Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Smith of Basildon on 4 September (HL Deb col 1157), and to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office on 4 September (HC2317), whether the Chancellor of the Exchequer declared her political donation from Ian Corfield to the Treasury Permanent Secretary before he was appointed as a civil servant by exception; whether they considered recusal; and whether the Civil Service Commission was informed of the donation before they considered the request for an exception to the Recruitment Principles in this matter.

Ian Corfield was appointed on a short-term basis to carry out urgent work in support of the government’s International Investment Summit in October. A full recruitment process could not have been completed in the time available. The donation was included in the Chancellor's Register of Member's Interests. He has since been appointed, unpaid, as a direct ministerial appointment. The Civil Service Commission has published their letter to HM Treasury approving the appointment of Ian Corfield.