HC Deb 09 January 2002 vol 377 cc532-4
7. Mr. Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight)

When the code of conduct for Ministers was last revised. [23449]

The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State (Mr. John Prescott)

A revised ministerial code was issued in July 2001, which took into account the recommendations of the Select Committee on Public Administration and the Committee on Standards in Public Life. Since then, in response to a recommendation from the Public Administration Committee, the Government have agreed to amend paragraph 27 of the code, which now requires that all announcements of Government policy should be made in the first instance in Parliament. I am sure that the House will welcome that.

Mr. Turner

When, then, will the rest of the code be enforced? We had Ministers with houses paid for by colleagues, Ministers with houses belonging to their wives, and Ministers with flats belonging to railwaymen's unions. If hon. Members have an independent Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, is it not even more important that Ministers, who have executive responsibility, should have an independent commissioner for the standards that they are supposed to uphold?

The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State

We heard lots of allegations, without a great deal of substance.

Michael Fabricant (Lichfield)

There was in The Guardian.

The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State

It being in The Guardian is hardly the highest of recommendations. That is me finished again tomorrow. We have Select Committees that make recommendations, and they made recommendations about how the code should apply. I am glad that in a recent statement the Select Committee welcomed a number of changes that we have made to the code of conduct. For example, the code should be a framework for decisions. The seven principles of public life that are applied to public servants should now apply to Ministers. Further recommendations were welcomed. There was a gap, as the Select Committee pointed out—for example, we rejected the recommendation that the Prime Minister should appear before the Select Committee, and that there should be a separate ombudsman. We have made clear in our reports the matters on which we disagree with the Committee.

Mr. Tim Collins (Westmorland and Lonsdale)

On the enforcement of the code of conduct for Ministers, the Deputy Prime Minister will recall that the code contains a reference to the requirement for Ministers to comply in full with the Register of Members' Interests. Is it not regrettable that the Deputy Prime Minister himself has still failed to comply with the finding of the Standards and Privileges Committee that he should register his RMT property connection? Will not many commuters believe that the Government's spineless refusal to take action against this week's shameful rail strikes is connected with that link at the highest level to the RMT?

The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State

The hon. Gentleman has been geed up to be a little more aggressive in his questioning, but he is not consistent with the facts. [HON. MEMBERS: "Answer."] I am going to answer. The allegations made by Opposition Members were investigated by the Committee and rejected. All three accusations investigated by Mrs. Filkin and put before the Committee were rejected. In those circumstances, I was not required to register the interest.

The Committee invited me to do so and I talked to the Chairman about the matter, but since I had not committed an offence, why should I register the interest?