Valerie raises change to Ministerial Code at Leader’s Questions

At Questions to the Leader of the House on Thursday 29 October 2015, I raised the Prime Minister’s recent changes to the Ministerial Code:

“The shadow Leader of the House was right to raise the issue of the ministerial code. May we have an urgent statement on who made the decision to change the code, the reasons for doing so and why international obligations were removed from it, when it was settled custom and practice for this country?”

The Leader of the House responded:

“Given that the ultimate owner of the ministerial code is the Prime Minister and he is here before the House for questions every week, there will be plenty of opportunity to ask him that if the hon. Lady wishes to do so.”

This is a wholly inadequate response. The Leader of the House should have endeavoured to find out. This is a serious issue.