§ 6. Mr. Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury)If he will make a statement on the number of parish councillors who have stood aside because of the parish council code of conduct. [100654]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Mr. Christopher Leslie)The Standards Board for England and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister have been informed of 95 resignations by parish councillors unwilling to accept the code of conduct out of a total of more than 70,000 parish councillors across England.
§ Mr. O'BrienThe Minister's answer is proof, if proof were needed, of the Government's cynical contempt for the integrity and selflessness of hard-working parish councillors, often with years of non-political public service, who are the backbone of our rural communities in particular. Will the Minister now account for the Government's actions to my constituents, particularly Councillor Brian Smith of Tattenhall and district parish council, where 12 of the 15 parish councillors have resigned or are stepping down because of the monstrous code of conduct? Will the Government now revise the code, given that it is an attack on rural communities in particular and shows contempt for their approach to selfless public service?
§ Mr. LeslieOnly 0.1 per cent. of parish councillors cannot live with the basic concept of a register of members' interests. It is an important component of local democracy, just as it is of national democracy. Parish councils need to be seen to be objective and working in accordance with basic democratic principles. I do not believe that a register of members' interests is too much to ask.
§ David Taylor (North-West Leicestershire)I am a parish councillor. Does my hon. Friend agree that the standards of probity in parish councils are higher than in any other area of local government? Is it not a tad over the top that there are tighter restrictions on parish councillors, who may spend £7 per head of their 807 population, than on Ministers, who may spend £7,000 per head? Will he admit that we could have it a little wrong?
§ Mr. LeslieMy hon. Friend's argument is wrong. We believe that parish councils are important and should be accorded significant respect and status. That is why we wish to extend the basic principle of a register of members' interests to parish councillors, just as one applies to all democratic layers of government in our country.