Lords should 'expect public scrutiny'

Lord Neill may recommend a new register of peers' interests

Former Leader of the SDP Lord Owen has told the Neill Committee on Standards in Public Life that members of the House of Lords should expect public scrutiny.

His remarks at the opening session of the standards watchdog's inquiry into rules governing peers' behaviour came after reports that Labour peer Lord Levy used tax avoidance strategies.

Millionaire Lord Levy tried to secure an High Court to prevent The Sunday Times from printing allegations that he paid only £5,000 income tax in 1998-99.

The Lords is a pretty public place...you can't hide behind normal privacy laws, normal rights of privacy

Lord Owen

But Lord Owen told members of the government's standards watchdog that the conduct of members of the House of Lords was a matter of public interest.

"The Lords is a pretty public place and you have only got to see what happened over the last 24 hours," Lord Owen said.

"Judges interpret membership of the House of Lords as carrying certain obligations and therefore you can't hide behind normal privacy laws, normal rights of privacy, and I think that is quite right," he insisted.

'Difficult to discipline a peer'

Lord Richard, former Labour Leader of the Lords, argued for greater transparency and openness in the way peers conducted their affairs.

However, he said it would not be appropriate for the Commons and Lords to have the same rules because of the different way they were made up.

"It is very difficult to discipline a peer," Lord Richard said, "You could name and shame him and that is possibly the best way of dealing with it. But in terms of imposing sanctions against peers in the way you can impose sanctions against MPs, I don't think it is sustainable."

He said it would be different if most peers were elected rather than nominated, as greater democratic accountability would be needed.

Lord Jenkin of Roding, a Conservative former cabinet minister, said that peers should declare outside interests on a register rather than face the embarrassment of having them ferreted out by investigative journalists.

He pointed out that some members of the Lords might not be aware of all the rules, particularly because the large number of new life peers made it difficult for them all to receive proper advice.

Register of interests

The Neill Committee's inquiry is looking into the possibility of making members of the House of Lords subject to the same strict rules that govern MPs' behaviour.

The committee may recommend establishing a new code of conduct and register of interests for peers, and require them to register all outside earnings.

An increasingly powerful, reformed House has prompted the inquiry

During its inquiry It will also look at appointing a commissioner for standards, and scrutinise the relationship between Lords and lobbyists, in particular at the often substantial sums that peers earn acting as parliamentary consultants for lobby groups and businesses.