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

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Callanan on 20 May (HL127 and HL128), whether they asked Mike Ashley or Seema Jamil O’Neill for information when preparing their response; and if not, whether they will now do so.

The UK Endorsement Board secretariat provides an administrative role with no executive function so staff in the secretariat should not be subject to parliamentary questions about their previous experience. However, I can assure the noble Baroness that all members of the secretariat were recruited through fair and open competition.

The Government did not ask Mike Ashley for information in preparing its response to the previous questions. Officials contacted Mr Ashley during preparation of a response to this question and he informed officials that, to the best of his recollection, he was the KPMG audit engagement partner for years ending 31/12/2001 until 31/12/2004 inclusive.