Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the compatibility of the address given by the Chair of the Office for Students to the Conservative Political Action Conference with the duties under paragraph 3.11 of the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies.

Paragraph 3.14 of the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public bodies, referring to paragraphs 3.11 to 3.13 of the code, states ‘If you are an MP, member of the House of Lords, member of a devolved legislature, directly elected mayor, local councillor or police and crime commissioner, you are exempt from these requirements.’ As a member of the House of Lords, Lord Wharton is therefore exempt from the requirements of 3.11.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education was not given notice of Lord Wharton’s attendance or speech at the recent Conservative Political Action Conference and will not be making an assessment of the compatibility of the address given by Lord Wharton.