Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether any (a) employee of his
Department, (b) person engaged by his Department as a consultant and (c) paid adviser to his Department is a member of the House of Lords; and if he will make a statement. [52890]
Mrs. McGuire: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The rules on political activities that Departments are required to enforce are set out in chapter 4.4 of the Civil Service Management Code. This does not directly state that Members of the House of Lords cannot be employees of the civil service. | 
