as a Director-General for Digital Centre Design in the department by exception; whether they considered recusal; and whether the Civil Service Commission was informed of any previous donations before they considered the Recruitment Principles exception request from the department for Ms Middleton’s appointment to the Senior Civil Service.

The secondment from Public Digital was listed by the Secretary of State in his Register of Members' Financial Interests in January and in April. Conflicts of interest have been managed by the Department in line with usual practice. The Civil Service Commission was provided with the relevant background information requested, including the proposed candidate’s full employment history, when approving this temporary appointment.