UK Parliament / Open data

Parliamentary Standards Bill

I want to finish and let other people speak. The situation is something of a hologram. We are saying that IPSA is independent, but for other purposes we are saying that there is parliamentary control. We are also saying that IPSA will have a shelf-life of one year, and if we do not like what it does, we can dispose of it completely. How we are meant to recruit people of competence and credibility to the authority on that basis I do not know. With a sunset clause, there is the danger that we might be saying, "This is temporary for a year. It could change next year." Do Members of this House want to fight a general election on the issue of expenses and how they are managed and controlled? That would be a very dangerous virus to come into a general election campaign. That is the danger of a sunset clause.

About this proceeding contribution

Reference

495 c403 

Session

2008-09

Chamber / Committee

House of Commons chamber
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