Lords Conduct Committee publishes reports on the conduct of the Earl of Shrewsbury and Baroness Goudie

In both cases the Conduct Committee has upheld findings by the independent Commissioners for Standards that Lord Shrewsbury and Lady Goudie have breached the prohibition in the House of Lords Code of Conduct on providing parliamentary advice or services in return for payment or reward. The Committee has also upheld the Commissioners’ recommendations that the breaches of the Code in each case warrant a sanction of suspension from the House.

The Earl of Shrewsbury

The Conduct Committee upholds the Commissioner’s findings that Lord Shrewsbury breached the Code of Conduct by providing parliamentary advice and services in return for payment. The investigation arose out of Lord Shrewsbury’s work as a consultant for SpectrumX, a company involved in the production of healthcare products, between June 2020 and January 2022.

Lord Shrewsbury’s behaviour that breached the Code included contacting Ministers and officials to promote SpectrumX’s products to them.

The Conduct Committee upholds the Commissioner for Standards’ recommendation that Lord Shrewsbury should be suspended from the House of Lords for nine months.

The full report is available online here

Baroness Goudie

The Conduct Committee upholds the Commissioner’s findings that Lady Goudie breached the Code of Conduct by agreeing to provide parliamentary advice in return for payment, and that she also breached the rules on the use of the House’s facilities.

The case relates to Lady Goudie’s conduct in 2016 and 2017, when she provided parliamentary advice to a company called ecoLegacy Ltd. During this time she also commissioned research support from the House of Lords Library on behalf of the company and offered to book rooms in the House of Lords on the company’s behalf.

The Conduct Committee upholds the Commissioner for Standards’ recommendation that Baroness Goudie be suspended from the House for six months.

The full report is available online here

Both reports require the agreement of the House before coming into force. It is expected the reports will be put to the House in early January.