Parliamentary Standards Bill

I want to get on, but I think that I made the position quite clear. I see paid advocacy as bribery and the draft Bribery Bill provides the perfect vehicle for dealing with that and for ensuring that Members of Parliament are not exempt by virtue of the Bill of Rights. It seems to me that what was clearly stated in the way in which the Committee voted to get rid of clause 10 was that, for the purposes of the regulation of the House and any criminal offences that might be thought to be relevant, the Bill of Rights would continue to apply. I think that if the Secretary of State tries to do something else in the other place, he will find, in the light of that vote, that he will face serious difficulty.