The proper process was followed for Nadhim Zahawi’s appointment, including full disclosure of interests as required by the ministerial code. The independent adviser is investigating any potential conflicts and will publish findings in due course.

Confidentiality is crucial to retain the integrity of the disclosure process. It ensures that individuals disclose everything necessary without fear of public scrutiny, which is essential for the process to remain meaningful.

There was a robust pre-appointment hearing process for the BBC chair. The Commissioner for Public Appointments will verify that this process adhered to proper governance standards, and the chairman has invited discussions with the board to ensure all relevant conflicts were disclosed.

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Opposition Members have been calling for an independent adviser for months. When one is appointed, it is not good enough; then they say that the Government should take all decisions by themselves, without all the facts. It is useful to have an independent adviser to deal with these issues when appropriate. I reassure my hon. Friend that my understanding is that the independent adviser plans to issue a publication on ministerial interests before his report in May.

The usual appointment process was undertaken, so the Prime Minister will have had the benefit of full disclosure of the interests that my right hon. Friend the Member for Stratford-on-Avon declared when the Prime Minister appointed him chair of the Conservative party.

I agree. That is the purpose of having an independent adviser. He has been asked to investigate, and to work out exactly what the facts are. It would be ill-judged to make a decision before knowing all the facts that pertain.

We have the Nolan principles and the ministerial code. Both are extremely important documents, and extremely important approaches. The hon. Lady rightly refers to professionalism, but part of professionalism is being certain to take decisions based on all the facts. I know that she will respect the point that it is useful to have those facts established, but I concede that they should be established swiftly.

Indeed. I have absolutely no doubt that my right hon. Friend the Member for Stratford-on-Avon will co-operate in every way with the independent adviser to make certain that all the facts are known. In due course, the independent adviser will come to his conclusions, and the summarised conclusions will be published.

I would never have guessed that I would get a question along those lines from the hon. Gentleman. The important thing, as the Prime Minister said, is integrity, accountability and professionalism. That is absolutely right; that absolutely underpins this Government. Part of that is about making certain that we have the facts—and that is what we are undertaking to do under the auspices of the independent adviser.

The hon. Gentleman will have to excuse me: I do not know what was disclosed, and nor does the hon. Gentleman. That is why we have an independent adviser making certain that we have the facts addressed.

I have a great deal of respect for the right hon. Gentleman, but he knows that I do not know the answer to that question—I genuinely do not. But I have no doubt that the work of the independent adviser will establish the facts and that that will be reported to the Prime Minister.

The full process would have been undergone, in terms of the appointment of my right hon. Friend the Member for Stratford-on-Avon to the Government as chairman of the Conservative party or his appointment to the Cabinet Office, when he was appointed by this Prime Minister. That was clearly in a period after the July commentary in the press. I do not know what was disclosed; I imagine that everything was disclosed, but that is a matter for the independent adviser to ascertain.

My understanding is that my right hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson) and the gentleman in question have both said that no financial advice was provided from one to the other. That is my understanding. I do know that the chairman of the BBC has invited the senior non-executive at the BBC to look into his disclosures to make certain that everything was done properly. That process will also be undertaken by William Shawcross as Commissioner for Public Appointments, to make certain that the process, which appeared to be an extremely robust one—indeed, it involved a grilling in front of the Select Committee, before the right hon. Member for Exeter (Mr Bradshaw) and others—was absolutely consistent with the Government’s rules on these appointments.

The hon. Gentleman is making a statement about helping to arrange a loan. I do not know the basis on which he makes that assertion, but I know that all matters to do with any conflicts of interest or perception of conflicts of interest will be looked at by the BBC under the process established by the chairman.

What is absolutely the case is that a summary of the findings of the independent adviser and the outcome of that work will be shared with the House.

As I know from my work in the Cabinet Office, there is a huge focus across Government on ensuring that we go after tax evasion in all its forms. It is incredibly important that we do so and that we cut waste across Government, particularly when it results from fraudulent behaviour. That is what we do every day, and HMRC is responsible for following it up and making certain that people pay the tax that is owed.

The Minister disagrees with the tone taken by the hon. Gentleman and supports the valuable organisation of the BBC. He suggests it is unfortunate to make allegations about the BBC as a whole based on disputed facts.

Ministers are required to go through the proper process under the ministerial code. This involves full disclosure of conflicts of interest or perceived conflicts of interest.

The Minister has confidence in his right hon. Friend who will be open with the independent adviser producing a report for the Prime Minister to establish facts.

Mr. Sharp felt that the declaration was not required and a process was put in place to separate him from the loan arrangement. A senior non-executive director at the BBC ensured all disclosure matters were followed correctly.

The process for honours is highly confidential. The Minister genuinely does not know if the former Chancellor was up for an award or whether it was blocked.

The hon. Gentleman views the Government differently from the Minister, who has time for his right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister. The independent adviser will establish facts as the inquiry progresses.

The Minister cannot imagine circumstances where his right hon. Friend would not wish to be fully transparent with the independent adviser, necessary for establishing facts.

The updated list of financial interests will be published before the independent adviser's report is out in May. The Minister cannot commit to an exact date but it may be within hours or three months.