People's Peers (Hansard, 8 May 2001)

§ 45. Mr. Gordon Prentice
To ask the President of the Council what recent discussions she has had with the chairman of the House of Lords Appointments Commission on giving rejected applicants for a people's peerage the reasons for their rejection if the applicant so requests. [159334]

§ Mr. Tipping
None. The Appointments Commission is an independent body and Ministers do not interfere in the way it conducts its business within its terms of reference.

§ Mr. Gordon Prentice
To ask the President of the Council what the length of tenure of the Chairman of the House of Lords Appointments Commission is; and what plans she has to change the way his successor is selected. [160313]

§ Mrs. Beckett
Three years. There are no plans to change the way a chairman of the present Appointments Commission might be selected in the future, since the procedure followed the requirements of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

§ Mr. Gordon Prentice
To ask the President of the Council if the House of Lords Appointments Commission intends to interview persons recommended for peerages by the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the Liberal Democrats. [160326]
62W

§ Mrs. Beckett
No. The Commission has no remit to interview those recommended by the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the Liberal Democrats.

§ Mr. Gordon Prentice
To ask the President of the Council what criteria will be used by the House of Lords Appointments Commission in deciding whether to accept persons recommended for peerages by the Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the Liberal Democrats. [160325]

§ Mrs. Beckett
The Commission carries out the role hitherto exercised by the political Honours Scrutiny Committee. It will look at all persons put forward by the political parties to ensure that they meet the highest standards of propriety. I understand that the Commission has said that it will seek assurances that someone is not and never has been a threat to national security, that he or she has complied in a straightforward way with obligations in relation to taxation and the receipt of benefits and the Commission will take into account any serious criminal offences. Information will also be sought as to any donations made to the party concerned by the individual recommended. The commission has set its approach in a published information pack and on its website.

§ Mr. Gordon Prentice
To ask the President of the Council on what dates in the current year the House of Lords Appointments Commission plans to undertake regional road shows to encourage potential people's peers to apply. [160314]

§ Mrs. Beckett
I understand that the Commission has yet to consider detailed plans for its future programme of regional roadshows.

§ Mr. Gordon Prentice
To ask the President of the Council by what method the Chairman of the House of Lords Appointments Commission was selected; what qualities were sought from applicants; who was involved in the preliminary sift of applications and in the final selection; and if he will make a statement. [160312]

§ Mrs. Beckett
The Chairman of the House of Lords Appointments Commission was selected by an open selection process conducted in accordance with the rules of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (the "Nolan principles"). The advertisement for the Chairman specified that the Government were looking for someone whoWas committed to making the House of Lords a body that is fully representative of all aspects of UK society and culture; Had a track record of significant achievement in public, private, or voluntary sector organisations; Had undisputed integrity and the ability to think clearly and exercise sound judgment, and had no positions and interests that might cast doubt on their ability to act impartially; Could provide a breadth of experience to the Commission; Had the ability to provide firm leadership, ensuring that the Commission's procedures reflected best public appointments practice; Could demonstrate excellent communication skills, including managing the media, and the ability to act as a spokesman for the Commission; and Had a personal style that demonstrated authority, commitment, consistency and fairness in all dealings.
63W
The selection of the name to be recommended to the Prime Minister was made by a panel chaired by the Secretary of the Cabinet, assisted by Lord Fellowes and Ms Ann Abraham, the Legal Services Ombudsman and a member of the Wicks Committee, together with two independent assessors who were Sir Herman Ouseley and Ms Paula Grayson, an independent consultant. The process was assisted by recruitment consultants from PricewaterhouseCoopers, which made a preliminary assessment of applicants suitability against the criteria, but the panel saw and considered all applications.