Part 1Senedd Cymru

Proceedings etc.

36Integrity

(1)

The standing orders must include provision—

(a)

for a register of interests of F1Members of the Senedd, and

(b)

for the register to be published and made available for public inspection.

(2)

The standing orders must require F1Members of the Senedd to register in the register of interests registrable interests, as defined for the purposes of this subsection.

(3)

The standing orders must require any F2Member of the Senedd who has—

(a)

a financial interest, as defined for the purposes of this subsection, or

(b)

any other interest, or an interest of any other kind, as so defined,

in any matter to declare that interest before taking part in F3Senedd proceedings relating to that matter.

(4)

The standing orders may include provision for preventing or restricting the participation in any F3Senedd proceedings of F4a Member of the Senedd who has an interest within subsection (2) or (3) in any matter to which the proceedings relate.

(5)

The standing orders must include provision prohibiting F4a Member of the Senedd from—

(a)

advocating or initiating any cause or matter on behalf of any person, by any means specified in the standing orders, in consideration of any payment or benefit in kind of a description so specified, or

(b)

urging, in consideration of any such payment or benefit in kind, any other F2Member of the Senedd to advocate or initiate any cause or matter on behalf of any person by any such means.

F5(6)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(7)

F4a Member of the Senedd who—

(a)

takes part in F3Senedd proceedings without having complied with, or in contravention of, any provision included in the standing orders in pursuance of subsections (2) to (4), or

(b)

contravenes any provision included in the standing orders in pursuance of subsection (5),

commits an offence.

(8)

A person guilty of an offence under subsection (7) is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

(9)

A prosecution for an offence under subsection (7) cannot be instituted except by or with the consent of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

(10)

The validity of any F3Senedd proceedings is not affected by any contravention or failure to comply with any provision included in the standing orders in pursuance of this section.

(11)

In this section—

(a)

references to F4a Member of the Senedd F6... include the Counsel General, if not F4a Member of the Senedd, and

(b)

“financial interest” includes a benefit in kind.