THE GOVERNMENT has questions to answer over the appointment of a former Serco boss as a junior justice minister given the outsourcing giant’s “controversial record,” says Labour frontbencher Richard Burgon.

The shadow justice secretary has written to his opposite number David Gauke expressing concern over last week’s appointment of Edward Argar, Serco’s former head of UK and Europe public affairs.

Serco, which runs five private prisons and is responsible for transporting 24,000 prisoners to court a month, is currently under investigation by the Serious Fraud Office for overcharging the Ministry of Justice on a contract for electronically tagging offenders.