Members of public boards (The
Addison Rules)
4.83 Members of the House of Lords who are members
of public boards, whether commercial or non-commercial in character,
are not by reason of such membership debarred from exercising
their right to speak in the House of Lords, even on matters affecting
the boards of which they are members; and it is recognised that,
in the last resort, only the members concerned can decide whether
they can properly speak on a particular occasion. By custom, members
should inform the House of their interests if they decide to speak.[161]
4.84 The following guidance, based upon that
given in 1951 by the then Leader of the House, Viscount Addison,
after consultation and agreement between the parties, may be helpful
to members of the House who are considering whether or not to
take part in a particular debate:[162]
(a) when questions affecting
public boards arise in Parliament, the government alone are responsible
to Parliament. The duty of reply cannot devolve upon members of
public boards who happen to be members of the House of Lords;
(b) it is important that, except where otherwise
provided, public boards should be free to conduct their day-to-day
administration without the intervention of Parliament or ministers.
If board members who happen also to be members of the House of
Lords were to give the House information about the day-to-day
operations of the board or to answer criticism respecting it,
the House would in fact be exercising a measure of parliamentary
supervision over matters of management. It would also be difficult
for the responsible minister not to give similar information to
the House of Commons;
(c) there is no duty upon the board member to
speak in any debate or to answer questions put to him in debate.
Nor should the fact that a member spoke in a particular debate
be regarded as a precedent for that member or any other member
to speak in any other debate;
(d) the foregoing applies only to debates relating
to public boards. Experience acquired as a member of a public
board will often be relevant to general debates in which the same
considerations do not arise, and the contributions of board members
who are members of the House may be all the more valuable because
of that experience.
Employees of public boards
4.85 Members of the House of Lords employed by
public boards or nationalised undertakings are not thereby debarred
from exercising their rights of speech in the House, even when
the subjects under discussion affect the particular boards in
whose employment they are engaged. If members so employed should
entertain a view different from that of the boards to which they
belong, they should not speak at all during debates in the House
relating to those boards. In conformity with accepted custom,
members should inform the House of their interests if they wish
to intervene during such debates.[163]
160 Procedure 2nd Rpt 2003-04; Privileges 1st Rpt 2003-04. Back
161
Procedure 2nd Rpt 1970-71. Back
162
HL Deb. 21 March 1951, col. 1241. Back
163
HL Deb. 6 May 1947, col. 373. Back