Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to change disqualification rules for (a) councillors, (b) mayors and (c) other elected representatives, in relation to those found guilty of sexual offences.

On changes to local government disqualification criteria, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 41451.

The government has been clear that standards in local government need to be improved and that could include a standards regime which has the power to suspend, sanction and disqualify for the most serious breaches.

Councillors and mayors already face disqualification if found guilty of sexual offences. Individuals made subject to the notification requirements or who receive a relevant order for sexual offences are disqualified for as long as they remain subject to them.

Someone cannot be a Police and Crime Commissioner if they have ever been convicted of an imprisonable offence.

We have no plans to extend the House of Commons disqualification criteria beyond those set out in the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 and the Representation of the People Act 1981. There are also mechanisms in place under the Recall of MPs Act 2015 for the electorate to decide whether to remove MPs convicted of other offences.