Appointment of lay members

• Committee on Standards

Appointment

The new lay members are Tammy Banks, Rita Dexter and Paul Thorogood. They will take up their posts from 31 March 2017.

• Tammy Banks is currently Chief Executive Officer of the Yorkshire, Humberside and Lincolnshire Circles of Support and Accountability. Previous roles include Committee Member of the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (2015–2016), Regional Safeguarding Manager at Children England (2013–2015), and Project Manager for Foundation (2010–2013).
• Rita Dexter’s previous roles include Deputy Commissioner of London Fire Brigade (2009–2015), Director of Corporate Services, London Fire Brigade (2001–2009), and Acting/Deputy/Assistant Chief Executive, Barnet Council (1995–2001).
• Paul Thorogood is currently Chief Executive Officer of The Football Foundation. Previous roles include Group Captain at The Royal Air Force (1975–2006), Trustee of the Global Board of The Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (2013–2016), and Director of The Sport and Recreation Alliance (2012–2014).

Full biographies can be found in the House of Commons Commission’s report.

Chair's Comments

The Chair of the Committee on Standards, Sir Kevin Barron MP, said:

"The Committee is delighted to welcome the appointment of Tammy Banks, Rita Dexter and Paul Thorogood as lay members.

Lay members have quickly become accepted as an integral part of the standards system in the Commons. They play a vital part in helping to ensure that the public can be confident that MPs are subject to effective scrutiny.

The collective knowledge, expertise and experience that these candidates bring will further strengthen the Committee’s deliberations on both individual disciplinary cases and inquiries related to standards cases."

Selection process

In its report, published on 6 March, the House of Commons Commission recommended Tammy Banks, Rita Dexter and Paul Thorogood for appointment as new lay members of the Committee on Standards.

Tammy Banks, Rita Dexter and Paul Thorogood have been appointed following a rigorous and open appointment process which examined 255 applications for the three places.  

The House of Commons is the only Westminster-style Parliament where lay people work alongside MPs in the disciplinary system. The first lay members, appointed in 2013, are now coming to the end of their term of office.

There are equal numbers of lay members and MPs on the Committee. The lay members take a full role in the Committee’s deliberations on individual cases and have led on reform of the system as a whole.

Further information

• About Parliament: Select committees
• Visiting Parliament: Watch committees