How to work with Parliament Your work as a government communicator may involve dealing with Parliament, either directly or indirectly, at any time. As the main legislative, scrutinising and debating forum of the United Kingdom, Parliament is sovereign and commands a respect that no minister wishes to offend. All ministers are accountable to it. Parliament's authority is paramount and both Houses hold it in high regard. You should ensure that in your dealings with them you observe the rules - and seek advice if unsure, either from your parliamentary team or the Office of the Leader of the Commons. The business of the Commons and the Lords regularly requires communicators to consider collectively a wide range of interests and contacts - ministers, departmental parliamentary branches, House authorities and staff, the media and others. It is important to ensure that you have a sound factual basis for any advice on parliamentary matters given to ministers. Working successfully and professionally in the parliamentary environment, where specific rules, traditions and customs apply, will depend on the extent of your knowledge and an awareness of specific sensitivities. This section sets out the key areas that touch on government communicators' work. It provides guidance so that your experience in dealing with Parliament brings results. You'll also find practical advice to help you find your way around Parliament itself, and background knowledge to guide you on the parliamentary processes you will encounter. The routes to communication in Parliament Parliament is an essential avenue for communicating the Government's policies and messages. This may be in the form of White or Green Papers, published reports and other documents, oral and written replies to questions, ministerial oral and written statements, debates and deposited papers in the libraries of both Houses. Not all government decisions require legislation - and not all that do are debated in Parliament before being approved. But a vast range of government activity is conveyed in some shape or other to Parliament and, through it, to other stakeholders, the media and to the public. With so many routes to the media, you should be aware of the need to establish Parliament clearly as part of the full communications picture, especially when policy announcements are being made. Apart from recess periods, rarely a day goes by in general media coverage when the parliamentary agenda does not feature. In particular, successful media handling of ministerial statements and speeches in Parliament provides a real opportunity to reach a wide audience, in both broadcast and print terms. Uniquely, Parliament remains a focal point for a very wide range of media activity, with newspapers and broadcasting outlets (both national and regional), agencies and some weekly publications accredited by the parliamentary authorities. 18 And in today's fast-moving media world, you should also bear in mind that the record of proceedings and decisions of Parliament continues to provide a valuable reference tool that can aid communications planning. Providing information The Press Gallery is the focal point for the delivery of reports and documents, ministerial speeches and statements, written replies to questions and messages for members of the Gallery. If your minister is making an oral statement, it is standard practice for the press office to supply copies of the statement, wherever possible, which should be handed to the Gallery attendants or the Press Gallery administrator outside the Chamber on a 'check against delivery' basis. This should be standard practice, not least for the reason that it enables journalists to have a copy of a minister's actual words. You should also ensure that copies of important documents are provided in reasonable quantities and in good time, if they have been trailed in advance. You generally are not expected to provide the Gallery with copies of ministerial speeches. However, there are benefits in relaying his or her words, especially if journalists are unable to take a proper note or are not present for the debate. The Press Gallery has its own separate switchboard on 020 7219 4700. Journalists working there may be reached by direct extension (if known) or by asking the operator to connect your call. The Press Gallery administrator is Elizabeth Johnson. She can be reached on [email protected] Briefing the media Usually, when a minister has made a significant statement or announcement to the House, there will be a requirement from journalists for further briefing, explanation or clarification. This should always be done outside the Chamber if more than one journalist is involved. It is vitally important that you understand the basis on which you handle questions from journalists after a minister has gone on the record. To find out more, read our explanation on speaking terms. Finding your way around Parliament Access and security Even to the more experienced communicator, the complexity of Parliament’s functions, the conduct of its daily business agenda and the physical layout of the Palace of Westminster are challenging. To newcomers, they may appear baffling. 18 The general security threat has required a much stricter control system for access to the Parliamentary estate. All government communicators with regular departmental business at the Palace are required to hold a photo-identity pass. This is usually issued after approval by your sponsoring department. However, the House authorities carefully monitor the overall number of passes issued. In certain circumstances, a day pass can be issued. You must report the theft or loss of a pass immediately. The pass held by government communicators will be yellow. Possession of this pass entitles the holder to access the Parliamentary estate at St Stephen’s entrance and other points where there are electronic card readers. This includes access to the Press Galleries of both Houses, ministerial offices when required and public sessions of Parliamentary committees. For further information about passes contact your Parliamentary Clerk’s Office. The Press Gallery The lower Press Gallery area is the main gateway for access to the Gallery above the Chamber itself. If you have to attend, you are required to take a place on the bench to the left of the entrance door, which is reserved for government communicators. You should not occupy the bench until it is your turn to do so. You will need to:       show your pass switch off your mobile phone or other alerting device; if it is in silent mode, you should use discretion when looking at it inside the Gallery itself leave all outer coats, briefcases and handbags with the Press Gallery attendants outside the Chamber for safekeeping wear a jacket and tie, if you are male keep conversations with fellow communicators and/or journalists to a minimum and avoid any inadvertent breach of the rules of conduct while attending a debate or Question Time Within the Chamber, uniformed attendants known as Badge Messengers (not police officers) are responsible for order in the Public and Press Galleries. Their directions should be followed Attending a debate in Westminster Hall and/or a committee Westminster Hall is a secondary chamber, located up the stone staircase close to the main doors of the Hall. Debates on specific topics and, occasionally, cross-cutting questions are held here. The same rules apply as for entry to the Press Gallery itself, although the accommodation for both communicators and departmental officials is more limited. You should not enter until advised to do so. Similarly, you should not attempt to enter the designated room for a committee session until advised to do so. Committees often deliberate in private before taking public evidence from witnesses. 18 The rooms for committee sessions are located in the main committee corridor, which is reached from the Press Gallery or Central Lobby, or in the corridor above. The rooms are numbered and meetings are signposted in both the Central Lobby and the Upper Waiting Hall area. Other meetings – usually of select committees – are held on the first floor of Portcullis House, across the road from the Palace. It can be accessed by passholders from the main building or from street level. The rooms are identified by the names of former leading political figures. The use of mobile phones in committees and Westminster Hall’s chamber is banned. However, they may be used in the corridors outside the rooms House of Lords Generally, use of the Press Gallery here is less intensive. It is reached by turning right in the Peers’ Lobby, left through a door and then up a staircase on the right. You should observe the rules of conduct as you would those of the Commons Press Gallery. Interviews Media interviews with ministers for broadcast organisations may be conducted in their rooms at the Palace. The fixed camera position in Central Lobby, diagonally opposite the post office, is also a permitted location for live transmission, and its use does not require prior approval of the House authorities. However, permission is required from the authorities for the use of other locations. Parliament explained Functions and structure The UK Parliament is based on a two-chamber system. The House of Commons and the House of Lords sit separately and are constituted on different principles. However, the legislative process involves both Houses, each acting as a check and balance on the other. The main functions of Parliament are to:     make all UK law provide, by voting for taxation, the means of carrying on government protect the public and safeguard the rights of individuals scrutinise government policy and administration, including proposals for expenditure 18    examine European proposals before they become law hear appeals (in the House of Lords, the highest court of appeal in Britain) debate the major issues of the day Parliament has a maximum duration of five years. At any time up to the end of this period, a general election can be held for a new House of Commons. House of Commons The House of Commons is traditionally known as the Lower House, but it is the main arena for political battle. A government can only remain in office for as long as it has the support of a majority in the Commons. Both Houses debate new primary legislation as part of the process of approving an Act of Parliament, but the Commons has primacy over the nonelected House of Lords. ‘Money bills’ concerned solely with taxation and public expenditure (e.g. a finance bill which implements the Budget) are always introduced in the Commons and must be passed by the Lords promptly and without amendment. When the two Houses fail to agree on a nonmoney bill, the Parliament Acts can be invoked to ensure that the will of the elected chamber prevails. Ministerial statements Most Cabinet ministers are members of the House of Commons (two current exceptions are the Lord Chancellor and the Attorney General). Significant announcements are made in the Commons – normally by the relevant Cabinet minister, or in certain cases by the Prime Minister – and these are known as ministerial statements. They tend to be details of new legislative proposals, e.g. publication of a White Paper; details of a military deployment (such as sending troops to Afghanistan); or information about a major event, e.g. an EU summit, a public order incident or a major transport incident. Ministerial statements are followed by a short debate, which the Speaker will allow to run on depending on the seriousness of the subject matter and the level of interest among MPs. They take place immediately after Question Time. Major statements are repeated in the Lords. Very occasionally, oral statements – usually of an emergency nature – are made at a convenient moment when business can be interrupted. The Speaker The Speaker is an MP who is elected to act as chairman during proceedings in the main Chamber. Once elected as Speaker the individual ceases to be involved in party politics. They are responsible for ensuring that the rules of the House are observed as business is carried out, and they call MPs to speak and maintain order in the House (‘Order, order’). The current speaker is John Bercow, who has three deputies to assist him. The four do not normally vote. 18 Sitting hours There are an average of 296 Commons sitting days a year. The sitting hours are:      Monday: 2.30pm to 10pm Tuesday: 11.30am-7.30pm Wednesday: 11.30am to 7.30pm Thursday: 9.30am to 5.30pm Friday (selected dates only): 9.30am to 3pm The House also meets for (non-legislative) debates in Westminster Hall from Tuesday to Thursday. Sitting hours are:     Monday: 4.30 to 7.30pm Tuesday: 2.30 to 5pm Wednesday: 2.30 to 4.30pm Thursday: from 1.30 to 4.30pm These sessions are designed to give backbenchers more time to debate issues that cannot find space in the crowded schedule of the Chamber. Following the 2010 election, there are 650 MPs, 146 of whom are women. The Father of the House is the longest serving MP. Five MPs (Sinn Fein) have not taken their seats and, therefore, are not entitled to vote. House of Lords The House of Lords is the second chamber of the Houses of Parliament. Members of the House are known as peers. The Lords consists of Life Peers, Lords Spiritual (26 senior bishops) and Elected Hereditary Peers. Membership Members of the Lords are not elected and, with the exception of bishops, who leave the House on retirement, they retain their seats for life. They are not paid – i.e. they do not receive a salary – except for a small number of members who are salaried by virtue of the office they hold. They can be reimbursed for any travel, subsistence and secretarial costs they incur in connection with their parliamentary duties in attending a sitting of the House or a meeting of a committee of the House. Following the House of Lords Act 1999, there are now only 92 peers who sit by virtue of hereditary peerage. The majority of members are life peers, and the Government has been consulting on proposals for further reform of the Lords. As of February 2013, there were 830 peers in total. About two-thirds of these align themselves to a political party. A distinctive feature of the Lords is the presence of crossbench peers, who are not affiliated to any party. In general, the functions of the Lords are similar to those of the Commons – legislating, debating and questioning the executive. There are two exceptions: members of the Lords do not represent constituencies, and they are not involved in matters of taxation and finance. 18 The Speaker The Speaker of the House of Lords was established in 2006. Peers voted to approve a motion to establish the position of independent Speaker, elected by them. The Speakership of the Lords had traditionally been undertaken by the Lord Chancellor, who had powers that are much more limited than those of the Speaker in the Commons. Sitting hours There are an average of 68 Lords sitting days a year. The sitting hours are:     Mondays, Tuesdays from 2.30pm Wednesdays from 3pm Thursdays from 11am selected Fridays from 10am The Lords usually sits until between 10pm and 11pm, occasionally much later and sometimes all night. The whip system Whips are MPs or peers appointed by each party to maintain party discipline, and they have an important part to play in party business within Parliament. Part of their role is to maximise turnout and ensure that party members vote in support of their leadership. Whips also manage the pairing system – the system under which a member of the governing party is matched with a member from the main opposition party and they agree between them what they will do on particular votes (this only exists in the Commons, and in practice it means the MPs will agree not to turn up for a particular vote). Whips can also act as tellers during divisions (i.e. votes). The term ‘whip’ is also applied to the weekly circular sent out by each chief whip to all their MPs or peers notifying them of parliamentary business. The degree of importance of each item of business is indicated by the number of times that the debate or division has been underlined.     Items underlined once are considered routine and attendance is optional. Items underlined twice are more important and attendance is required unless a pair has been arranged. Items underlined three times (i.e. a three-line whip) are highly important and members must turn up to vote. It is a very serious matter for members to defy a three-line whip, and this rarely happens. Disciplinary action against the individuals concerned often follows, and can ultimately lead to the party whip being withdrawn from the member. Withdrawal of the whip is 18 effectively expulsion from the party, but in all but the most serious cases this is normally only temporary. In the Commons the party whips consist of the chief whip (also a member of the Cabinet), a deputy chief whip and a varying number of junior whips – each one normally assigned to take an interest in one or more of the main government departments. The chief whips together (i.e. those of the government and opposition parties) are known as the ‘usual channels’, and are often referred to when the question of finding time to debate a particular issue is discussed. Party discipline in the Lords tends to be less strong, and the whips are less exclusively concerned with party matters. However, they still strive to achieve maximum support for the party leadership in the voting lobbies. There is no pairing system in the Lords The Order Paper The Order Paper in the Commons is published each sitting day and lists the business of the House and the sittings in Westminster Hall. It also lists Parliamentary Questions (PQs) for oral and written answer to be asked that day; PQs for written answer that day which have not previously appeared in print; and certain other items such as notices of written statements, committee notices and lists of future business. The House of Lords proceeds with the business of each day according to the Order Paper. This is likely to include oral questions (known as ‘starred questions’ in the Lords), public bills for debate, unstarred questions (Lords terminology for short debates), motions on reports from committees, etc. For more information visit: http://www.parliament.uk/site-information/azindex/ The legislative process: parliamentary stages of a government bill At the beginning of each session of Parliament, the government announces in the Queen’s Speech the legislation it intends to introduce during that session. Parliamentary terms A piece of legislation is known as a ‘bill’ until it receives Royal Assent, when it is then known as an ‘act’. The different parts of a bill are known as ‘clauses’; the different parts of an act are ‘sections’. Preparatory stages Bills are drafted by a team of lawyers in the Parliamentary Counsel Office (PCO), a part of the Cabinet Office, on the instructions of the government department 18 concerned. There may be a Green Paper (a consultation) or a White Paper (a statement of policy) on its subject before the bill is introduced, or the bill may be presented without any prior announcement. Some bills are published in draft form to allow comment to take place before the bill is formally introduced in Parliament. This process is known as ‘pre-legislative scrutiny’. First reading This is the introduction of the bill in Parliament. The title of the bill is read out and the House orders that it should be printed. This is done by HM Stationery Office. Most bills can be introduced first in either the Commons or the Lords, but all money bills (those concerned with taxation or public expenditure) must be introduced in the Commons first. Most major bills are introduced in the Commons first. Second reading This is the first important stage of the bill. At second reading, the House considers the key principles of the bill and the debate is often wide-ranging. This is the first stage at which the bill can be defeated, though this is rare. Committee stage During committee stage, the bill is considered in great detail and amendments are tabled by both the Government and the Opposition parties. Each amendment has to be agreed by the committee before it can be made part of the bill. On controversial amendments, there will be votes (‘divisions’). On major bills, this stage can take some months. At the end of committee stage, the bill is reprinted to take account of any amendments. Committee stage normally takes place in a standing committee, but may take place in a committee of the whole House or in a special standing committee. Standing committee A standing committee normally has about 18 members and its membership reflects the party composition of the House. At least one minister from the government department in charge of the bill will be on the committee, as will a front bench spokesperson from each of the main Opposition parties. The committee normally sits twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Committee of the whole House The whole House may consider certain bills at committee stage. This means that the bill is taken in the main Chamber. In general, such bills:  are of constitutional importance, for example those concerned with the ratification of traties constituting the European Union 18   are those requiring rapid passage concern certain financial matters Special standing committee Very occasionally, a bill may be committed to a special standing committee, which spends a limited time investigating the issues involved before going through the bill in the usual way as a normal standing committee. Report stage At report stage, the bill returns to the main Chamber of the Commons. Report stage provides a further opportunity for MPs to move amendments to the bill and for the Government to table amendments and ‘guillotine’ the proceedings. ‘Guillotining’ is when the Government puts a limit on the length of time the Commons can take in considering the bill at report stage. The delay between committee stage and report stage allows time for the Government to give further thought to some of the points raised during committee stage. They may choose to bring forward their own amendments in place of amendments that were rejected or withdrawn in the committee. The House may reverse or amend changes made by the standing committee. If a bill has been considered by a committee of the whole House, and has not been amended, it progresses straight to third reading without a report stage. Third reading This is the last Commons stage of the bill, and usually comes directly after the report stage. It enables the House to take an overview of the bill, as amended in committee stage and report stage. No amendments may be made at this stage and it is normally a short debate. Lords stages The legislative process in the Lords is similar to that in the Commons. The main differences are:  the committee stage of all bills takes place in the main Chamber;  there is no ‘guillotine’ and debate on amendments is unrestricted; and  amendments can be made at third reading, as well as at committee stage and report stage. The Lords and Commons must agree the bill in identical form. Disagreements between the Houses can result in bills ‘ping-ponging’ between the two Chambers until a resolution is found. If differences cannot be resolved, then the bill may be passed in the following session of Parliament without the consent of the Lords. 18 Royal Assent When the text has been agreed by both Houses, the bill is submitted for Royal Assent, after which it becomes an Act of Parliament. For further information visit www.parliament.uk Parliamentary questions Parliamentary questions (PQs) are a means by which backbench MPs can seek information or press for action from the Government. There are three categories of question in the House of Commons: 1. questions for oral answer (oral questions or ‘Question Time’) 2. urgent questions 3. questions for written answer. An MP ’tables’ (i.e. gives notice of) a question by handing it or sending it to the clerks in the Table Office. All questions (and answers) appear in Hansard – the official record of proceedings of Parliament. Oral Questions (OPQs) Question Time takes place in the House of Commons for an hour, Mondays to Thursdays. It does not happen on Fridays. Each government department answers questions according to a rota called the Order of Oral Questions. The questions asked must relate to the responsibilities of the government department concerned. Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) The Prime Minister answers oral questions at 12.00pm every Wednesday, which lasts for 30 minutes. If the Prime Minister is away the Deputy Prime Minister or the Leader of the House deputise in his place. Urgent Questions These arise when an MP wishes to raise something urgently with a minister, often because the matter, or event, has arisen suddenly. Applications for urgent questions must be submitted to the speaker to receive an oral answer on the same day. Relevant interests must also be declared. The relevant Government department will be asked to provide a background briefing on the issue for the speaker. 18 Urgent questions are asked straight after question time on Monday to Thursday. If an urgent question is asked on a sitting Friday then the question will be asked at 11am. Written Questions (WPQs) In addition to oral questions, MPs and Peers can ask government ministers questions for written answer. These are often used to obtain detailed information about policies and statistics on the activities of government departments. There are three types of written question: 1. ’Ordinary’ questions, which do not have a specific date by which they have to be answered. The convention is that an MP can expect an answer within seven days of the question being tabled 2. ’named day’ questions, which must receive an answer on the date specified by the MP, though that must be a minimum of two days. 3. 'Will write' answers - Occasionally Commons questions are answered in Hansard with 'I will write to the Hon Member ...' The subsequent letters are not published in Commons Hansard but placed in the House of Commons Library for MPs' use (but the House of Commons Information Office can supply copies of these). Written Ministerial Statements Written ministerial statements are normally used to put the day-to-day business of government on the official record and in the public domain. Written ministerial statements are often used to provide or announce:       Detailed information and statistics from the government The publication of reports by government agencies Findings of reviews and inquiries and the government's response Financial and statistical information Procurement issues Procedure and policy initiatives of government departments For more information see www.parliament.uk Parliamentary committees Currently, there are 35 select committees established in the House of Commons, 14 of which mirror the structure of government departments. The House of Lords has 29 select committees, some of which are sub-committees. There are 10 joint CommonsLords select committees. 18 Departmental select committees A departmental select committee is the parliamentary body responsible for the scrutiny of each government department. The 14 committees have a minimum of 11 members. Their role is to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the relevant department and its associated public bodies (e.g. quangos, regulators). The committees decide their own subjects for inquiry, gather written and oral evidence, and sometimes undertake visits in the UK and abroad to collect information. They also make reports to the House, which are published. The Government subsequently replies. At any one time each committee normally has several subjects under consideration. The 18 committees are:  Business, Innovation and Skills  Communities and Local Government  Culture, Media and Sport  Defence  Education  Energy and Climate Change  Environment, Food and Rural Affairs  Foreign Affairs  Health  International Development  Northern Ireland Affairs  Scottish Affairs  Welsh Affairs  Work and Pensions Membership The party composition of the committees reflects that of the House. Nominations for membership of a committee are put to the House by the Committee of Selection, following internal party consideration. The majority of Select Committee Chairs are now elected by their fellow MPs. This applies to departmental committees and the Environmental Audit, Political and Constitutional Reform, Procedure, Public Administration and Public Accounts committees. Members are all backbenchers. The chairperson of a departmental committee plays a key role in leading the committee’s work. Each committee chooses its own chairperson from among its members at the first meeting. An informal agreement between the parties usually provides for some committees to be chaired by an opposition MP. The chairperson has no special powers, but has a casting vote if there is a tie in any vote within the committee. 18 Work of the departmental committees The normal process for a committee inquiry is:        the committee chooses the subject of inquiry and announces the terms of reference in a press notice written evidence is sought from interested parties oral evidence is heard from key witnesses study visits are conducted at home and abroad the chairperson’s draft report is considered, amended, agreed and published the Government replies within 60 days the report may be debated Committees usually ask for written evidence from people and organisations with an interest in the subject matter of their inquiry. The government department concerned is normally asked to produce a detailed memorandum on all aspects of the subject being examined. The committee also receives written evidence from other interested groups that have a close interest and/or have registered their interest. The main documents received are published. Only rarely do committees need to use their powers to order the production of documents. Occasionally there are disputes with government departments about the production of specific information. Committees invite individuals and representatives of organisations, including ministers and civil servants, to give oral evidence to supplement what has been said in their written evidence. These meetings are usually held in public at the Commons and can be televised. All this evidence is published. Sometimes sensitive evidence is taken in private. When ministers give oral evidence, the transcript is published on the committee’s website the following day. The committees always sit in private when deliberating. Witnesses usually give evidence willingly, but occasionally committees have to use their powers to order a witness to attend. A departmental select committee cannot order the attendance of a member of either House of Parliament, though members can attend voluntarily. While a committee cannot therefore insist on ministers attending, ministers normally accept an invitation to give evidence. Reports When a committee has finished taking written and oral evidence, a draft report is prepared for the chairperson by the committee staff. The committee may go through several drafts of a report, discussing it informally and making changes, before approving it. If there is strong difference of opinion, the committee may vote on amendments to the report. The results of these votes are included in the minutes published with the report. Most reports are agreed by consensus without the need for a vote. On the very rare occasions when consensus cannot be achieved either by discussion or vote, the members dissenting from the majority view may produce a 18 ‘minority report’. Government departments are expected to reply to committee reports within 60 days, unless a longer period has been agreed. The reply normally takes the form of a memorandum to the committee, which is published by the committee. Committee staff The staff of each committee are led by the committee clerk and there are normally three or four other staff members, including researchers if necessary. Under the committee’s direction the committee staff make the administrative arrangements for meetings and visits, prepare briefing material for the committee and draft the committee’s reports and other papers. House of Commons non-departmental select committees The key ones are: Public Accounts Committee The Committee of Public Accounts is appointed by the House of Commons to examine "the accounts showing the appropriation of the sums granted to Parliament to meet the public expenditure, and of such other accounts laid before Parliament as the Committee may think fit" The committee has 14 members. Public Administration Select Committee This committee examines the quality and standards of administration within the Civil Service and scrutinises the reports of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. There are 11 members. Environmental Audit Committee This considers the extent to which the policies and programmes of government departments and non-departmental public bodies (quangos) contribute to environmental protection and sustainable development, and audit their performance against the targets they have been set. Unlike most select committees, the Committee’s remit cuts across government rather than focuses on the work of a particular department. It has 16 members. 18 Human Rights Committee This is a joint committee, i.e. it consists of a select committee of the Commons and a select committee of the Lords appointed to meet as one committee under one chairperson. It considers and reports on matters relating to human rights in the UK (excluding individual cases) and proposals for remedial and draft remedial orders made under the Human Rights Act 1998. (A remedial order is a form of delegated legislation that seeks to correct a miscalculation or an imbalance between UK law and the European Convention on Human Rights.) The committee has six members from each House. Liaison Committee The Liaison Committee is formed of the chairpeople of all the Commons select committees. This body meets to allocate reports for debate in the House, approve expenditure on visits abroad and consider matters affecting committees generally. The committee has 33 members. European Scrutiny Committee The European Scrutiny Committee assesses the legal and/or political importance of each EU document, decides which EU documents are debated, monitors the activities of UK ministers in the European Council, and keeps legal, procedural and institutional developments in the EU under review. It has 16 members. House of Commons all-party groups/committees Members from the spectrum of the political parties with a common interest can form their own ‘all-party groups’. These groups are unofficial and numerous, and cover both major and minor issues. They do not have the same formal powers as the select committees, but are important pressure groups. Related non-parliamentary committees The Intelligence and Security Committee This committee provides parliamentary oversight of SIS (MI6), GCHQ and the Security Service (MI5). The Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) was established by the Intelligence Services Act 1994. It examines the expenditure, administration and policy of the three agencies. It has wide access to the range of agency activities and to highly classified information. Its nine cross-party members – from both Houses – are appointed by the Prime Minister after consultation with the Leader of the Opposition. The committee is required to report annually to the Prime Minister on its work. The Prime Minister places these reports before Parliament, once 18 any sensitive material has been deleted. The ISC is supported by a clerk and secretariat from the Cabinet Office and can employ an investigator to pursue specific matters in greater detail. The Committee on Standards in Public Life This committee was set up in 1994. The terms of reference are ‘to examine current concerns about standards of conduct of all holders of public office, including arrangements relating to financial and commercial activities, and make recommendations as to any changes in the present arrangements which might be required to ensure the highest standards of propriety in public life’. For these purposes, ‘public office’ includes: ministers, civil servants and advisers; MPs and UK members of the European Parliament; members and senior officers of all non-departmental public bodies and of NHS bodies; non-ministerial office holders; members and other senior officers of other bodies discharging publicly-funded functions; and elected members and senior officers of local authorities. The current chairman is Sir Christopher Kelly and there is a membership of ten. It comprises people with a wide range of public service and academic experience, plus a member of each House of Parliament. For further information visit www.parliament.uk Understanding speaking terms Journalists and their sources have a range of terms for describing the use to which comments and briefings can be put. ‘On-the-record’ comments, for example, will always carry the maximum authority and they remain the least risky way of briefing a journalist. But press officers may sometimes brief a journalist on an ‘unattributable’ or ‘off-the-record’ basis. Problems can arise when the use of terms is confused, so always make sure both parties share the same understanding. Whatever the speaking term used, the guiding principle must always be: to say nothing you would not be prepared to see appearing in print. The four levels The four generally understood levels of attribution are: 1. on the record: all that is said can be quoted and attributed (to a spokesperson, if given by a press officer); 2. unattributable or Lobby terms or guidance: what is said can be reported but not attributed; 3. off the record: the information is provided to inform a decision or provide a confidential explanation. It is not for publication in any way unless there is a further agreement 18 4. Chatham House Rule: this says ‘when a meeting is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed’. On the record For maximum authority, press officers should speak on the record whenever possible. Consider every conversation with a journalist to be on the record unless the press officer and the journalist agree otherwise at the outset. The ability to converse informally and frankly – unattributably – is essential and generally uncontroversial. At one level, a press officer may wish to speak on these terms to clarify or illustrate a point. It is also used for briefings at which policy officials explain, for example, the ramifications of proposed legislation. Off the record Off the record should be the most rarely agreed form of conversation. It must be used only when absolutely necessary and where a high level of trust exists between a journalist and a press officer. An example is discussions with broadcasting executives who have been asked to hold back transmissions in order to protect life. Some information is so sensitive it cannot be published at any time without risk. That can only be imparted off the record. There is no magic formula contained in the words ‘off the record’. Do not speak off the record with a journalist who is unlikely to come back to you for another story – they may have nothing to lose by exposing you as the source. 18