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Commissioner's statement on inquiries under investigation

Since July 2018, following a decision by the House, I have not been able to confirm nor deny whether I am investigating an MP. Last week the House agreed an amendment to House of Commons’ Standing order 150, and I now have leave to publish, from time to time, information about complaints received and matters under investigation. In light of this change, I will revert to my previous practice of publishing the names of MPs I am investigating for breaches of the Code of Conduct for Members. I believe this step will encourage greater confidence in the Parliamentary standards system. In line with guidance relating to the publishing of information prior to the May 2021 Elections, I will not publish the names of MPs under investigation until after the elections, in the week commencing 10 May 2021.

Kathryn Stone OBE
Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards

 

Notes for Editors

1. The current framework for Parliamentary Standards dates from 1995, when the first Commissioner was appointed. Kathryn Stone OBE is the sixth Commissioner. She was appointed for five years with effect from 1 January 2018. The appointment is not renewable.

2. The Commissioner's main duties are:

  • to maintain the Register of Members' Financial Interests and the other registers of interests for Members' staff, journalists and All-Party Groups;
  • to provide advice confidentially on matters relating to the registration and declaration of interests;
  • to advise the Committee on Standards on the interpretation of the Code of Conduct;
  • to monitor the operation of the Code of Conduct and registers and to make recommendations to the Committee thereon;
  • to investigate, if she thinks fit, specific matters which have come to her attention relating to the conduct of Members and to report on them to the Committee on Standards.
  • to consider cases arising under the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme.

  • the Commissioner's remit was extended on 19 July 2018 to allow her to oversee investigations and make findings in cases against MPs under the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS).

Details of the ICGS scheme can be found here. Details of the Independent Expert Panel can be found here.

The Commissioner's remit does not extend to the House of Lords. Information about the House of Lords Commissioner for Standards can be found here.

Complaints about the misuse of the scheme for parliamentary expenses since May 2010 are a matter for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. Information about their Compliance Officer is here.

3. The Commissioner's Annual Report can be read here.

Memoranda on individual cases investigated by the Commissioner during the year were published as appendices to Reports of the Committee on Standards.

Details of cases concluded via the rectification process since 2008 can be found here.

Details of cases not upheld, where no memorandum was sent to the Committee since 2008,  can be found here.

Statistics on complaints can be found here.

Description of the process for investigating complaints can be found here.

The latest edition of the Register of Members' Financial Interests can be found here.

4. The Commissioner's office is available for media enquiries on 020 7219 0191.