Communities and Local Government written question – answered at on 5 February 2010.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what declaration of political activity has been made by each board member and Commissioner of the Audit Commission.
This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to the hon. Member direct.
Letter from Steve Bundred, dated
Your Parliamentary Question outlined above has been passed to me to reply.
Three of the Audit Commission Board's members are local government Councillors and represent the three main political parties:
Cllr Merrick Cockell (Conservative), elected Member for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea;
Cllr Stephen Houghton (Labour), elected Member for Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council;
Cllr Chris White (Liberal Democrat), elected Member for St Albans City and District Council and Hertfordshire County Council.
On appointment by the Secretary of State, Board members receive Cabinet Office guidance on Codes of Practice for Board Members. The guidance covering political activities, sections (a)-(c), states:
(a) Members of Boards, whether whole-time or part-time, should not serve as officers carrying out executive duties in any political party.
(b) Full-time members should abstain from controversial political activity.
(c) Subject to (a) above, part-time members are free to engage in any political activities, provided that they are conscious of their general public responsibility and exercise proper discretion, particularly in regard to the work of the Boards of which they are members. On matters affecting that work, they should not normally make political speeches or engage in other political activities.
Beyond the political activities carried out by the Commissioners named above in their role as elected Members, there have been no declarations of political activity made by any member of the Audit Commission Board.
A copy of this letter will be placed in Hansard.
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