MP Self-Refers Over Alleged 'Cash for Questions' Incident

A Conservative MP has referred himself to the standards commissioner after it was claimed a company that he worked for helped him write questions to government. George Freeman asked the director at environmental monitoring company GHGSat 'what to ask about' when submitting questions about the sector the firm operates in, the Sunday Times reported. Freeman was previously advised by a government committee not to lobby the government on behalf of the firm due to his previous role as science minister. The Mid Norfolk MP said in a statement to the BBC that he doesn't believe he did anything wrong, while his party said it would be 'inappropriate' to comment while inquiries were ongoing.

The Sunday Times reported that Freeman asked the company's director what to ask about as he prepared written parliamentary questions to Labour ministers related to space data and emissions tracking. In another email, he allegedly asked if the company could help him 'get the wording right', which he could then 'convert into parliamentary language'.

Freeman served as science minister under both Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak, and now sits on the science, innovation and technology committee. He took up the advisor role at GHGSat in April 2024, with the MP's register of interests stating he received a monthly salary of £5,000 for eight hours work per month, before leaving the role in March this year. After he notified appointments watchdog Acoba about the role, it advised him there were 'risks associated with your influence and network of contacts gained whilst in ministerial office'. The watchdog said the company 'is interested in government policy and decisions relating to the civil space sector and emissions'. It said Freeman 'should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK government' on behalf of GHGSat, and that 'you noted you have made it clear to the company that you will not lobby government on its behalf, and this will not form part of your role'.

'Willing to answer criticism'