How many times, if any, has he sought advice from the Cabinet Office regarding a potential or perceived conflict of interest in relation to a matter before him within his portfolio, since first assuming that portfolio, listed by date?

Answer

I have met with the Cabinet Office on a number of occasions since my appointment as a Minister, to discuss or review conflicts of interest in relation to all of my portfolios. Details regarding conflicts of interest disclosed to the Cabinet Office are not generally released, in order to ensure the confidentiality of Cabinet proceedings, to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs, and in some cases, to protect personal privacy. This has been the approach of successive administrations because it is in the public interest that the Cabinet Office can obtain and assess information about conflicts of interest and provide advice to Ministers on how to resolve them on a confidential basis. The Cabinet Office proactively releases information about where conflicts of interests are managed by a transfer of responsibility on its website.