Question

To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether there has been consideration of a prohibition on Members of the House of Lords (1) acting as political or parliamentary consultants, and (2) working for lobbying firms.

There has been extensive consideration of this issue over many years. As long ago as 2009 the Leader’s Group on the Code of Conduct proposed the prohibition of parliamentary consultancies, and this was incorporated in the Guide to the Code of Conduct that was agreed by the House on 17 March 2010. Since that time the rules on consultancies and lobbying have been regularly updated, following recommendations by the responsible committees.

Paragraphs 9(c) and 9(d) of the Code of Conduct say that members:

• must never accept or agree to accept any financial inducement as an incentive or reward for exercising parliamentary influence; and
• must not seek to profit from membership of the House by accepting or agreeing to accept payment or other incentive or reward in return for providing parliamentary advice or services.

The details of these restrictions are set out in more detail from paragraph 15 onwards in the Guide to the Code of Conduct. Members may also seek the advice of the Registrar of Lords’ Interests.

The latest edition of the Code of Conduct and the Guide to the Code was ordered to be published on 28 October 2021 and is available on the parliamentary website and from the Printed Paper Office.