House of Commons Committee on Standards

Time Commitment: three to four days per month (including meetings on Tuesday mornings). Fixed term of six years.

Remuneration: £600 per day

The UK Parliament was the first in the world to introduce independent scrutiny of MPs with the establishment of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards role and the appointment of lay members to the House of Commons Committee on Standards. Selected via open and fair competition, lay members have become an integral part of the Committee, bringing breadth of experience and external perspectives.  They play a full role in the Committee’s work, equal in numbers to the MPs on the Committee and with full voting rights, involved in both disciplinary cases and inquiries related to broader standards matters.

The House of Commons is seeking to appoint a talented individual whose skills, perspectives and experience will enrich the Committee and its decision-making.

Lay members should bring experience of contributing to decision-making on sensitive matters where there were strong and contested views; and of working with colleagues to come to an agreed approach. Alongside this, proven ability to consider and review large volumes of information to reach sound, evidence-based judgments which take account of codes of conduct, rules, or organisational context will be vital.  Experience of working strategically with or within complex environments to develop and improve systems and processes is also essential, as are a general understanding of Parliament’s role in a representative democracy, and the role of MPs.  Other required qualities, including personal ones, are set out in the information pack available to candidates.

Some track record of contributing to a regulatory or disciplinary environment may prove helpful to a candidate but is not essential.

Lay members must be, and be seen to be, politically neutral. They must demonstrate complete impartiality during their time on the Committee and should not during their term of office undertake any party-political activity or belong or donate to a political party. Please note that individuals are ineligible for this role if they are current or former Members of the House of Commons or House of Lords,or if they have been involved in party political activity or have been a member of or donated to a political party during the five years before their application was submitted.

Further detail regarding registration of interests and eligibility are contained in the candidate pack.

Please Note:

These appointments require the highest standards of propriety, involving impartiality, integrity and objectivity, in relation to the stewardship of public funds and the oversight and management of all related activities. This means that any private, voluntary, charitable, or political interest which might be material and relevant to the work of the body concerned should be declared. It is important, therefore, that you consider your circumstances when applying for this appointment and identify any potential conflicts of interest, whether real or perceived.

There is a requirement to declare any actual or potential conflict of interest you may have in being appointed in a separate form.  Any actual or perceived conflicts of interest will be fully explored by Saxton Bampfylde in the long list interviews and by the Panel at interview stage.

A key stage of the recruitment process is that the successful candidate’s appointment will be debated in the House of Commons, a public event where their CV may be discussed.  Candidates should be aware of this.

Saxton Bampfylde Ltd is acting as an employment agency advisor to the House of Commons, Committee on Standards on this appointment. For further information about the role, including details about how to apply, please visit www.saxbam.com/appointments using reference OETN. Alternatively telephone +44 (0)20 7227 0880 (during office hours). Applications should be received by noon on Friday 30^th September.