Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the statutory guidance to be issued under clause 10 of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill will include a common core template; which elements of that template public authorities will be permitted to omit or modify; and how they will monitor consistency in its implementation.
Answered by Lord Lemos - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Public authorities will be required to adopt and publish Codes of Ethical Conduct. These can be tailored to meet the requirements of their workforces and sectors.
The Bill sets out the minimum requirements that public authorities must meet for their Code to be compliant. Statutory guidance will be published to support them.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to establishing a single statutory minimum code of ethical conduct applicable to all public authorities, which individual authorities could supplement but not dilute, rather than requiring each authority to formulate its own minimum standards.
Answered by Lord Lemos - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Public Office (Accountability) Bill requires public authorities to have and publish Codes of Ethical Conduct. Each code should explain how those working for the authority can demonstrate candour in the context of their particular organisation, its functions, and the individual’s specific role.
The Bill sets out the minimum requirements that public authorities must meet for their Code to be compliant.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what work the Ethics and Integrity Commission and the Cabinet Office duty of candour team have undertaken on the proposed statutory guidance and common framework for codes of ethical conduct; when that work began; what public authorities and existing codes have been examined; and when the resulting material will be published.
Answered by Lord Lemos - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
In October 2025, the Ethics and Integrity Commission (EIC) was commissioned to report on how public bodies can develop, distribute and enforce Codes of Conduct so that they effect meaningful cultural change, ensuring that public officials act with honesty, integrity and candour at all times.
When published, the EIC will act as a ‘Centre of Excellence’ for public sector Codes of Conduct and provide guidance and best practice to public bodies. As an independent body, the EIC is responsible for setting the scope and direction of its work.
Statutory guidance will be published to support public authorities to comply with the duties in clause 10 of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to consult Andrew Devine’s family on the content, enforcement, and consistency of the codes of ethical conduct required by the Public Office (Accountability) Bill before publishing statutory guidance or tabling any Government amendments.
Answered by Lord Lemos - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
I have recently met members of the Devine family with the noble Lord to discuss these proposals and am grateful to them for their time.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government how members of the public will be able to (1) identify the applicable code, (2) make a complaint, (3) obtain independent investigation of a serious or systemic breach, and (4) secure a remedy where an authority’s internal employment or disciplinary procedure is unavailable or inappropriate.
Answered by Lord Lemos - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Public Office (Accountability) Bill requires public authorities to publish a Code of Ethical Conduct that includes information on how people who do not work for the public authority may make a complaint.
The method of investigation and possible outcomes will depend on the circumstances and the public authority concerned.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government how breaches of codes established under clause 10 of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill will be investigated and enforced where the public official concerned has resigned, retired, or transferred to another authority before the complaint or investigation is concluded.
Answered by Lord Lemos - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Bill sets out the minimum requirements that public authorities must meet for their Code of Ethical Conduct to be compliant. Public authorities are responsible for the disciplinary consequences for people who work for the authority failing to act in accordance with the standards of conduct expected of them.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk that separate codes under clause 10 of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill will create different standards, complaint routes, investigative arrangements, and sanctions for materially similar conduct in different public authorities.
Answered by Lord Lemos - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Public authorities will be required to adopt and publish Codes of Ethical Conduct. These can be tailored to meet the requirements of their workforces and sectors.
The Bill sets out the minimum requirements that public authorities must meet for their Code to be compliant. Statutory guidance will be published to support them.
Asked by: Patrick Spencer (Conservative - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of whether sentences for theft of agricultural machinery and equipment adequately reflect the economic impact of such offences on farming businesses.
Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government recognises the significant impact that theft of agricultural machinery and equipment can have on farming businesses and rural communities. These offences can result in substantial financial loss, disruption to business operations and wider economic harm in rural areas.
We are committed to tackling rural crime and supporting the policing response to these offences. This year, the Home Office is providing over £800,000 to the National Rural Crime Unit and National Wildlife Crime Unit, supporting intelligence development, operational coordination, and specialist capabilities to tackle rural and wildlife crime across England and Wales.
At the point of sentencing, Sentencing Council guidelines for theft offences make clear that significant financial loss or serious disruption caused to a victim's business may be treated as an aggravating factor, which can result in a more severe sentence being imposed. Courts must follow sentencing guidelines unless it would be contrary to the interest of justice to do so.
Courts must, by law, also consider whether to make a compensation order requiring offenders to make financial reparation to victims for any personal injury, loss or damage resulting from the offence, and must give reasons where they decide not to make such an order.
Asked by: Joy Morrissey (Conservative - Beaconsfield)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many female victims of sexual offences in each of the last five years were under the age of 18, where the alleged perpetrator was an asylum seeker.
Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Data regarding the age of the victim is not held by the Ministry of Justice, except where it is specifically defined in statute (for example, where the offence is a sexual offence against a child). In addition, the Ministry of Justice does not hold information on the asylum status of offenders.
The removal of Foreign National Offenders is a priority for this Government and within its first two years (July 2024 to June 2026), this Government has increased returns of FNOs by 41% compared to the last two years of the previous Government.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness and adequacy of his Department's report entitled MOJ public appointments diversity and outreach strategy, published on 11 June 2026.
Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Public Appointments Diversity and Outreach Strategy 2026 outlines how the Ministry of Justice will improve diversity, fairness and transparency in public appointments through strengthened outreach, recruitment processes and data-driven decision making. The Department will assess progress biannually, with a full evaluation in 2028.