§ Mr. SteinbergTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will extend the proposed registration of Freemasons into all areas of public life. [31013]
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§ Dr. David ClarkMany public sector organisations have adopted codes of conduct which make provisions for the disclosure of private interests of their members and staff. Such codes reflect the specific circumstances of individual organisations, and seek to balance the privacy of individuals and the interests of the public. The main provisions are as follows
Civil Servants. The conduct rules for civil servants require staff to disclose any interests, including membership of the freemasons, which conflict with their official duties. Civil servants in the Crown Prosecution Service will be covered by the arrangements proposed by the Home Secretary for the criminal justice system.Executive non-departmental public bodies. Codes of conduct for staff and board members are mandatory and should include rules for publicly declaring potential conflicts of interest.NHS Bodies. Codes of accountability for NHS Boards contain rules on publicly declaring conflicts of interest which arise in the course of conducting NHS business.TECs and LECs. Codes of practice, employee handbooks, and guides for directors contain guidance relating to handling of potential conflicts of interest.Further and higher education institutions. Governing bodies have issued guidance on declaring potential conflicts of interest.The existing national code of local government conduct makes provision for the handling of non-pecuniary interests of local councillors. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, has also been considering with the Local Government Association and other interested bodies how best to develop a new ethical framework designed to ensure the highest standards of conduct by all those involved in local government. He intends to publish his proposals in the next month, and revisions will be considered in the light of these.