Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards: Annual Report 2007-08
A year of change
In his first report as Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, John Lyon draws attention to the number of changes which took effect during the year.
The Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament was first introduced in 1995. Since then there have been a number of changes to the Code and to the rules and regulations which support it, in response to society’s changing expectations of Members of Parliament. The year beginning 1 April 2007 was no exception. This year saw changes to the regulations governing the use of the House’s dining facilities; to the allowances system, following the introduction of the new Communications Allowance; and, at the very end of the period, the addition of a new Part 2 of the Register of Members’ Interests. From 1 August 2008 Members will be required to record on the Register details of family members whom they employ and pay from their Parliamentary allowances. From 1 April 2008 it has been open to them to record such details but they are not required to do so.
The Commissioner considers complaints that a Member of Parliament may have breached the Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament and the associated rules of the House. During the year 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008 the Commissioner received a total of 226 complaints against named Members, up from the 176 received in 2006-07. Many of these complaints fell outside the Commissioner’s remit or failed to provide sufficient evidence on which the Commissioner could base an inquiry. In total the Commissioner proceeded with 71 complaints. Of these, 29 were dismissed after preliminary inquiry and a further 22 were resolved in the year.
In view of the pace of change Mr Lyon encourages MPs to familiarise themselves with the Code of Conduct and its Rules. He said
"At the heart of the House’s standards system lies the conduct of individual Members. It is the responsibility of each Member to ensure that his or her conduct meets the requirements of the House. I would therefore encourage all Members to familiarise themselves with the Rules and in particular to exercise their personal responsibility for ensuring that they meet their requirements. Public confidence in the standing and reputation of Parliament is central to the working of our democratic system and to people’s engagement with that system. That is the ultimate objective of the standards framework of the House and it needs to be nurtured and supported by all Members and by the House authorities."
Notes for Editors
- The Commissioner will be available to speak to the press on 16 July 2008.
- This Report covers the period 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008.
- John Lyon was appointed Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards on 1 January 2008, when he succeeded Sir Philip Mawer. Before that he held a number of senior civil service posts in the Home Office and in the Ministry of Justice, most recently handling relations with the judiciary and the legal profession and championing diversity in the department. He was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 2003.
- The current framework for Parliamentary standards dates from 1995, when the first Commissioner was appointed and when the Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament was introduced. Mr Lyon is the fourth Commissioner.
- The Commissioner is appointed for a five year, non-renewable term and is not liable to dismissal except on a resolution of the House. His remit does not extend to the House of Lords.
- The Commissioner’s main duties are:
- overseeing the maintenance of the Register of Members’ Interests and the other registers of interests for Members’ staff, journalists and All-Party Groups;
- with the Registrar of Members’ Interests, advising on the registration and declaration of interests;
- advising the Committee on Standards and Privileges on the interpretation of the Code of Conduct;
- monitoring the operation of the Code and registers and making recommendations to the Committee thereon;
- receiving, investigating and reporting to the Committee on complaints against Members.