Recruitment of new lay members
21 October 2015
The Committee on Standards welcomes the launch of the recruitment process for four further lay members of the Committee, to join the three existing lay members.
The House of Commons is already the only Westminster-style Parliament where lay people work alongside MPs in the disciplinary system. The existing lay members already play a key part in the Committee’s deliberations on individual cases and on reform of the system as a whole. In particular, they played a leading role in the Committee’s examination of the standards system in the House of Commons, which made the recommendation that the Committee should be reformed so that it consisted of seven MPs and seven lay members. The number of MPs has already been reduced, and the three former lay members have been reappointed.
The Committee particularly welcomes the fact the panel is looking for people from a range of backgrounds and from across the United Kingdom.
Notes for Editors
The Committee is not responsible for these appointments. A panel chaired by Sheila Drew Smith, a member of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, will make recommendations. Other members of the panel are Kevin Barron, Chair of the Committee; Paul Evans, Clerk of the Journals, Barbara Scott, external member of the House of Commons Commission
The current lay members of the Committee are Sharon Darcy, Peter Jinman and Walter Rader.