Ministerial Code: Compliance

Jeremy Wright Excerpts

Wednesday 14th May 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I think my hon. Friend makes a very good point, and I do not need to add to it.

[Sir Jeremy Wright (Kenilworth and Southam) (Con)]

I think it would be fair to say that this is not the first Government who have disregarded this particular provision of the ministerial code, but may I put it to the Leader of the House that if the charge is that the Government, for their own calculated and tactical advantage, have breached the ministerial code by announcing something outside this Chamber, surely the person determining whether such a breach has occurred cannot be the leader of that Government? Is it not time to look again at the recommendations made by, among others, the Committee on Standards in Public Life, of which I was once a member, about how the decision maker as to whether the ministerial code has been breached should be the independent adviser on ministerial standards, not the Prime Minister?

[Lucy Powell]

The right hon. and learned Member will know that the independent adviser on the ministerial code appointed by the previous Government was reappointed by this Government, and that the independent adviser’s powers were strengthened to be able to initiate inquiries. Those inquiries do not now need to be initiated by the Prime Minister.

We are raising standards when it comes to Members of Parliament, and Ministers as well. We are holding ourselves accountable to much higher standards than happened under the previous Government. I would just reiterate for the House that the ministerial code says:

“When Parliament is in session, the most important announcements of government policy should be made in the first instance in Parliament.”

There are times when Parliament is not in session, and announcements are brought to the House at other times.