Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Ministerial Code

29 November 2022 · 1 other contributor · 3,653 words

Opened by Chris Bryant Lab Rhondda and Ogmore

Responding minister: Alex Burghart

Standards & Ethics

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Chris Bryant raised concerns about ministerial code in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Concerns raised about the ministerial code include the absence of an adviser to oversee it, hindering investigations and delaying the publication of ministerial interests.
  • Chris Bryant asks for alignment between the ministerial code and the House of Commons' code of conduct to eliminate exemptions for Ministers regarding interest registration and disciplinary actions.
  • The Minister acknowledged the need for transparency and timeliness in ministerial declarations and committed to publishing revised guidance on ministerial transparency data soon.

Key requests to Government

Chris Bryant asks for alignment between the ministerial code and the House of Commons' code of conduct to eliminate exemptions for Ministers regarding interest registration and disciplinary actions. He also requests that the independent adviser be appointed by Parliament or the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Chris Bryant Lab Rhondda and Ogmore

The ministerial code is broken as there is no adviser to oversee it, investigations cannot proceed without an adviser, and the publication of ministerial interests is delayed. The system lacks transparency with outdated registers and inconsistent reporting on financial interests, leading to discrepancies between declarations made in different roles.

Other contributors (1)
  • Wendy Chamberlain Lib Dem North East Fife

    The hon. Member is making a powerful point. Does he agree that it is simply wrong that there is a difference between what we register as MPs and what Ministers register, particularly given that the point of registration is to ensure transparency over how decisions are made? That is even more important for Ministers, arguably, than it is for MPs.

Government Response

Alex Burghart

The Minister acknowledged the hon. Member for Rhondda's points regarding transparency, timeliness of ministerial declarations, and consistency in the system. He confirmed that revised guidance on ministerial transparency data would be published soon to reflect modern practices. The Government reaffirmed their commitment to publishing transparency data within 90 days from each quarter's end, with strengthened advice for Departments to ensure accessibility. Regarding the independent adviser role, the Minister clarified that there is no information suggesting it has been declined multiple times and assured that the appointment remains a priority.

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