Standards Committee, 27 Mar 2002

Meeting date: Wednesday, March 27, 2002

Official Report 121KB pdf

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Committee on Standards in Public Life (House of Commons)

The next item is to consider whether we wish to make a submission to the Committee on Standards in Public Life—the Wicks committee, as it is known—in relation to its inquiry into standards of conduct in the House of Commons. The Wicks committee has indicated that it wishes to draw on the experiences of the devolved legislatures. Members will note that the issues and questions paper touches very much on our work on lobbying, for instance.

It would be appropriate for us to make a written submission that summarises the work that we have done on lobbying, the Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Bill and the members' interests order. My view is that we should not comment on the current arrangements at Westminster. If we present a paper to the Wicks committee making clear what we have done, the members of that committee can draw their own conclusions. That is my view, but I would like to hear members' views.

There is general support for your suggestion. It is useful for the Committee on Standards in Public Life to have the information, but we do not need to get deeply involved in the affairs of that committee.

As there are no other comments, is everyone happy with that suggestion?

Members indicated agreement.