Further strengthening of Parliamentary Standards arrangements
Further strengthening of arrangements for sustaining high standards of conduct among Members of Parliament is described in the annual report of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Sir Philip Mawer, published today.
The steps taken in the past year include:
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Since 11 May 2004, the membership of the Committee on Standards and Privileges, which considers complaints against Members, has consisted of an equal number of Members drawn from Government and Opposition parties
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From the same date, Parliamentary Private Secretaries ceased to be among the members of the Committee
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The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards is now appointed for a 5 year, non-renewable (as opposed to a 3 year, renewable) term.
The Committee and the Commissioner have also:
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Clarified the means by which they deal with frivolous or vexatious complaints
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Supported the Government's intended introduction of a Bill to clarify the criminal law on corruption, thereby ensuring that MPs fall unambiguously within its scope
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Published guidance to help chairmen and members of Parliamentary select Committees avoid any conflict of interests.
The report discloses that both the total number of complaints against a named MP and the number of formal reports submitted by the Commissioner to the Committee increased in 2003-04 compared with the totals for the previous 12 months. The Commissioner notes, however, that past experience indicates that the number of complaints received can fluctuate markedly, and that part of the reason for the increase in the past year is that several of the complaints made concerned the same Member and often the same set of circumstances.
As well as recording the number of complaints, the report identifies the general lessons the Commissioner and the Committee on Standards and Privileges have drawn from considering individual cases. It notes that steps have been taken, for example, to tighten arrangements for Members' offices and surgeries outside Westminster and to identify the questions Members should have in mind when using their parliamentary staffing allowance.
The report reveals that a review of the Code of Conduct for MPs and of the arrangements for giving MPs briefing and guidance on standards matters are underway.
Commenting on his report, Sir Philip Mawer said:
"This report describes another year of steady progress in strengthening the arrangements for sustaining high standards of conduct among MPs. I hope the public will be encouraged by what has been done and by the evidence the report provides that the House as a whole fully intends to honour the trust the public has placed in its Members."
Note to Editors
The Commissioner will be available on 020 7219 0320 between 4.00pm and 5.30pm on Monday, 5 July to answer questions about his report.