Summary
The 'Parliamentary Standards Bill' (HC Bill 121) was introduced into the House of Commons on 23 June 2009 by Harriet Harman MP.
The Bill will establish as a body corporate a new Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA), which will have functions in relation to MPs' salaries, allowances and financial interests.
The IPSA will take over paying the salaries of MPs in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the House of Commons. It will be responsible for drawing up the MPs' allowances scheme, drawing on the outcome of the current work of the Committee on Standards in Public Life in reviewing those allowances.
IPSA will prepare financial interest rules, including some matters currently covered by the MPs' Code of Conduct.
The Bill will also establish a separate Commissioner for Parliamentary Investigations to investigate breaches of the rules on allowances and financial interests. IPSA will have a range of sanctions available in response to a Commissioner's report.
It may:
- direct the repayment of allowances which have been incorrectly paid;
- direct the MP to amend his or her entries in the register of financial interests; and
- recommend further action to the Committee on Standards and Privileges, such as withholding an MP's salary for a period or suspending or expelling that MP.
The Bill will create new criminal offences of:
- knowingly providing misleading information in a claim for an allowance;
- failing to comply with the rules on registration; and
- breaching the rules that prohibit paid advocacy.
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