MPs quiz Chair of Greensill lobbying inquiry

The Chair of the Government’s Review into the Greensill scandal, Nigel Boardman, will be questioned on the conduct and findings of his review by MPs on the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee.

It will be the first time Mr Boardman will have spoken publicly since the publication of the review.

The session will investigate Mr Boardman’s analysis of the facts surrounding financier Lex Greensill’s employment in Whitehall and will examine the review’s calls for tighter lobbying laws. The final part of the review was published last month during the Cabinet reshuffle. It recommended that the Government impose legally binding restrictions on the work former ministers and civil servants undertake after leaving Whitehall and for those engaged in lobbying to formally register as consultant lobbyists.

PACAC Chair William Wragg MP said: “Now that both of Mr Boardman’s reports have been published, we are looking forward to discussing how he arrived at his findings, scrutinising how the facts were uncovered, and determining which questions remain to be answered.

“The Greensill scandal risks damaging trust in government and the civil service. It is vital that lessons are learned and that real changes are made in short order to begin the process of restoring public confidence.”

In July, the Committee published its own interim report on Lex Greensill’s relationship with the Government. The report found that there was no apparent conflict of interest, but raised questions on whether the current Business Appointment Rules for civil servants are robust enough to prevent future conflicts of interest and to maintain public confidence.

The Government has not yet to responded to either the Committee’s or Mr Boardman’s report.