THE
COMMITTEE ON
STANDARDS AND
PRIVILEGES
The Committee on Standards and Privileges is appointed
by the House of Commons to oversee the work of the Parliamentary
Commissioner for Standards; to examine the arrangements proposed
by the Commissioner for the compilation, maintenance and accessibility
of the Register of Members' Interests and any other registers
of interest established by the House; to review from time to time
the form and content of those registers; to consider any specific
complaints made in relation to the registering or declaring of
interests referred to it by the Commissioner; to consider any
matter relating to the conduct of Members, including specific
complaints in relation to alleged breaches in the Code of Conduct
which have been drawn to the Committee's attention by the Commissioner;
and to recommend any modifications to the Code of Conduct as may
from time to time appear to be necessary.
Current Membership
Rt Hon Sir George Young Bt MP (Conservative, North
West Hampshire) (Chairman)
Mr Russell Brown MP (Labour, Dumfries)
Ross Cranston QC MP (Labour, Dudley North)
Mr Andrew Dismore MP (Labour, Hendon)
Mr Michael Jabez Foster DL MP (Labour, Hastings
and Rye)
Mr David Heath CBE MP (Liberal Democrat, Somerton
and Frome)
Mr Tom Levitt MP (Labour, High Peak)
Rt Hon Andrew Mackay MP (Conservative, Bracknell)
Mr Kevin McNamara MP (Labour, Hull North)
Richard Ottaway MP (Conservative, Croydon South)
Rt Hon Alan Williams MP (Labour, Swansea West)
The following were also members of the Committee
during the Parliament:
Tony Baldry MP (Conservative, Banbury) (discharged
5 November 2001)
Mr David Chidgey MP (Liberal Democrat, Eastleigh)
(discharged 5 November 2001)
Peter Bottomley MP (Conservative, Worthing West)
(discharged 4 March 2002)
Powers
The constitution and powers of the Committee are
set out in Standing Order No. 149. In particular, the Committee
has power to order the attendance of any Member of Parliament
before the committee and to require that specific documents or
records in the possession of a Member relating to its inquiries,
or to the inquiries of the Commissioner, be laid before the Committee.
The Committee has power to refuse to allow its public proceedings
to be broadcast. The Law Officers, if they are Members of Parliament,
may attend and take part in the Committee's proceedings, but may
not vote.
Publications
The Reports and evidence of the Committee are published
by The Stationery Office by Order of the House. All publications
of the Committee (including press notices) are on the Internet
at: www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/standards_and_privileges.cfm.
Contacts
All correspondence should be addressed to The Clerk
of the Committee on Standards and Privileges, Committee Office,
House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA. The telephone number for general
inquiries is 020 7219 6615.
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