Report recommends ban on MPs giving paid parliamentary advice
Anew code of conduct drawn up by the Standards Committee includes a proposal to ban MPs from providing paid parliamentary advice in a bid to ensure they act “solely in the public interest”. The cross-party committee, chaired by Labour
MP Chris Bryant, has moved to clamp down on consultancy roles – but stopped short of supporting other limits on second jobs held by MPs, such as time spent or income earned.
The group, which includes four Conservative and two Labour MPs, one SNP MP and seven lay members, decided against further restrictions after failing to find “broad cross-party support” for them.
They also rejected suggestions of a cap on hours or pay on the grounds that this seemed to them to be arbitrary. For example, one witness pointed out an MP would be allowed to write a book that was commercially unsuccessful but would fall foul of the rules if it sold well.
The committee has recommended, however, that the exemption under which ministers do not currently have to register benefits gained in a ministerial capacity should be scrapped.
The House understands that the Standards Committee hopes receipt of gifts and hospitality by MPs will go down, as they will have to think harder in future about what they accept.
Under the new code of conduct, MPs taking on outside work would need to have written contracts specifying that they will not lobby ministers, MPs or public officials on behalf of their employer.
In another effort to tighten lobbying rules, the existing distinction between MPs initiating approaches to government and MPs participating in approaches would be removed.
While the committee considers its code of conduct to be a package that should be taken as a whole rather than treated as pick-and-mix, the changes requiring motions to be passed in the House of Commons will be amendable.
Votes on the measures are expected before Parliament rises for summer recess, in time for the new rules to come into force when MPs return in September.