House of Lords suspends Lord Hanningfield and Lord Taylor of Warwick

Lord Hanningfield has been suspended from the House for 9 months from 1 July 2011, the date on which he was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court, and will not be able to attend the House until April 2012.

Lord Taylor of Warwick has been suspended from the House for 12 months from 31 May 2011, the date on which he was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court, and will not be able to attend the House until the end of May 2012.

The suspensions follow investigations and recommendations set out in two reports by the independent Lords Commissioner for Standards and the Sub-Committee on Lords’ Conduct.

• Lords News: Privileges and Conduct Committee reports on Lord Hanningfield and Lord Taylor of Warwick
• Lords Privileges and Conduct: Eighth Report – Lord Taylor of Warwick
• Lords Privileges and Conduct: Ninth Report – Lord Hanningfield

Further information

The Committee recommended that Lord Taylor of Warwick be suspended from the House for 12 months from 31 May 2011, the date on which he was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court. Lord Taylor of Warwick will not be able to attend the House until the end of May 2012.

The independent Lords Commissioner for Standards found that Lord Taylor of Warwick wrongly claimed £24,311.70. He has repaid this amount in full.

Lord Hanningfield

The Committee recommended that Lord Hanningfield be suspended from the House for 9 months from 1 July 2011, the date on which he was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court. Lord Hanningfield will not be able to attend the House until April 2012.

The independent Lords Commissioner for Standards found that Lord Hanningfield wrongly claimed £30,254.50. He has previously repaid £1,800 and confirmed, in oral evidence to the Committee, that he planned to repay the full amount he wrongly claimed and would not return to the House until he had done so.

The investigation process

The two cases were investigated by the independent House of Lords Commissioner for Standards following the conclusion of criminal trials in which both Lord Taylor of Warwick and Lord Hanningfield were found guilty of ‘furnishing false information relating to accounts’. All internal investigation of the two cases was suspended while the criminal proceedings were active.

The Commissioner presented his findings to the Sub-Committee on Lords’ Conduct which then recommended sanctions to the Select Committee for Privileges and Conduct.

The Members then had a right of appeal to the Privileges and Conduct Committee. The Privileges and Conduct Committee heard the appeals, considered the Sub-Committee’s reports and have now published their own reports to the House, recommending sanctions in each case.

• House of Lords Commissioner for Standards