Conduct Committee publishes further report on registration of members’ foreign interests

Further to the Conduct Committee’s first report on registration of members’ foreign interests, agreed by the House on 2 December 2020, the Committee has completed its consultation on whether there should be any exemptions to the new registration requirements on the grounds of confidentiality. The Committee has concluded that the public interest in transparency in this area, which has been raised by the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament among other bodies, trumps any duty of confidentiality. It is therefore proposed that no exemptions to the transparency requirements should be permitted. The report still needs agreement from the House. It is expected to be debated soon after the Easter recess.