Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment has the Prime Minister made of the adequacy of the standards of probity in public life.

Her Majesty’s Government is committed to maintaining high standards of conduct and probity, whilst making improvements where necessary to policies and processes which help support this.

There are a range of mechanisms in place to maintain and drive up standards, including Codes of Conduct (such as the Ministerial Code, Civil Service Code, Special Adviser Code), policies and guidance (such as Managing Public Money), and bodies and offices charged with overseeing aspects of government activity (for example the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments and the Civil Service Commission). The Committee on Standards in Public Life also issues regular reports with ideas and recommendations for the Government and other public bodies to consider.

I also refer the Hon. Member to the written ministerial statement of 16 December 2021, Official Report, HCWS500, on the Government's anti-corruption strategy work.