Clause 24 - Appointment of National Identity Scheme Commissioner
Identity Cards Bill
12:30 pm
Tony McNulty (Minister of State (Immigration, Citizenship and Nationality), Home Office; Harrow East, Labour)
As ever, I thank the hon. and learned Gentleman for his brevity. He should not be timid: if he wants Divisions, let us have Divisions. There is plenty of time. We are not rushing towards an impending deadline. More time has been made available, so he can have Divisions at his leisure.
I do not mean to detain the Committee unduly on this amendment, but let me just say that since the Nolan Committee on Standards in Public Life reported, all Government appointments have been made under the auspices of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments, at Parliament’s behest. Given the existence of the commissioner, we do not feel it necessary for the national identity scheme commissioner to be appointed only by resolution of both Houses of Parliament. The national identity scheme commissioner will be appointed by the Secretary of State. The standard rules on public appointments will apply and there are untold precedents for such an arrangement—not only in other Departments, but in the Home Office.
The surveillance commissioner is appointed by the Prime Minister after consultation with Scottish Ministers, the intelligence services commissioner is appointed by the Prime Minister and the immigration services commissioner is appointed by the Secretary of State. All are appointed under the auspices discussed and agreed by Parliament according to the Nolan report on standards in public life. That is more than a sufficient safeguard: the process is as open to scrutiny and as transparent as such things can be.
Nothing would be achieved by going down the route suggested by the amendment. I hazard a guess that if any other Government were in power, they would make such an appointment in the prescribed manner laid down by Parliament rather than by resolution in both Houses. For those reasons, the amendment is unnecessary. I ask the hon. and learned Gentleman to withdraw it.