Members' Interests (Hansard, 16 July 1973)

§ 43. Mr. William Hamilton
asked the Lord President of the Council if he will make a further statement on his proposals for a register of Members' outside financial interests.

§ The Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. James Prior)
I have already assured the hon. Member that the House will be informed of the outcome of the discussions that are still in progress on this matter.

§ Mr. Hamilton
Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that if all reports are true the proposals that the Government have in mind will be completely ineffective? Is he further aware that many Opposition Members agree that there are two basic principles required of such a register before it can be effective, namely, that it be compulsory and that there be some indication of the figures involved? Does the right hon. Gentleman appreciate that if we do not get this pledge he may as well scrap the whole idea?

§ Mr. Prior
The hon. Member has stated what would be considerable objections in other parts of the House.

§ Mr. Hamilton
From your side.

§ Mr. Prior
No. Not from only one side but in all parts of the House. It is precisely because we are trying to work for the benefit of the House as a whole that these discussions are taking some time.

§ Sir D. Walker-Smith
Does my right hon. Friend appreciate that, although I personally have no objection to a register of Members' interests, this was only one, and the least preferred, of two possible courses considered by the Select Committee? Has he still got in view the main recommendation of the Select Committee for a prohibition or regulation of paid promotion of particular interests, which is much more the heart of the matter than the mere disclosure of a Member's personal interests where those do not affect the discharge of his parliamentary duties?

§ Mr. Prior
I have the views of that Select Committee very much in mind. All that has happened so far is that talks have been going on within parties and between parties, helping to crystallise what is undoubtedly a difficult subject for hon. Members on both sides.

§ Mr. Strauss
Will the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that the Select Committee, which issued a long, detailed and well-reasoned report, came to the conclusion that any compulsory register of Members' outside interests, while attractive at first sight, would be damaging to Parliament as a whole? Will he therefore dismiss that as a possibility in his considerations?

§ Mr. Prior
All this goes to show how difficult it is to arrive at a satisfactory solution. I have noted carefully what the right hon. Gentleman has said and I hope that his hon. Friend the Member for Fife, West (Mr. William Hamilton) has done so, too.