The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee has launched a new inquiry into propriety and ethics in government.
The committee will use the inquiry to examine the progress made so far on the government’s manifesto commitments to raise standards of ethics and integrity in government and to restore trust between the public and politics.
These include setting up an ethics and integrity commission with an independent chair “to ensure probity in government”.
PACAC will also consider how effective existing propriety and ethics structures in government are.
And they will ask how enforcing high standards could positively impact the public’s trust in government and the wider political system.
Launching the inquiry, PACAC chair Simon Hoare said ministers had made “significant commitments” to overhaul the ethics regime, but MPs have “yet to see much evidence of progress from the Cabinet Office”.
The inquiry will enable the committee to “push the government on its commitments, ensuring changes are properly stress-tested and scrutinised by parliament”, he said.
“An upstanding government and good ministers should not fear, but welcome, a strong, rigorous and independent ethics and propriety regime,” he added.
“Holding public office is a great privilege which carries enormous responsibility. Holding ministers to the highest standards is critical to maintaining the public’s trust and confidence in our political system. Any indication that the system is deficient can do untold damage to the perception of a government.”
A government spokesperson said: “We are restoring confidence in government and the highest standards in public life.
"This government is committed to establishing the right structures to do so and has already taken steps to improve probity and transparency, including through introducing a new ministerial code, which emphasises the principles of public life, by strengthening the terms of reference for the independent adviser, and by introducing a new monthly register of gifts and hospitality.”