Conduct Committee
Lord Kakkar
That the Report from the Select Committee The conduct of Lord Evans of Watford (8th Report, HL Paper 220) be agreed to.
Lord Kakkar (CB)
My Lords, I turn to the second report, which is on the conduct of the noble Lord, Lord Evans of Watford. He too was the subject of a sting operation; it was undertaken by journalists posing as potential clients of a company owned by the noble Lord’s son, in which the noble Lord held one-third of the shares. The noble Lord also referred himself for investigation to the commissioner for standards.
The noble Lord, Lord Evans, was recorded offering to provide parliamentary services to the journalists, thereby breaching the rule that noble Lords should act always on their personal honour. The case uncovered several additional breaches of the code. It emerged that the noble Lord had sponsored events in the House of Lords on behalf of the company and had approached other noble Lords to ask them to speak at these events. In so doing, he provided parliamentary services to a company in which he had a financial incentive.
Moreover, the events themselves breached the events rules. They were designed to generate income and drum up business for the company which the noble Lord, Lord Evans, partly owned, and tickets were advertised at a price higher than the actual cost. The rules on events are clear. The facilities of the House are provided at public expense to support Members’ parliamentary work, not to help them generate financial or material gain. All noble Lords, if they sponsor events, are required to satisfy themselves and certify that the rules have been followed. The noble Lord failed to do so, and his actions put the reputation of the House at risk.
We therefore concurred with the commissioner that a significant suspension was warranted and have recommended that the noble Lord, Lord Evans, be suspended for five months.
The Lord Speaker (Lord McFall of Alcluith)
My Lords, under Standing Order 68, no debate is allowed on this Motion. I must therefore put the Question that this Motion be agreed to.
Lord Kakkar
That, in accordance with Standing Order 11, Lord Evans of Watford be suspended from the service of the House for a period of five months; and that, in accordance with section 1 of the House of Lords (Expulsion and Suspension) Act 2015, in the opinion of this House, the conduct giving rise to this resolution occurred after the coming into force of that Act.