This report from the Committee for Privileges looks at the conduct of Lord Moonie, Lord Snape, Lord Truscott and Lord Taylor of Blackburn. The background to this report was a set of allegations, made in the The Sunday Times on 25 January 2009, stating that the peers had been willing to engage in paid advocacy. The Sub-Committee on Lords’ Interests has reported on the conduct of the peers, reaching the conclusion that three of the four members - Lords Snape, Truscott and Taylor - had breached the Code of Conduct. The main Committee, in this report, has examined the Sub-Committee’s findings for each of the peers, along with three appeals from Lords Snape, Truscott and Taylor and a personal statement by one of the peers to the Committee. The Committee followed procedures as laid out by an earlier report ( The Code of Conduct: Procedure for Considering Complaints Against Members (HL 205) , ISBN 9780104014042). The Committee sets out a summary of conclusions in this report, focusing on the key points of the issue between the Sub-Committee and the three members who submitted appeals. The conclusions reached by the Committee, include: the Committee endorses the Sub-Committee’s exoneration of Lord Moonie of any breach of the Code of Conduct, but concludes that he did make a number of unwise comments in respect of the Code of Conduct and should make a personal statement of apology to the House; and, the Committee upholds the appeal of Lord Snape against the Sub-Committee’s findings and concludes that he did not express clear willingness to exercise parliamentary influence in return for financial inducements. However, he also demonstrated an inappropriate attitude to the rules governing the conduct of members and should apologise to the House. The conclusions also include that the Committee upholds the Sub-Committee’s findings in respect of both Lord Truscott and Lord Taylor of Blackburn, whose conversations with undercover journalists showed a failure to act on their personal honour and therefore breached the Code. The Committee recommends that both peers should be suspended from the service of the House until the end of the current session.
