Committee on Standards in Public Life

The Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL) is an advisory non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom Government, established in 1994 to advise the Prime Minister on ethical standards of public life. It promotes a code of conduct called the Seven Principles of Public Life.

Organisation

The Committee on Standards in Public Life is an independent advisory non-departmental public body, with a secretariat and budget provided by the Cabinet Office. It is responsible for:[1]

  • advising the Prime Minister on ethical issues relating to standards in public life
  • conducting broad inquiries into standards of conduct
  • making recommendations as to changes in present arrangements
  • promoting the 7 principles of public life.

The Committee does not investigate individual allegations of misconduct, that being the role of the relevant regulator.

The Seven Principles of Public life

The committee promotes a code of conduct for those in public life called the Seven Principles of Public Life.[2]

  • Selflessness – Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.
  • Integrity – Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.
  • Objectivity – Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.
  • Accountability – Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.
  • Openness – Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.
  • Honesty – Holders of public office should be truthful
  • Leadership – Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and be willing to challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.

These Seven Principles apply to anyone who works as a public office holder including:[2]

  • those elected or appointed to public office, nationally or locally,
  • those appointed to work in the civil service, local government, the police, courts and probation services, Non Departmental Public Bodies, and in the health, education, social and care services, and
  • those in the private sector delivering public services.

Additionally, as was made clear during the 2020 Sussex crisis, Queen Elizabeth II expects members of her Royal Household to uphold the Seven Principles.[3]

Members

The Committee consists of a chair, four independent members and three political members. The chair and independent members are appointed by the Prime Minister for a single five-year term, following an open competition regulated by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA). The political members, nominated by the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat political parties, are appointed for three years with the possibility of reappointment.[4]

Position Current holder Appointed Term Ref
Chair Jonathan Evans, Baron Evans of Weardale KCB DL 25 October 2018 5 years [5]
Member Dame Margaret Beckett DBE MP (Labour Party) 31 October 2016 (originally appointed 1 November 2010) 3 years [6]
Member Simon Hart MP (Conservative Party) 6 September 2017 3 years [7]
Member Dame Shirley Pearce DBE 13 March 2018 5 years [8]
Member Monisha Shah 1 December 2015 5 years [9]
Member Jane Ramsey 1 September 2016 5 years [8]
Member Andrew Stunell (Liberal Democratic Party) 1 December 2016 3 years [9]
Member Dr Jane Martin CBE 1 January 2017 5 years [7]

History

The Committee was initially established in October 1994 by the Prime Minister, John Major, in response to concerns that conduct by some politicians was unethical - for example, during the cash-for-questions affair.[10]

1994 terms of reference

The Committee's original terms of reference were "To examine current concerns about standards of conduct of all holders of public office, including arrangements relating to financial and commercial activities, and make recommendations as to any changes in present arrangements which might be required to ensure the highest standards of propriety in public life".[11]

First report, 1995

The Committee's First Report[12] in 1995 established an initial version of The Seven Principles of Public Life, also known as the "Nolan principles". They were:[12]

  • Selflessness – Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest. They should not do so to gain financial or other benefits for themselves, their family or their friends.
  • Integrity – Holders of public office should not place themselves under any financial or other obligation to outside individuals or organisations that might seek to influence them in the performance of their official duties.
  • Objectivity – In carrying out public business, including making public appointments, awarding contracts, or recommending individuals for rewards and benefits, holders of public office should make choices on merit and facts not on personal judgements
  • Accountability – Holders of public office are accountable for their decisions and actions to the public and must submit themselves to whatever scrutiny is appropriate to their office.
  • Openness – Holders of public office should be as open as possible about all the decisions and actions they take. They should give reasons for their decisions and restrict information only when the wider public interest clearly demands.
  • Honesty – Holders of public office have a duty to declare any private interests relating to their public duties and to take steps to resolve any conflicts arising in a way that protects the public interest.
  • Leadership – Holders of public office should promote and support these principles by leadership and example.

(The wording of these Principles has since been revised following a review in the Fourteenth Report of January 2013.[2])

1997 terms of reference

In November 1997, Tony Blair extended the Committee's terms of reference: "To review issues in relation to the funding of political parties, and to make recommendations as to any changes in present arrangements."[13]

2013 terms of reference

On 5 February 2013, the Committee's terms of reference were clarified in two ways – (1): "…in future the Committee should not inquire into matters relating to the devolved legislatures and governments except with the agreement of those bodies"[14], and (2): "…the Committee’s remit to examine “standards of conduct of all holders of public office” [encompasses] all those involved in the delivery of public services, not solely those appointed or elected to public office".[15]

2013 clarification

The terms of reference were further clarified on 28 February 2013 to explain that the Committee "can examine issues relating to the ethical standards of the delivery of public services by private and voluntary sector organisations, paid for by public funds, even where those delivering the services have not been appointed or elected to public office.”

Notable members
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
  • Sir Clifford Boulton (1994–2000)

List of past Committee chairmen
gollark: Wait, if America is as non-free as China, and the UK is generally considered less free than America... the UK is more authoritarian than China?
gollark: Decent prosperity and continually advancing technology?
gollark: *Somewhat* more.
gollark: I said "somewhat more".
gollark: People might have different criteria for these and it's irrelevant and pointless to say "well, yours are wrong".

References

Citations
  1. "Committee on Standards in Public Life/About". Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  2. Committee on Standards in Public Life: Annual Report 2017-18", p. 2
  3. Mendinck, Robert (19 February 2020). "Sussexes cannot cash in on royal name and 'uphold the values' of Queen". Telegraph Media Group Limited.
  4. Committee on Standards in Public Life: Annual Report 2017-18", p. 16
  5. "Press Release: Prime Minister appoints Lord Evans of Weardale as Chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life". Gov.uk. 25 October 2018. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  6. Committee on Standards in Public Life: Annual Report 2017-18", p. 17
  7. Committee on Standards in Public Life: Annual Report 2017-18", p. 18
  8. Committee on Standards in Public Life: Annual Report 2017-18", p. 19
  9. Committee on Standards in Public Life: Annual Report 2017-18", p. 20
  10. Leopold (2004). p. 417.
  11. House of Commons Library, Committee on Standards in Public Life, SN/PC/04888, 11 November 2008
  12. First Report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life (1995). p. 14.
  13. Annual Report 2010–11 (2011). p. 14.
  14. Above all because these bodies have their own standard overseeing authorities: for the House of Commons, see Commons Select Committee on Standards.
  15. "Terms of reference". Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  16. Annual Report 2010–11 (2011). p. 16.
  17. "Prime Minister appoints new committee chairs" (Press release). Cabinet Office; Prime Minister's Office. 28 October 2018.

Bibliography
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