HC Deb 15 January 2002 vol 378 cc168-9W
Peter Bottomley

To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, when the Commission agreed to pay the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards for four days a week; when the Commission first understood the average days worked was five days a week; and when, why and how it decided to offer the next term at three days a week. [25148]

Mr. Kirkwood

[holding answer 9 January 2002]: The Commissioner for Standards was initially offered the post on the basis of three days a week. The Commission agreed to increase the salary to one based on employment for four days, but this was done in response to representations made by Mrs. Filkin and was not based on any re-assessment of her likely workload. The Commission was told by the Chairman of the Committee on Standards and Privileges on 10 December 2001 that the Commissioner for Standards was in fact working for about five days a week. As for the decision to advertise the next term as likely to be for three days a week, I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on 23 November 2001, Official Report, column 484W, and 28 November 2001. Official Report, column 871W.

Peter Bottomley

To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, what policy the Commission has adopted in relation to the correction of information concerning the recent letter from the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. [25533]

Mr. Kirkwood

[holding answer 9 January 2002]: If the hon. Member is able to be more precise about the events he has in mind, I will endeavour to reply to his question.