Commissioner for Standards
The Chairman of Committees
That this House approves the appointment of Lucy Scott-Moncrieff CBE as House of Lords Commissioner for Standards for a period of five years beginning on 1 June 2016.
The Chairman of Committees (Lord Laming)
My Lords, this Motion invites the House to appoint its second Commissioner for Standards. The term of office of the current commissioner, Paul Kernaghan, expires on 1 June. An open competition was held to recruit his successor. A board comprising the leaders of the main political parties and the Convenor of the Cross-Bench Group, or their representatives, and the noble Baroness, Lady Fritchie, a former Commissioner for Public Appointments, recommended that Lucy Scott-Moncrieff, a former president of the Law Society of England and Wales, should be appointed. This Motion approves her appointment for a single, non-renewable term of five years.
I am sure the House will agree that this is an appropriate moment to put on record our thanks to Paul Kernaghan for his service as Commissioner for Standards over the past six years. Mr Kernaghan had a very distinguished career in the police service. Although not many Members will have encountered him during his service as commissioner, I know from being on the Committee for Privileges and Conduct what a thorough and fair job he has done in investigating allegations of misconduct. The House is now far better equipped to deal with the rare complaints about misconduct by its Members than it was when Mr Kernaghan was appointed. That in no small part is due to his painstaking work as commissioner.
I beg to move that the House do appoint Lucy Scott-Moncrieff as the Commissioner for Standards for the House of Lords.