Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by the Baroness Smith of Basildon on 19 June (HLWS717) on nominations to the House of Lords, what consultations took place with the House of Lords Appointments Commission and other relevant bodies prior to the statement.

The Government is grateful for the work of the House of Lords Appointments Commission in nominating individuals to the crossbenches and vetting all candidates for appointment to the House of Lords for propriety.

The written statement set out how the Prime Minister will approach appointments to the House of Lords and reflects the existing roles and responsibilities of all parties in the appointments system, including the Prime Minister, the Commission and party leaders.