Speaker’s Rulings — Independent—Disclosure of Correspondence with Speaker

A report has appeared in the Independent newspaper today concerning a matter of privilege that has been raised with me and that is currently under consideration. Members are at liberty to release copies of their correspondence with the Speaker if they wish. Speakers have deprecated the practice in the past, but this is certainly not the first time that it has occurred. However, I would remind members and news media that the disclosure of such correspondence is not a proceeding in Parliament, and is not protected by parliamentary privilege. This was pointed out as long ago as 1988, see Hansard, Volume 489, page 4436.

There is one further aspect of the public disclosure of the fact that a matter of privilege has been raised that I want to deal with. Where an allegation is made against a member of Parliament, Standing Order 392 requires that the member be given notice of the allegation. The member has an opportunity to respond and is advised of the outcome of any consideration of the matter. Where a non-member is involved, there is no requirement that that person be advised of the allegation, and up till now the practice has not been to advise him or her of the result of the complaint. Whether there should be an obligation to inform other persons is a matter for the Standing Orders Committee to consider, but I have decided that where a member publicly releases details of a complaint of privilege involving another person it is only fair that the Speaker should advise that other person of the outcome of the complaint. I will in future follow this course.