Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to write to the London Stock Exchange on the level of flexibility of its FTSE-Russell subsidiary in relation to granting FTSE 100 index membership to Unilever; and if he will make a statement.

Criteria for inclusion within an index are a matter for the benchmark administrator, rather than for the government or regulator. It is therefore FTSE Russell’s decision as a private company and not for HM Treasury to comment on an ongoing decision. FTSE’s methodology is made publicly available at (http://www.ftse.com/products/downloads/FTSE_UK_Index_Series.pdf) and discretion is available within this framework.

Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors, including the London Stock Exchange, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-giftsand-overseas-travel