Interests of Committee Chairs : a consultation : eighth report of session 2013-14 : report, together with formal minutes /
Great Britain.Parliament.House of Commons.Committee on Standards.
Barron, Kevin.
Stationery Office (Great Britain)
London : The Stationery Office,
2014.
The Committee on Standards has decided to consult on whether the rules relating to committee Chairs' interests remain appropriate. Last year, Mr Speaker raised the question of whether there might be 'an inherent incompatibility between chairing a select committee and having commercial interests, even though fully transparently registered, in the sector covered by that committee'. As the Commissioner was then undertaking an investigation into an allegation that a committee Chair had acted improperly, dealing with this matter was deferred until that investigation was concluded. The Commissioner set out the dilemma in brief in her memorandum on Mr Tim Yeo: 'While the House takes a very reasonable position that a Member's knowledge and interests may well enhance his or her ability to contribute to the work of the House and in particular to some of the specialist committees, there is equally a reasonable concern that that Member is then placed in a privileged position which he or she may be able to exploit for their own interests with few checks and balances to control this'. This statement itself raises a number of questions. To give two examples: how much is committee work enhanced if Members' have expertise in the topic concerned? What is the nature of the undoubted influence exercised by committee members in general, and Chairs in particular .
HC 997.
"Session 2013-14."
"20 January 2014."
Full text accessible when logged into Webcat.
The Committee on Standards has decided to consult on whether the rules relating to committee Chairs' interests remain appropriate. Last year, Mr Speaker raised the question of whether there might be 'an inherent incompatibility between chairing a select committee and having commercial interests, even though fully transparently registered, in the sector covered by that committee'. As the Commissioner was then undertaking an investigation into an allegation that a committee Chair had acted improperly, dealing with this matter was deferred until that investigation was concluded. The Commissioner set out the dilemma in brief in her memorandum on Mr Tim Yeo: 'While the House takes a very reasonable position that a Member's knowledge and interests may well enhance his or her ability to contribute to the work of the House and in particular to some of the specialist committees, there is equally a reasonable concern that that Member is then placed in a privileged position which he or she may be able to exploit for their own interests with few checks and balances to control this'. This statement itself raises a number of questions. To give two examples: how much is committee work enhanced if Members' have expertise in the topic concerned? What is the nature of the undoubted influence exercised by committee members in general, and Chairs in particular .