Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2025 to Question 54270 on Government Departments: Directors, and with reference to the guidance entitled Non-Executive Board Member declaration of interests process, published on 28 November 2024, whether the threshold for declaring political activity as a Board Member is (a) the same and (b) different from that set out when applying for a public appointment in the Governance Code on Public Appointments; and whether previous political activity needs to be declared as a Board Member.

The guidance for declaring Non-Executive Board Member interests, with a particular reference to declaring political activity, differs from the Governance Code on Public Appointments as its scope is limited to current interests an individual holds.

The guidance published on 28 November 2024 requires Non-Executive Board Members to declare any current political activity. There are strict rules in the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies about political activity (sections 3.11 - 3.15). As stated in the code of conduct, any breaches are also considered a breach of the terms of appointment.

Declarations of previous political activity is a requirement during the Public Appointment process so that advisory assessment panels can assess whether the activity should be taken into account when determining a candidate’s suitability for the role.