House of Commons Commission Act 2015

2015 CHAPTER 24

An Act to amend the House of Commons (Administration) Act 1978 so as to make provision about the membership of the House of Commons Commission, so as to confer a new strategic function on the Commission, and so as to make provision about the exercise of functions on behalf of the Commission or its members.

[26th March 2015]

Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

1 Members of the Commission etc.

(1) Section 1 of the House of Commons (Administration) Act 1978 (the House of Commons Commission) is amended as follows.

(2) After subsection (1) insert—

“(1A) The Commission is to consist of seven parliamentary members, two external members and two official members.”

(3) In subsection (2) (members of the Commission)—

(a) for “Commission shall consist of” substitute “parliamentary members are to be”, and

(b) in paragraph (d) (members appointed by the House of Commons) for “three” substitute “four”.

(4) After subsection (2) insert—

“(2A) An external member may not be—

(a) a member of the House of Commons,

(b) a member of the House of Lords,

(c) a member of staff in the House Departments, or

(d) a member of staff of the House of Lords.

(2B) An external member is to be appointed by resolution of the House of Commons.

(2C) The official members are—

(a) the Clerk of the House of Commons or, if that office is vacant, a member of staff in the House Departments who is appointed as an official member by the Commission, and

(b) the Director General of the House of Commons or, if that office is vacant or no longer exists, a member of staff in the House Departments who is appointed as an official member by the Commission.”

(5) In subsection (4) after the definition of “Leader of the Opposition” insert—

• ““member of staff of the House of Lords” means a person who is employed under a contract of employment with the Corporate Officer of the House of Lords.”

(6) The Schedule (further provision about members and procedure of the Commission) has effect.

2 Functions of the Commission

In section 2 of the House of Commons (Administration) Act 1978 (functions of the Commission) before subsection (1) insert—

“(A1) The Commission must from time to time set strategic priorities and objectives in connection with services provided by the House Departments.”

3 Commencement, extent and short title

(1) This section comes into force on the day on which this Act is passed.

(2) Section 1 and the Schedule come into force, for the purposes of making appointments, on the day on which this Act is passed.

(3) Section 1 and the Schedule come into force for other purposes, and section 2 comes into force, on the day after the making of the appointments required by section 1(2)(d) of the House of Commons (Administration) Act 1978 as amended by section 1 (or, where those appointments are made on different days, the making of the last of them).

(4) Appointments made before this Act is fully in force, by virtue of subsection (2), take effect on the first day on which this Act is fully in force.

(5) This Act extends to the whole of the United Kingdom.

(6) This Act may be cited as the House of Commons Commission Act 2015.

Section 1

SCHEDULE Further provision about members and procedure of the Commission

1 Schedule 1 to the House of Commons (Administration) Act 1978 (the Commission) is amended as follows.

2 After paragraph 1 insert—

“Appointment of external members

1A (1) A motion for a resolution appointing an external member may be made only with the agreement of the Commission.

(2) A person who is the subject of a motion must have been selected by the parliamentary members on merit on the basis of fair and open competition.”

3 (1) Paragraph 2 (members other than ex officio members) is amended as follows.

(2) In sub-paragraphs (1) and (2), for “member of the Commission” substitute “parliamentary member”.

(3) In sub-paragraph (4) at the end insert “, subject to any resolution of the House of Commons”.

(4) In sub-paragraph (5)—

(a) for “and the” substitute “, the”, and

(b) at the end insert “, the Clerk of the House of Commons or the Director General of the House of Commons”.

4 (1) Paragraph 3 is amended as follows.

(2) In sub-paragraphs (1) and (3) for “member of the Commission” substitute “parliamentary member”.

(3) In sub-paragraph (2) for “members of the Commission” substitute “parliamentary members”.

5 In paragraph 5(2) (power to delegate to head of House Department or Accounting Officer)—

(a) in paragraph (a) for “the head of any House Department” substitute “a member of staff in the House Departments”, and

(b) omit paragraph (b).

6 In paragraph 6(3) (power of Commission to appoint Commissioner to act as chairman) for “in the absence of” substitute “in place of”.