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Make
provision to set up a Citizens’ Convention for the purposes
of |
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establishing minimum standards
of ethics for Members of Parliament and for |
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promoting the involvement
of citizens in political decision making; and for |
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Be
it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty,
by and with the advice and |
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consent of the Lords Spiritual
and Temporal, and Commons, in this present |
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Parliament assembled,
and by the authority of the same, as follows:— |
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The purpose of this Act
is to establish minimum ethical standards for Members |
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of Parliament and to promote
the involvement of citizens in political decision |
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making by means of the
establishment of a Citizen’s Convention. |
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2 |
Establishment
of Citizens’ Convention |
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(1) |
The Electoral Commission
must, within 12 months of the date on which this |
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Act is passed, establish
a Citizens’ Convention (“the Convention”). |
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(2) |
The Convention is to consist
of no fewer than 100 people eligible to vote in a |
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(3) |
The selection of people
to serve on the Convention must be random, subject to |
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the requirements of subsection
(5). |
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(4) |
No person shall be required
to serve on the Convention unless they consent to |
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(5) |
The Electoral Commission
must take reasonable steps to ensure that |
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membership of the Commission
reflects the composition of the electorate in the |
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3 |
Functions
of Citizen’s Convention |
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(1) |
In pursuance of the purpose
of this Act, the Commission must give |
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consideration to, and make
recommendations on, the following— |
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(a) |
allowances
and expenses payable to Members of Parliament, |
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(b) |
the system or systems of
election to each House of Parliament, |
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(c) |
the means by which electors
may hold to account Members of |
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Parliament, including any
mechanism for the recall or disqualification |
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(d) |
the way in which business
is conducted in both Houses of Parliament, |
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(e) |
the funding of political
parties. |
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(2) |
The Convention may undertake,
or commission other persons or organisations |
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to undertake, such research
as it considers appropriate. |
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(3) |
The Convention shall take
reasonable steps to publicise its work and to |
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encourage the submission
of evidence to it from all parts of the United |
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(4) |
The Convention may establish
sub-groups on specific issues within its remit |
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and invite people who are
not members of the Convention to participate in |
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(5) |
The Convention must publish
any recommendations made under subsection |
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3(1) as soon as reasonably
practicable, and no later than 12 months after the |
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date on which it was established. |
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(6) |
The Convention may publish
recommendations under this section in a single |
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report or in a series of
reports. |
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(7) |
For the avoidance of doubt,
references in this Act to Members of Parliament |
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includes Members of the
House of Commons and House of Lords. |
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4 |
Procedure
and funding of the Convention |
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(1) |
The Convention may determine
its own rules and proceedings, which may |
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include provision for the
selection of a chairman and for the conduct of |
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(2) |
The
Secretary of State may make payments to members and staff of
the Convention by |
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way
of remuneration and in respect of expenses incurred by them
in the performance |
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(3) |
The
Secretary of State may also defray any other expenses of the
Convention. |
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5 |
Reports
of the Convention |
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(1) |
The Prime Minister must
lay before both Houses of Parliament any report |
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published by the Convention
under section 3. |
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(2) |
The Prime Minister must,
not later than three months after the date on which |
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a report is laid under
subsection (1), make a motion in the House of Commons |
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expressing support for
the recommendations contained in the report. |
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(3) |
The recommendations contained
shall be subject to a referendum if— |
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(a) |
any motion made under subsection
(2) is disagreed to, and |
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(b) |
if a petition calling for
a referendum on any of the recommendations |
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and signed by at least 5
per cent of electors is submitted to the Electoral |
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(4) |
The
Electoral Commission shall publish rules governing the submission
of |
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petitions and the holding
of any referendum under this section. |
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(5) |
The Prime Minister must
ensure that a referendum is held in accordance the |
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rules published by the
Electoral Commission under subsection (5). |
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(6) |
The Secretary of State
shall not implement any recommendation of the |
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Convention if a majority
of participants in any referendum held under this |
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There
shall be paid out of money provided by Parliament— |
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(a) |
any
expenditure incurred under or by virtue of this Act by the Secretary
of |
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(b) |
any
increase attributable to this Act in the sums payable under
any other Act |
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out
of money so provided. |
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This Act may be cited
as the Citizens’ Convention (Ethics and Accountability)
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