Committee announces new proposals to tighten rules and improve transparency around All-Party Parliamentary Groups

The Committee on Standards has today published a new report putting forward a package of proposals to tighten the rules and improve both the governance and transparency of All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) amid concerns of improper influence.

Today’s report comes following a detailed inquiry and extensive consultation with industry experts and parliamentarians across both Houses. The Committee’s initial report found “APPGs are a valuable part of how Parliament does its work; but there remains a significant risk of improper access and influence by commercial entities or by hostile foreign actors, through APPGs.” This latest report published today now sets out a range of recommendations aimed at enhancing transparency and accountability of informal All-Party Parliamentary Groups.

The inquiry into APPGs identified that risks primarily arise where the Groups receive external benefits in cash or in kind. The Committee have concluded that there is less risk attached to APPGs who 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.

Some of the Committee’s proposals therefore focus on APPGs which receive external financial benefits or benefits in kind over a certain threshold. The Committee proposes that the following additional rules apply to Groups who receive outside financial benefits totalling over £1,500 in a calendar year:

• These APPGs should produce an annual report at the end of the year outlining the work they have done. This is in line with a proposal from Mr Speaker and the Lord Speaker;
• The AGMs of such Groups should be chaired ‘externally’, by one of a pool of Members appointed by the Speaker—who would not be a member of the Group whose AGM they chair;
• The Committee propose that at least 8 Members of either House must be present for an AGM to be quorate (as opposed to 5 for APPGs with no registrable benefits);
• The Committee proposes that the four officers should be held jointly and severally liable for compliance with the additional rules for these Groups. This is to create an incentive for APPG officers to ensure they actively oversee and contribute to the good governance of the Group where external financial benefits have been received.

The Committee also proposes the following changes to apply to all informal APPGs, to enhance transparency and accountability:

• An outright ban on secretariats funded or provided by a foreign Government.
• There is currently no limit on the number of APPGs for which an MP could be an officer. The Committee proposes to cap this at six APPGs. This is to prevent Members from committing to several APPGs without the ability in practice to provide effective oversight and leadership.
• Currently an APPG must have a minimum of four officers, with no maximum. The Committee proposes that APPGs should have only four officers, to ensure clearer accountability.
• Where the rules require provision of information “on request”, the Committee proposes that there should be a specified time limit of 28 days for it to be provided.
• The Committee proposes that all APPGs should publish an annual income and expenditure statement (which should also be provided to a Group’s AGM), even if this is a nil return. This is to enhance transparency, and to ensure that Groups subject to further rules because they have received external benefits can be easily identified.
• The Committee also recommends to the Administration Committee, concerned with the issuing of parliamentary passes, that it should be made explicit that nobody registered as an external secretariat to a Group should be granted a parliamentary pass. The Committee also recommends that this should be more strictly enforced, with a review of existing passes issued.

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 with undertaking due diligence checks in line with the proposals set out in the report.

Chair of the Committee on Standards, Sir Chris Bryant MP, said:

“ 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.” 

“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.

“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.

“We now look to the Government to bring forward a debate in the House on these proposals. I hope colleagues will read our report in full and support our proposals.”

The Committee initially launched its inquiry into APPGs in October 2020. As part of the inquiry, the Committee received a range of written evidence from APPGs, members of both Houses, 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 published recommendations in its most recent report.

The Committee’s report is attached to this email and can be read in full on the Committee on Standards website here once the embargo lifts from 00:01 Wednesday 5 April.