Lord Kakkar (CB)

My Lords, this report is the outcome of the third detailed investigation into Lord Chadlington’s interactions with Ministers and advisers in the Department of Health and Social Care during the Covid-19 pandemic. Given that Lord Chadlington retired from the House following publication of the Conduct Committee’s report, there is no Motion to suspend him on the Order Paper and I shall not take up the House’s time by setting out the facts of the case. However, Lord Chadlington has sent communications to noble Lords following his retirement in which he accused the Conduct Committee of procedural unfairness and of ignoring points raised in an opinion prepared on the instructions of his solicitors by the noble and learned Lord, Lord Goldsmith. I want to assure the House that, far from ignoring these points of process, the committee considered them with great care, but we did not agree with them for reasons that are set out in detail in our report. Our decision to dismiss Lord Chadlington’s appeal was based on the facts and the evidence. I beg to move.