This House of Lords Library briefing has been prepared ahead of the following debate in the House on 9 September 2021: Lord Blunkett to move that this House takes note of standards in public life.
Standards in Public Life (275 KB , PDF)
Are the ethical standards which govern the conduct of politicians and civil servants fit for purpose?
The Committee on Standards in Public Life, which advises the Prime Minister on ethical standards across public life in England, has recently published the interim findings of its ‘Standards Matter 2’ review. This was a wide-ranging examination of the seven principles of public life and their implementation, which comes at the same time as several parliamentary enquiries examine the conduct of former and current senior office holders.
The committee’s report found that there were four areas standards regulation that needed significant reform. These were: the Ministerial Code and the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests; the business appointment rules and the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA); transparency around lobbying; and the regulation of public appointments. However, the Committee also rejected calls for other reforms, such as placing the Ministerial Code on a statutory footing.
Standards in Public Life (275 KB , PDF)
The motion “that this bill do now pass” is moved immediately after a bill’s final stage in the House of Lords (known as third reading). It is amendable and so provides an opportunity for the House to oppose, delay or record a view on a measure if there is enough support. This briefing provides examples of amendments to the motion and what the outcome was each time.
In January 2025 the House of Lords Constitution Committee published a report on the responsibility of the government (the executive) to oversee the constitution. It concluded that the UK’s constitutional arrangements would benefit from several improved safeguards, such as the appointment of a senior minister to advise on constitutional matters and for advisory bodies to be put on a statutory footing.
National policy statements (NPSs) inform decision-making for nationally significant infrastructure projects. The current NPS for nuclear power generation (EN-6) has effect for listed nuclear projects capable of being deployed by the end of 2025. Both the current and previous governments have consulted on a new NPS (EN-7) that would apply to nuclear power stations expected to be deployed after 2025. This briefing gives an overview of NPSs, the proposed new NPS for nuclear power generation and the reaction to it, as well as the current government’s policy on nuclear energy.
