§ LORD BALOGHMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask the Leader of the House what rules are laid down for Peers to disclose property, business and professional involvement when participating in debates.]
§ THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (LORD SHACKLETON)My Lords, there are no Standing Orders governing this matter. It is a long-standing custom of this House that noble Lords speak always on their personal honour. It follows from this that if a Peer decides that it is proper for him to take part in a debate on a subject in which he has a direct pecuniary interest, he should declare it. The House will recall that when on March 26 last I repeated a Statement by the Prime Minister about declaration of interest in another place, I undertook to have talks through the usual channels about the subject, so far as this House was concerned. I have consulted certain of your Lordships, and following these discussions I should like to recommend that the question of clarifying the issues arising out of declaration of interest should be referred to the Procedure Committee at an appropriate moment, taking into account the progress of the consideration of this subject in another place.
§ LORD BALOGHMy Lords, I thank my noble friend for that reply. Can he say whether the same rules apply to Starred and Unstarred Questions?
§ LORD SHACKLETONMy Lords, they apply, of course, at all times. The noble Lord's Question refers particularly 524 to debates. As a matter of common sense, I think it might be difficult if noble Lords were to declare an interest every time they asked a supplementary question. The interests of some noble Lords are so well known that they do not always need declaring. But the principle, I think, remains the same.