Parliamentary Standards Bill

My noble friend will know that I have been most concerned about the whole question of the advocacy arrangements in the Bill since it was originally published. She will recall that we had a number of conversations with Jack Straw to clarify the possible removal of subsection (2) from the Bill. I want to comment on the need for the Bill, particularly Clause 8, to go through, including an offence that affects, as the noble Lord, Lord Elystan-Morgan, referred to it, a narrow constituency of people—in this case, the narrow constituency of Members of Parliament. It is important that the Bill sends out a message to MPs as individuals that they are actually targeted in this legislation. It would concentrate their minds on the need to comply with the law, specifically in this area, more than would be the case than if they thought they were simply liable to prosecution under the general law in other areas that have been referred to by noble Lords. MPs are well aware of the difficulties that have arisen following recent exposures in the national newspapers but, if ever there was a temptation to breach the rules in these areas in the future, a specific reference in legislation would act as an incentive not to do so. In that sense, I warmly welcome my noble friend’s view that it is important that Members of Parliament get the message and that no prosecutions take place in the future because they have received that message.