COMMITTEE ON
STANDARDS IN PUBLIC LIFE News Release (PN214) issued by The
Government News Network on 10 June 2008
The Committee on
Standards in Public Life today published its annual report for
2007 -2008.
Launching the report at the Committee's third Open meeting
in London, Sir Christopher Kelly, Committee Chairman said:
"It is very clear that there are major areas of unfinished
business which continue to give us concern. The first is MPs'
expenses and allowances. Whatever your view of the personal
integrity in financial matters of Members of Parliament, it is
clear that they are not well served by reimbursement arrangements
which appear to be less transparent and less rigorous than those
for other public office holders or in the private sector. My
Committee initially welcomed Parliament's decision to
instigate a root and branch review of the allowance system but we
were less impressed by the decision that the review should be
conducted by a committee of parliamentarians without an
independent element. However conscientiously they undertake their
task, it is difficult to see how the results can be expected to
command full public confidence. If the opportunity is missed to
undertake a truly fundamental review of the systems for
reimbursing Members of Parliament, the outcome may simply give
rise to greater distrust of the political class. My Committee will
be taking a close interest in the outcome of the House's
current deliberations.
"Secondly, party political funding. Few things have been
more corrosive in recent years to public trust in politicians and
the political process than the perception that financial support
to a political party can buy influence or personal advancement. It
is deeply disappointing that independent attempts to bring about
all-party agreement on much needed reform of party funding have
clearly broken down. This cannot be good for trust in politics and
politicians and it is essential that a further attempt should soon
be made to resolve the issue. This will require willingness by
more than one party to compromise in the public interest on some
deeply entrenched positions. If the current stalemate persists, my
Committee may wish to take its own look at the issues, which fall
directly within its terms of reference.
"The third area which continues to give us concern is
electoral registration. Our 11th report highlighted problems with
the vulnerability to fraud of our electoral system because of the
combination of household registration and the introduction of
postal voting on demand. Since then, well-reported instances of
voting fraud in Peterborough, Burnley and Slough have increased
our concern. And the Council of Europe has come close to
triggering its special monitoring processes for United Kingdom
elections - a process more usually employed for parts of the
former Soviet Union or African states. We put forward a strong
case and a sensible timetable for the introduction of individual
voter registration, but no progress has been made. Electoral fraud
is not a trivial matter. It is an affront to the democratic
process and, left unchecked, will undermine confidence in the
outcome of elections.
"The annual report also gives details of a number of other
areas on which the Committee will continue to monitor closely:
* potential problems in the accountability and governance
arrangements in London, which emerged during the run up to the
Mayoral and Assembly Elections earlier this year
* implications for standards of behaviour being created by the
Freedom of Information Act, especially in the light of recent
important judgments by the Information Commissioner, Information
Tribunal and High Court and
* the fact that the independent Adviser on Ministerial Interests
continues to lack powers to instigate investigations into alleged
breaches of the Ministerial Code at his own discretion. They are
still dependent on a request from the Prime Minister. We regard
this limitation as a serious weakness and will monitor whether the
current half-way house arrangement can actually work in practice.
"Given concern in all these areas, I have no doubt that the
need for the existence of the Committee on Standards in Public
Life is as strong as ever. I am determined to continue to uphold
the example set by my predecessors on this Committee in
maintaining our resolute independence, in producing evidence based
analysis and in willingness to speak truth to power."
Notes to Editors
1. Copies of the Committee's annual report are available
from http://www.public-standards@x.gsi.gov.uk
or Tel: 0207 276 2595.
2. The Committee's standing terms of reference are: "To
examine current concerns about standards of conduct of all holders
of public office, including arrangements relating to financial and
commercial activities, and make recommendations as to any changes
in present arrangements which might be required to ensure the
highest standards of propriety in public life".
3. On 12 November 1997 additional terms of reference for the
study on the funding of political parties were announced by the
then Prime Minister as: "To review issues in relation to the
funding of political parties, and to make recommendations as to
arrangements." The Committee's terms of reference
specifically preclude it from investigating individual cases or
specific allegations of misconduct. Nor has the Committee any
powers to require others to do so. But the Committee may take
account of information on material cases in formulating its recommendations.
4. The full current membership of the Committee is: Sir
Christopher Kelly KCB (Chair), Lloyd Clarke QPM, Oliver Heald MP,
Sir Derek Morris MA Dphil, Dame Patricia Hodgson DBE, Baroness
Maddock, The Rt Hon Alun Michael JP MP, Dr Elizabeth Vallance JP
and Dr Brian Woods-Scawen DL CBE
Issued by:
The Committee on Standards in Public Life
35 Great Smith
Street
London
SW1P 3BQ
Internet site:
http://www.public-standards.gov.uk
e-mail:
public@standards.x.gsi.gov.uk
Further information from:
Maggie O'Boyle
Charles Ramsden
Secretary to the Committee
Peter Hawthorne
Assistant Secretary to the Committee
Committee on Standards
in Public Life
35 Great Smith
Street
London SW1P 3BQ