§ Baroness Youngasked Her Majesty's Government:
When they expect to receive the First Report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life.
The Lord Privy Seal (Viscount Cranborne)The First Report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, under the chairmanship of Lord Nolan, is being published today as Command Paper 2850. The Government would like to express their thanks to Lord Nolan and his colleagues for the way in which they have discharged the initial part of the remit which my right honourable friend the Prime Minister announced in October. It is welcome that they have reached unanimous recommendations based on open proceedings, and having taken oral and written evidence from a wide cross-section of opinion. The oral evidence they have taken is included in Volume II of the report, and written submissions are to be made available at the Public Record Office.
The Government believe it is important to maintain the highest possible standards and confidence in public life. They therefore welcome the work the committee has done.
The Government accept the broad thrust of the committee's recommendations in so far as they are addressed to the Government. They will give the report the close study it deserves and then make a detailed response.
Those recommendations which are addressed to the House of Commons are of course a matter for that House itself to consider, and my right honourable friend the Leader of the House of Commons will arrange an early opportunity for a debate in another place.