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Committee on Standards publishes Special Report on Government response

22 January 2025

Committee on Standards publishes Special Report:

House of Commons standards landscape: how MPs' standards and conduct are regulated: Government response.

The previous Committee’s final report, The House of Commons standards landscape: how MPs’ standards and conduct are regulated, was published on 29 May 2024, shortly before the last Parliament dissolved for the 4 July General Election. It contained a detailed description of the substantial number of bodies within the landscape and their respective roles. It also made specific recommendations, some to Government, some to the House authorities.

Today, the Committee on Standards has published a Special Report which contains the Government’s Response.

Summary of the recommendations (and the Government’s response):

Declaration of commitment to the seven principles of public life

The Committee recommended that Members declare public commitment to the ‘Nolan Principles’ after taking the oath of allegiance at the beginning of each new Parliament.

In its response, the Government suggested that the seven principles could be integrated in other ways throughout an MP’s career.

Financial thresholds

The Committee recommended that the overall issue of adjusting thresholds in line with inflation be considered by our successor committee in the next Parliament. The Committee further recommend that our successor committee should be consulted by the Government before the Government brings in any adjustment to the thresholds.

The Government in its response to the Committee’s report said it is open to dialogue with Parliament on this matter.

Explanation and communication

The Committee recommended a single internet site providing information on the bodies within the standards landscape. Responding, the Government said it ‘fully supports the House providing better signposting for the public’.

The Committee also proposed that the Government contribute information to that website about its processes under the Ministerial Code. Responding, the Government ‘would welcome more information from the Committee as to what is envisaged by this recommendation’.

Induction and professional development for Members

The Committee recommended an assessment of the pros and cons of making office management training for Members a condition of receiving IPSA funding for their staff.

The Government does not support that recommendation. It does, however, support the House of Commons Commission assessing the merits of proposed training, taking into account existing services from the Members’ Support Team and resources available to Members on HR matters.

Sanctions and recall

Sanctions in bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct cases are proposed by an Independent Expert Panel (the IEP). But the Standards Committee is required to endorse any finding that might mean an MP faced a recall by-election. The Committee supported a change to the Parliamentary Recall Act 2015 to enable the IEP’s recommendations to stand without MP support or endorsement.

The Government agrees that IEP recommendations should be final and put before the House of Commons forthwith and should not require prior endorsement by the Committee on Standards. It will, says the response, consider how and when there might be an opportunity to clarify the procedures on this point.

The Committee also recommended post-legislative scrutiny of the 2015 Act. The Committee noted that the Act had had a ‘significant’ impact on the operations of the parliamentary standards system.

The Government replied that it believes the Act is broadly operating as intended. It is, however, committed to working with the Modernisation Committee and the Committee on Standards to consider how recall interacts with the sanctions available to the House, including the effect of the 10-day suspension threshold on the Committee’s decision-making process.

Commentary

While the response from the Government is positive in seeking discussion and actions to improve the standards landscape, it does not commit the Government to explicit action on any of the recommendations made to it.

Further information

Image credit: House of Commons