HL Deb 15 October 1998 vol 593 cc1051-2

3.31 p.m.

Lord Newby asked Her Majesty's Government:

When they propose to respond to the 5th Report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life: The Funding of Political Parties in the United Kingdom (Cm 4057).

Lord Williams of Mostyn

My Lords, as I announced yesterday, the Government strongly welcome the Neill Committee's Report. We are committed to reforming and regulating the way political parties are funded. We will publish a draft Bill before next year's Summer Recess and ensure that robust and rigorous rules governing the funding of political parties are in place before the next general election.

Lord Newby

My Lords, I thank the Minister for his reply. Given the very large series of elections that we face next spring, will the Government be seeking to get the voluntary agreement of the principal political parties that the recommendations of the Neill Committee in respect of party funding will be observed before legislation is in place and in time for next year's elections?

Lord Williams of Mostyn

My Lords, if we were able to have voluntary agreement I certainly believe that that would be a very useful way forward. I cannot stress too strongly the Government's absolute commitment to the main thrust of the report. I believe that the party to which the noble Lord subscribes has a similar view. I am sure that we shall be able to look for the full-hearted support of and indeed the retrospective return of moneys by the Official Opposition.

Lord Mackay of Ardbrecknish

My Lords, is the Minister aware that a draft Bill by next summer sounds suspiciously like footdragging and the phrase that the "main thrust" of the recommendations sounds equally like footdragging? Will he not accept an offer from the Opposition to help in bringing forward legislation to enact as quickly as possible all 100 recommendations—no picking and mixing—including the ones that Her Majesty's Government do not like?

Lord Williams of Mostyn

My Lords, that is a very constructive proposal and I shall address it in the spirit in which it was intended. So when I sit down in a second or two to allow the noble Lord, Lord Mackay of Ardbrecknish, to assist, I expect that he will tell me about the footdragging as regards the return of one-third of a million pounds from the fugitive Mr. Nadir, or the even larger sum, which was mentioned specifically by the noble Lord, Lord Harris of Greenwich, from Mr. "White Powder" Marr. I am happy to answer the question. In about 60 speeches yesterday we were accused of being too precipitate but now that we want to consider things and have reform, we are accused of footdragging. This Government, unlike their predecessor, do not footdrag about anything.

Lord Mackay of Ardbrecknish

My Lords, perhaps I may remind the Minister that he is here to answer questions and not to ask them. Perhaps I may further remind him that when his colleagues sat on these Benches during the last Parliament they were pretty quick to say the same thing. Will the noble Lord now give me a guarantee that all 100 recommendations will be taken on board by the Government?

Lord Williams of Mostyn

My Lords, of course I am here to answer questions, hut I simply wanted to give a decent, courteous opportunity to the Official Opposition to scotch any suggestion that they might be footdragging about paying back moneys which appear to have been the proceeds of crime. It would be nonsensical, hardly having received the report and let alone studied it with care, to say that all 100 recommendations would be included in a draft Bill. However, if there were the opportunity in a draft Bill to ensure that contributions wrongfully gained over the past five years ought now to be returned, I would give that full and fair co-operation.

Lord Thomson of Monifieth

My Lords, as a former member of the Nolan Committee, is the Minister aware that I am rather astonished by what has been said from the Opposition Front Bench? I remember that some of us on that committee tried very hard to persuade the previous government to include political funding within their terms of reference but the suggestion met stubborn resistance.

Lord Williams of Mostyn

My Lords, to be perfectly truthful, I am not at all astonished. In fact, it is par for the course.

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