MPs must show 'genuine need' when employing family

MPs told they must be "beyond reproach"

Friday, 28, Mar 2008 12:00

MPs must show they are "beyond reproach" when hiring family members.

The chair of the Commons standards and privileges committee warned MPs they risked "severe consequences" if they engage in nepotism when staffing their constituency offices.

Sir George Young told MPs they must show a "genuine need" is being met if any relative is employed via their expenses allowance.

Harriet Harman, the leader of the Commons, said there needed to be clear rules and good advice from the house authorities in order to obtain public confidence.

"If we believe that legislation is to be properly scrutinised then MPs must have the proper staff in their offices to assist them with that scrutiny," she added.

MPs' employment of family members hit the headlines earlier this year when Conservative MP Derek Conway was found to have paid his younger son a vastly inflated salary for apparently little or no work.

It later emerged his second son and a family friend had also been employed as "researchers".

The Metropolitan police last week said they would not press charges against Mr Conway because the system governing MPs' expenses is too un-wielding.

In the light of Mr Conway's suspension from the Commons it emerged many other MPs also employ family members in either their Westminster of constituency offices.

It is maintained that the majority of spouses and children do a valuable job and it can benefit many MPs' marriages to work alongside their spouse.

MPs have now agreed they must register the details of any family member they employ in a bid to improve transparency and restore confidence in the system of MPs' expenses.