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Members of Parliament (Employment Disqualification) Bill


 

Members of Parliament (Employment Disqualification) Bill

 

 
 

Contents

1   

Members of Parliament not to undertake additional remunerated

employment

2   

Existing employment on election to House of Commons

3   

Short title and commencement

 

Bill 105                                                                                                

54/2

 
 

Members of Parliament (Employment Disqualification) Bill

1

 

A

Bill

To

Make provision for the regulation of remunerated employment of Members of

Parliament; and for connected purposes. 

Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and

consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present

Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

1       

Members of Parliament not to undertake additional remunerated

employment

(1)   

Subject to the provisions of this Act, a Member of Parliament shall not

undertake any additional remunerated employment likely to interfere with his

performance of his Parliamentary duties.

5

(2)   

A member who undertakes remunerated employment in contravention of

subsection (1) is disqualified for membership of the House of Commons.

(3)   

A Member of Parliament is not disqualified for membership of the House of

Commons under subsection (2) if the remunerated employment he undertakes

is commensurate with his duties and responsibilities as a Member of

10

Parliament.

(4)   

Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (3), remunerated

employment which does not disqualify a Member of Parliament for

membership of the House of Commons includes—

(a)   

writing books, articles and pamphlets,

15

(b)   

public speaking,

(c)   

work on behalf of charities or not for profit organisations,

(d)   

policy research and development,

   

commensurate with his duties and responsibilities as a Member of Parliament.

(5)   

A Member of Parliament is not disqualified for membership of the House of

20

Commons under subsection (2) if he receives remuneration from a company or

other undertaking in which he has an interest, unless he is engaged in the day

to day activities of that company or undertaking.

 
Bill 105 54/2
 
 

Members of Parliament (Employment Disqualification) Bill

2

 

(6)   

In sections 6 and 7 of the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 (c. 24),

references to that Act shall be construed as including references to the

Members of Parliament (Employment Disqualification) Act 2007.

2       

Existing employment on election to House of Commons

(1)   

A Member of Parliament who on election to the House of Commons is

5

undertaking remunerated employment for the purposes of section 1(1) shall

not be considered to be disqualified for membership of the House of Commons

by virtue of that employment unless he is still so employed on the day six

months after the date of his election.

(2)   

Before the expiry of the six month period specified in subsection (1), a Member

10

of Parliament may apply to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards for

an extension of the time during which he may undertake remunerated

employment without being disqualified for membership of the House of

Commons, and the Commissioner may agree to an extension of such duration

as he thinks fit, provided that any such extension shall be for no more than six

15

months.

(3)   

Only one extension under subsection (2) may be granted in respect of any one

Member of Parliament.

3       

Short title and commencement

(1)   

This Act may be cited as the Members of Parliament (Employment

20

Disqualification) Act 2007.

(2)   

This Act shall come into force a year after the day on which it receives Royal

Assent.

 

 
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