New rules to protect UK politics from “chilling risks” posed by hostile states and foreign influence should be implemented, MPs have been told.
A series of robust proposals put forward by the Commons Standards Committee said an outright ban should be placed on foreign government secretariats and annual reports on income and spending should be published.
The measures also include a bar on MPs sitting as officers on more than six All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs).
Tougher rules on the governance of groups receiving more than £1,500 a year in outside benefits would also be introduced, if given the go-ahead by Parliament.
Concerns have risen over the informal interest groups as their numbers have spiralled, while a woman who helped set up a Chinese in Britain APPG was revealed to be a spy last year.
Risks From Cash
The committee also issued a warning against access passes to Parliament being handed to external secretariats of APPGs.The committee initially launched its inquiry into APPGs in October 2020.
As part of the inquiry, it received a range of written evidence from APPGs, members of both the House of Commons and Lords, and outside organisations.
It took oral evidence from MPs, think tanks, professional membership organisations, and key parliamentary stakeholders as part of a widespread consultation which informed the committee’s report.
The inquiry identified that risks primarily arise where the groups receive external benefits in cash or in kind.
The committee concluded that there is less risk attached to APPGs that do not accept external financial benefits, and it agreed with views raised in the consultation that to impose significant additional requirements on such groups would be disproportionate.
Releasing Wednesday’s report, Standards Committee Chairman Sir Chris Bryant said better regulation and transparency is needed to “mitigate” ongoing risks to UK politics.
“The Committee stands by the conclusions in its initial report, stating that All-Party Parliamentary Groups are a valuable part of how Parliament does its work; but we cannot afford to ignore the chilling risks some Groups may pose if left unchecked,” he said in a statement.
“Our report today sets out a package of robust new measures to strengthen the checks and balances on All-Party Parliamentary Groups, particularly those receiving external financial benefits—shining a light on the governance of these groups and enhancing their accountability and transparency.”
Bryant said it was now up to the government to bring forward a debate on the proposals.
He added: “Parliament always has, and always will be a target for hostile foreign states and improper commercial interests.
“But with better regulation and transparency around these informal all-party parliamentary groups, we can harness their positive contribution to our democracy while mitigating any risks.”
‘Security Concerns’
Bryant said the reforms are needed because “we need to be able to follow the money very carefully” to prevent “inappropriate peddling of influence.”“People have been warning for ages that the next big scandal in parliamentary politics is lobbying,” he said.
“The soft underbelly of parliamentary access is APPGs, which could be exploited by commercial interests or by foreign state actors that wish us ill.”
The Standards Committee chair also referred to the case of Chinese spy Christine Lee as an example of security issues linked to APPGs.
The case is just one of a number involving the groups to have raised “security concerns,” which he said he could not discuss in detail as they are a matter for the security services, he told Radio 4’s “Today” programme.
Other recommendations put forward by the committee include a four officer limit on APPGs to “ensure clearer accountability.”
All APPGs should also publish an annual income and expenditure statement, which should also be provided to a group’s AGM, even if it’s a nil return, the report said.
The report said this would “enhance transparency” and ensure that groups subject to further rules because they have received external benefits can be easily identified.
The report also recommends a review on the issuing of all parliamentary passes connected to APPGs.
The committee also set out its recommendation for the parliamentary commissioner for standards to work with Parliament’s director of security to develop a “due diligence toolkit” to support MPs to undertake checks in line with the report’s proposals.
