APCO Worldwide and Labour Together
The question
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his oral contribution of 23 February 2026 on Labour Together and APCO Worldwide: Cabinet Office Review, Official Report, Column 27, if he will place a copy in the Library of the (a) referral letter and (b) terms of reference to the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards.
Answered by Chris Ward
The Ministerial Code sets out processes for the investigation of alleged breaches of the Code by ministers serving in the Government and is published on gov.uk.
Paragraph 2.6a of the Code states: “If there is an allegation about a breach of the Code and the Prime Minister, having consulted the Cabinet Secretary, feels that it warrants further investigation, the Prime Minister may ask the Cabinet Office to investigate the facts of the case and/or refer the matter to the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards”.
These processes, and further detail on the role of the Independent Adviser, are also included in the Terms of Reference of the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards, which forms part of the Ministerial Code at Annex A.
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