Cabinet Secretary questioned on Sue Gray and Lords appointments
Cabinet Secretary Simon Case will be questioned by the cross-party Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee in an evidence session that will examine standards and appointment processes in Government. Joining the Cabinet Secretary is Director General of the Propriety and Ethics Team, Darren Tierney.
Meeting details
The session is an opportunity for MPs to question the Cabinet Secretary on the high-profile case involving former senior civil servant, Sue Gray.
Ms Gray, who led the probe into lockdown parties in Downing Street, was cleared to work for Labour last week by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, an independent watchdog chaired by Lord Pickles. In a recent statement, the Cabinet Office said the Government’s inquiry found that Ms Gray had “prima facie” broken civil service rules due to the “undeclared contact” with the Leader of the Opposition.
The Committee is also likely to discuss the propriety of appointments to the House of Lords following the release of former prime minister Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list. This is also an area soon to be examined by the Committee in its separate membership of the House of Lords inquiry.
The Government’s decision to withhold material from the Covid-19 public inquiry pandemic, as well as the continuing turbulence between politicians and civil servants, are also likely to be covered.