Committees

Committee on Standards examines Code of Conduct for MPs

23 November 2020

The Committee on Standards hears from Lords Evans of Weardale and Dr Jane Martin, both of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, as they continue their inquiry into the Code of Conduct for MPs.

Witnesses

Tuesday 24 November 2020, virtual meeting

At 11.00am

  • Lords Evans of Weardale
  • Dr Jane Martin

The hearing will form part of the first stage of a multi-stage review process, announced in September this year, in preparing a new text of the Code of Conduct, and the associated Guide to the Rules, for approval by the House.

The stages of the review process will include:

  • The public evidence sessions which will contribute to the Committee on Standards report
  • When the Committee publishes its report, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards will take up her own review of the Code
  • This process will be followed by a public consultation on a revised text of the Code
  • The Standards Committee will then propose a final revised text for recommendation to the House
  • The review process will also incorporate consideration of possible changes to the Guide to the Rules which will also need to be put before the House for its approval.

The most recent review of the Code was completed in 2015. For various reasons it was not possible to complete a review of the Code in the two recent short Parliaments, those of 2015-17 and 2017-19.

However, the previous Commissioner, Kathryn Hudson, and subsequently an informal sub-committee of the Standards Committee both carried out valuable work which the present inquiry will take fully into account.

Further information

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