Committee publication · Correspondence · 2 June 2026

Letter from Baroness Anderson, Parliamentary Secretary on Propriety, ethics and the wider standards landscape oral evidence session on 21.4.26, dated 11.5.26

From: Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee

Inquiry: Propriety, ethics and the wider standards landscape in the UK

Summary

Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent responds to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee's April 2026 oral evidence session on standards and ethics. The letter outlines government action on standards reform, including establishment of the Ethics and Integrity Commission (13 October 2025), updates to the Ministerial Code and Independent Adviser powers, and business appointment rule reforms with financial sanctions. The government commits to responding to EIC reports within approximately six weeks, aligned with Select Committee timelines.

Key findings

Ethics and Integrity Commission established 13 October 2025 via reform of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, with first review on ombudsman reform announced and lobbying/disclosure/access review due before summer recess
Government issued new Ministerial Code and updated Independent Adviser terms of reference, enabling independent investigation initiation without Prime Minister consent
Business appointment rules reformed to introduce financial sanctions for former Ministers breaching the rules
Government targets responding to EIC reports within six weeks, aligned with Select Committee reporting timelines (two-month deadline per MPs' Guide to Procedure)
OECD conducting new wave of public trust research, expected publication summer 2026, with findings to inform future research commissions before next study wave in 2028/9

Tone

Procedural

Topics

standards-ethicsministerial-conductpublic-integritygovernment-accountability

Key actors

Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent, Simon Hoare MP, Angela Rayner, Ethics and Integrity Commission, Independent Adviser on Ministerial Interests, Committee on Standards in Public Life, OECD

Notable line

“The Commission will also report annually to the Prime Minister on the overall health of our standards system.”

Key Quotes

“Labour will restore confidence in government and ensure ministers are held to the highest standards. We will establish a new independent Ethics and Integrity Commission, with its own independent Chair, to ensure probity in government.”
— Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent · setting out Labour manifesto commitment on standards reform

“… the Government decided to establish the independent Ethics and Integrity Commission through reform of the Committee on Standards in Public Life and the Commission was duly established on 13 October”
— Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent · detailing government action on establishing the EIC

“… the Government gave careful consideration to ensuring the right structures and arrangements are in place for upholding integrity in public life.”
— Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent · explaining government's approach to standards reform

“| consider this to be a once-in-a-generation moment for a stocktake and an opportunity to reflect on the distance travelled in the 31 years since the Nolan Principles were established …”
— Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent · positioning the current standards review within historical context

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Source · parliament.uk record ↗