Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his Department's procedure is for conducting due diligence prior to the appointment of Ministers.

Successive governments have preserved the ability for officials to provide advice to Ministers, including the Prime Minister, in confidence. In order to protect the ability to provide such advice effectively, it is not appropriate to comment on either specific information or advice provided in relation to ministerial appointments, or on the procedures used to provide that advice.