Statement from the Conduct Committee on the Senior Deputy Speaker: interests

Following the appointment of Lord Gardiner of Kimble as Senior Deputy Speaker (Chairman of Committees) of the House of Lords, the Conduct Committee has considered his request for one exemption from the rules governing office-holders’ interests. The House gave the Committee the power to grant such exemptions in exceptional circumstances when it agreed to the Committee’s 11^th Report of 2019-21. As noted in paragraph 10 of that report, due to the tight timetable the Committee agreed in advance that, should the House agree the 11^th Report and Lord Gardiner be appointed as Senior Deputy Speaker, it would allow him to retain his partnership in CM Robarts & Son, which runs his family farming business. Now that Lord Gardiner has been appointed, we reaffirm this decision. This notice is published to the Committee’s website as confirmation of our decision.