Notifying Members of any Revised
Guidance
190. I mentioned earlier (paragraph 50) that Mr Tony
Baldry had raised with me the question of what steps had been
taken to inform Members of the changes made in the Banqueting
Regulations in December 2000. I understand from the Director of
Catering Services that no general notification was issued to all
Members at that time, although copies of the amended Regulations
were sent to those Members who subsequently booked a dining room.
Members who book a room sign a form to say that they have read
and understood the Terms and Conditions on which the room is being
provided. Those Terms and Conditions are also available to all
Members (and their staff) through the Parliamentary intranet.
191. The Director has indicated that, as a consequence
of the current inquiry, she has issued an instruction that a notification
of change (drawing attention to the revised paragraphs) must be
attached to the front of all copies of the Regulations issued
for a year after any change is implemented. A similar arrangement
will apply to the version published on the Parliamentary intranet.
I am sure this is a welcome development.
192. I suggest that, in addition, it will also
assist Members if they are all issued by the Administration Committee
with a set of any revised guidance or rules that the Committee
may prepare following the conclusion of this case. If this is
done in addition to the other measures the Director has in hand,
no Member will be left in ignorance of what they can and cannot
do.
Concluding Remarks
193. I hope that the observations I have made will
assist the House to reach a clear understanding of what should
be and what should not be permissible in terms of the use of its
dining facilities and visits to the House in relation to fundraising
for political parties. The primary responsibility for providing
advice on the terms and conditions of use of the private dining
rooms rests with the Administration Committee and I assume that,
when the Committee on Standards and Privileges has deliberated
on my report, it will wish to draw its report to the attention
of the Administration Committee so that a firm understanding can
be reached, agreed on all sides.[95]
194. Mr Jones and Mr Mann will, I hope, feel, when
the process is complete, that they have achieved their stated
objective of clarifying what is permissible, for the benefit of
all Members.
195. My experience of handling the complex and unfolding
series of complaints they made leads me to wonder whether there
may not be a better way in which Members could bring such a matter
to attention rather than through the complaints mechanism. The
use made by Mr Mann and Mr Jones of that mechanism has resulted
in an elaborate, time and resource-consuming process (for Members
as well as my small office) when something lighter and swifter
might have equally well achieved their stated objective. I register
this point now as one which I will welcome the opportunity to
consider with the Committee once the other issues addressed in
this report have been resolved.
20 March 2007 Sir Philip Mawer
19 HC 351, Session 2005-06 Back
20
See paragraphs 48, 75-79 and 113 below. Back
21
Ibid Back
22
The reference to the use of facilities and services in this provision
did not feature in the Code prior to July 2005. However, misuse
of facilities was still within the scope of the Code prior to
that point: see the Committee's Third Report of Session 2004-05
(HC 233 ) Back
23
The role of the Catering Committee has subsequently been subsumed
within the remit of the Administration Committee. Back
24
Other than All Party Parliamentary Groups or registered charities-see
Regulation 5.2. Back
25
"Complaint against Mr Tony Baldry" (HC 369) Back
26
Paragraphs 5.1 and 5.3 respectively. Back
27
Paragraphs 5.3 and 5.5 respectively Back
28
See paragraphs 19-20 above Back
29
WE2 Back
30
Wycombe Conservatives Back
31
Conservatives Corby and East Northants Back
32
Wirral West Conservatives Back
33
Mid Dorset and North Poole Conservatives Back
34
Rutland and Melton Conservative Association: Report on the Activities
for the year 2005 Back
35
Letter to the founder members of the West Oxfordshire Conservative
Association's Principal Patrons Club Back
36
Wycombe Conservatives Back
37
Folkestone Conservatives Back
38
Chester Conservatives Back
39
Tunbridge Wells Conservatives Back
40
Sherwood Conservative Association Back
41
Guildford Conservatives Back
42
Paragraph 7 above Back
43
See paragraph 51 below Back
44
WE9 Back
45
WE11 Back
46
See paragraph 39 above. Back
47
Not included in written evidence Back
48
See my letter of 7 December 2006 at WE17. Back
49
WE22 Back
50
WE23 Back
51
WE27 Back
52
See WE28 and WE29 respectively. Back
53
Letter of 11 January 2007 at WE43. Back
54
Letter of 24 January 2007 at WE44. Back
55
See paragraph 63 above Back
56
WE50. Back
57
WE51 and WE52 respectively. Back
58
WE53 Back
59
WE54. Back
60
WE58 Back
61
Mr Prisk subsequently informed me that, at the beginning of February
2007, the Club consisted of 55 members representing 45 companies
or other organisations. Back
62
WE69. Back
63
WE70. Back
64
See Mr Spring's letter of 18 December 2006 at WE71. Back
65
WE72. Back
66
WE73. Back
67
WE74. In their letter Mr Mann and Mr Jones noted that Mr Greg
Hands, (the Member for Hammersmith and Fulham) who had originally
sponsored the dinner on 16 January, did not appear to have been
present (in apparent breach of paragraph 5.2 of the Banqueting
Regulations). In subsequent correspondence, Mr Jenkin told me
that he had presided at the dinner and taken over responsibility
for it from Mr Hands. Back
68
WE75. Back
69
WE76. Back
70
WE77. Back
71
WE78. Back
72
WE79. Back
73
WE80. Back
74
WE81. Back
75
WE82. Back
76
WE83. Back
77
Mrs Harrison has been Director of Catering Services and Head
of the House of Commons Refreshment Department since 1992. Back
78
There is an exception for bookings of the Terrace Pavilion in
June and July where, because of demand, names are entered in a
ballot. Back
79
As at 5 January 2007, almost 55% of bookings on file were held
by Conservative Members, 24% by Labour Members. Back
80
The equivalent regulations in the House of Lords still do not
prohibit the use of that House's refreshment facilities for party
political gain. Back
81
For examples of this type of club, see paragraphs 35-37, 39, 41-44,
53-55, 65-67, 99-102. Back
82
For examples of this type of club, see paragraphs 46, 68-69,
88, 105-107, 110, 113. Back
83
The material no longer appears to be on the website. Back
84
WE23. Back
85
The fee ranges from £25 for a retired business professional
to £150 for a local company with more than 100 staff. Back
86
WE16. Back
87
WE46. Back
88
HC 1223 Back
89
Ibid, Paragraph 24. Back
90
See paragraphs 5-6 of this report. Back
91
WE65. Mr Baldry also did not know in advance of the complaint
but the complainants say that they notified him; their letter
must be presumed to have gone astray in the post (paragraph 48
above). Back
92
See paragraphs 78-79 above. Back
93
Second Report from the Committee on Standards and Privileges,
Session 2006-07 (HC 429). Back
94
See the Committee's Third Report of Session 2004-05 (HC 233) Back
95
Any new guidance issued at the end of this process would, I assume,
apply to all bookings made after the date on which it was promulgated
to Members. Back