Labour has today demanded that the Health Secretary explain how a
company owned by members of his family in which he himself holds
more than 15% of the shares won a place on an NHS Shared Business
Services framework to provide services to the NHS, and explain why
he failed to declare that the company is owned by members of his
family.
Labour’s Deputy Leader Angela Rayner has accused the Health
Secretary of appearing to have breached the Ministerial Code,
which states that: “Ministers must scrupulously avoid any danger
of an actual or perceived conflict of interest between their
Ministerial position and their private financial interests”.
Saying that “it is clear Tory sleaze and cronyism has engulfed
this government”, Labour’s Deputy Leader Angela Rayner has
demanded that the government publish the delayed Register of
Ministers’ Interests setting out Ministers’ financial affairs and
interests by the 23rd April, so that voters are informed before
the elections taking place throughout Britain on 6th May.
Labour’s Deputy Leader said:
"The Health Secretary needs to explain in a public statement
today how a company owned by his family members which he holds
shares in came to win a place on a business services framework to
provide services to the NHS, as well as explaining why he did not
declare that the company is owned by his family members.
“It appears that the Health Secretary has breached the
Ministerial code, and the public deserve answers.
"It is clear that Tory sleaze and cronyism has engulfed this
government, making it even more urgent that the government
publish the delayed Register of Ministers' Interests in full
immediately.
"Given it was the Health Secretary who was found by the courts to
have acted unlawfully on contract transparency – with this latest
scandal the public will rightly expect the utmost transparency."
