Labour's Sarah Jones says that No 10 appears to have said that the PM was told of the upheld complaint but he forgot.

She asks if the minister has ever been in a position where he has not "immediately been able to recall being told of an upheld complaint of sexual harassment by a minister".

Ellis responds by saying that the PM has a "myriad array of urgent pressing responsibilities" and may be told "literally hundreds of things in one day".

Green MP Caroline Lucas says Boris Johnson previously said "of course sexual harassment is grounds for dismissal" and argues that Lord McDonald's letter shows in black and white that Boris Johnson had been briefed on issues.

She says there needs to be "radical systems reform" on upholding standards in public life and that the prime minister needs to go.

Michael Ellis says Lucas is wishing to "play party politics" and that the Greens should win a general election before trying to change the prime minister and standards for public life.

Image source, House of Commons

Labour's Dame Diana Johnson asks if anyone ever raised concerns with Michael Ellis directly about Chris Pincher.

Michael Ellis says this "isn't a matter for me" and that he isn't in charge of appointments.

Will any minister decide they no longer want to be in government?published at 13:08 British Summer Time 5 July 2022

13:08 BST 5 July 2022

Vicki Young
Deputy Political Editor

The point William Wragg makes (see post at 12:55) reflects many of the private conversations Tory MPs are having - is the moment coming where more cabinet ministers decide they can’t “tolerate still being in government”?

Unhappy ministers give many reasons for not resigning and one of them is that they don’t believe it will make any difference.

Remember Oliver Dowden? Tory MPs think at least two senior cabinet ministers would need to walk out to have any impact.

Veteran Conservative MP Peter Bone says many members of the opposition benches turn up to the Commons to "bash Boris".

He asks if normal constituents are bothered by "an MP they've never heard of" or if they are more bothered by "the biggest tax reduction in decades" due tomorrow when the national insurance threshold is raised by £3,000.

"When it comes to policies, they don't raise the issues," Michael Ellis replies, saying that opposition parties deal in personal attacks.

Conservative John Penrose says it was clear from Lord McDonald's letter to the Parliamentary standards commissioner that No 10 has not been honest in what it has said.

He says honesty is one of the seven Nolan principles of public life and asks how many more of the seven principles will they have to breach before Ellis will say "enough is enough".

Ellis says he does not get the premise of the question and says after the Cabinet Office investigation he is not aware of the senior civil servant in question (meaning Lord McDonald) objecting to Chris Pincher being appointed to ministerial roles.

Image source, HoC

Senior Labour MP and Chair of the Commons Standards Committee Chris Bryant says he hopes "one day" Michael Ellis listens back to recordings of the defence he is giving right now.

He says if the boss [Boris Johnson] is constantly trying to change the rules, then those under him will "endlessly take liberties".

He says the government seems to be "trying to help itself" rather than govern.

Michael Ellis says Bryant is trying to be "judge, jury and executioner". He says it is moral to "treat people fairly, and that includes victims and includes the accused".

The SNP's Brendan O'Hara calls Ellis the minister for "defending the indefensible" and says it is like being on a "merry go round" the number of times MPs have to come back to the House to "question the veracity of the prime minister".

Ellis responds by saying the SNP is trying to make "political hay" and says that "natural justice" relies on fact and not rumours.

Conservative MP William Wragg says that systems to uphold standards in public life are "irrelevant" if people in charge "have no regard for them".

He says ministers must think about "what they are being asked to say in public, which changes seemingly by the hour".

He says ministers must ask if they can "tolerate being part of a government which, for better or worse, is widely regarded as having lost its sense of direction... it is a question of political judgement, and political judgement cannot be delegated".

Michael Ellis says the government is dealing with issues that matter to the public, such as Ukraine, the pandemic and the cost of living, "which the government have dealt with in an exemplary manner".

Ellis says the PM has acted with "probity" at all times, adding that it is not appropriate to act on unsubstantiated rumour.

Ellis says that a Cabinet Office exercise established that while Chris Pincher meant no harm by his actions which were complained about in 2019, "what had occurred caused a high-level of discomfort".

He apologised and those raising the concern accepted the resolution, Ellis adds.

Relating to the 2019 incident involving Chris Pincher while he was a Foreign Office minister, Ellis says Boris Johnson was made aware of this issue in late 2019, but was told the necessary action had been taken and that "therefore no issue therefore arose about [Pincher] remaining as a minister".

He says last week the PM did not "immediately recall" the conversation about this incident and as soon as he was reminded the No 10 press office corrected its lines.

Michael Ellis, the paymaster general, says the matter of what happened with regards to Chris Pincher is now being investigated and says that it may lead to a police investigation so he says the sub judice rule should apply.

Appointments in government are subject to advice on matters of propriety, he says, adding that the usual reshuffle processes were followed.

Ellis points out that Pincher had been given ministerial jobs by other prime ministers too.

He says it is morally fair to judge things on evidence and not on unsubstantiated rumour.

"If there is no live complaint, no ongoing investigation, surely it is not unreasonable to make an appointment," he says.

Image source, HoC

Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner says "this constant charade just will not wash".

"These latest disturbing allegations about ministerial conduct are all about abuse of power," she states, "power that is granted by this prime minister".

She says that last week the prime minister said he "knew nothing" of allegations against Chris Pincher, but "that defence has been completely blown apart".

She asks if Michael Ellis - the minister responding to her urgent question - thinks Lord McDonald is telling the truth, and asks if the issue with Mr Pincher "was even raised or brought up in the vetting process" for his previous ministerial role in the Foreign Office.

"There is an even bigger ethical vacuum in Downing Street" after Lord Geidt - the prime minister's former ethics adviser - left his post last month, she states.

"What message does this send to the British people, facing a cost of living crisis, while their government is paralysed with scandal?" she asks.

Image source, HoC

Michel Ellis goes on to say that it is important that "we do not prejudge" complaints.

He says there are bodies and officeholders with a role in overseeing specific parts of public life.

"We do have a Parliament that upholds standards to cover all of those in public life but it is incumbent on all of us not to prejudge," he says.

He adds that those who wish to make complaints should have their anonymity protected.

He finishes saying that everyone in public life must individually choose how to act.

Image source, HoC

Cabinet Office minister Michael Ellis, responding for the government, begins by saying it is a "pleasure" to appear before the House on this matter.

He says the UK has a sophisticated system for upholding standards.

"It is of course founded on the seven principles of public life," he says.

MPs are in the Commons chamber ready for Angela Rayner's urgent question amid the fallout of the Chris Pincher row.

She asks the government to "update the House on the mechanisms for upholding standards in public life".

And here's Labour's deputy leader now.

Image source, HoC

Former Conservative Chief Whip Mark Harper says "it does appear that ministers of the crown have been lied to by people in No 10", saying: "I think the prime minister has some serious questions to answer."

"Downing Street is supposed to have been reorganised" since partygate, he states, but the weeks since "haven't demonstrated a great deal of change".

He says he hasn't "changed my opinion" since deciding that Boris Johnson had to leave office over his conduct from partygate.

In a few minutes Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner will ask her urgent question in the House of Commons about "the mechanisms for upholding standards in public life" - following revelations over the handling of allegations about former deputy chief whip Chris Pincher.

Cabinet Office minister Michael Ellis will be responding for the government.

We'll bring you live updates from the Commons chamber as we find out together what new light can be shed on this continuing row.

The former Conservative MP and attorney general Dominic Grieve - a long-standing critic of Boris Johnson - says that cabinet ministers "need to grasp this particular nettle".

"This is yet another example of the prime minister being completely untrustworthy and directly contradicted by a former senior civil servant," he tells BBC News, adding that No 10 appears to have sent out ministers to "mislead the public on his behalf".

Describing Boris Johnson as "manifestly unfit to hold office," he says the Conservative Party is being damaged and may never recover.

Earlier we told you about Lord McDonald's interview with Radio 4's Today programme.

McDonald explained how a 2019 complaint about former Foreign Office minister, and now ex-Deputy Chief Whip, Chris Pincher was dealt with.

The former head of the diplomatic service repeated his assertation that Prime Minister Boris Johnson was briefed "in person" on the matter, calling on No 10 to "come clean".

He also questioned Downing Street's recent insistence that the 2019 issue was resolved - with McDonald saying that suggested Pincher was exonerated when in fact the complaint was upheld.

Here's that interview in full.