Committees

Outside employment and interests

Inquiry

The Committee on Standards is inquiring into whether there should be changes to the rules relating to outside interests and employment in the Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament.

The Committee will be exploring the following themes:

  • The benefits and risks of Members’ retaining outside interests and employment to the functioning of the House, including in relation to expertise and public perception
  • The effectiveness of the current rules in the Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament with regards to regulating outside interests and employment
  • Proposals for a qualified prohibition on outside interests, including rules-based or principles-based approaches, and their benefits
  • Mechanisms for transparency, monitoring and enforcement of any new rules or principles
  • Lessons from other legislatures or professions.

Upcoming events

View all events
Tuesday 15 July 2025
11:15am Private
11:30am Public
Outside employment and interests - Oral evidence 15 July 2025
11:30am
  • Mark Neale (Director General at Bar Standards Board)
  • Paul Phillip (Chief Executive at Solicitors Regulation Authority)
  • Dr John Sorabji (Associate Professor at UCL Laws)
Room 5, Palace of Westminster

Past events

Tuesday 10 June 2025
10:00am Private
10:30am Public
Outside employment and interests - Oral evidence 10 June 2025
10:30am
  • Doug Chalmers CB DSO OBE (Chair at Committee on Standards in Public Life)
11:30am
  • Mark Swindells (Assistant Director of Public Affairs and National Offices at General Medical Council)
Room 16, Palace of Westminster
Tuesday 20 May 2025
10:00am Private
10:30am Public
Outside employment and interests - Oral evidence 20 May 2025
10:30am
  • Sebastian Enser-Wight (Chief Strategy Officer at Global Media & Entertainment)
  • Tom Cheal (Senior Managing Editor at LBC)
11:30am
  • Professor David Hine (Emeritus Fellow and Tutor in Politics at Christ Church, University of Oxford)
  • Ms Rose Whiffen (Senior Research Officer at Transparency International UK)
  • Alex Parsons (Democracy Lead at MySociety)
Room 5, Palace of Westminster
Tuesday 13 May 2025
10:00am Private
10:15am Public
Outside employment and interests - Oral evidence 13 May 2025
10:15am
  • Cristina Nicolotti Squires (Group Director for Broadcasting and Media at Ofcom)
  • Kate Davies (Public Policy Director at Ofcom)
The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Tuesday 18 March 2025
10:00am Private
11:00am Public
Outside employment and interests - Oral evidence 18 March 2025
11:00am
  • Daniel Greenberg CB (Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards at Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards)
Room 16, Palace of Westminster

Contact us

  • Email: standards@parliament.uk
  • Phone: 020 7219 6615 (general enquiries) / 0207 219 0969 / CommonsPressOffice@parliament.uk (Media enquiries)