Lord Kakkar
That the Report from the Select Committee The conduct of Baroness D’Souza (6th Report, HL Paper 184) be agreed to.
Lord Kakkar (CB)
My Lords, the report before the House on the conduct of the noble Baroness, Lady D’Souza, follows a referral by the Metropolitan Police Service to the Commissioner for Standards.
The facts are not in dispute. In February, the noble Baroness wrote to the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police regarding certain speeding offences with which she was charged. She indicated that if she lost her driving licence, she would have to give up attending Parliament and asked whether this would be a fair response to the offences. The letter was sent in her capacity as a Member of your Lordships’ House and was on headed House of Lords paper.
The noble Baroness has accepted that her letter was inappropriate and has expressed deep regret. She has also accepted that she breached the Code of Conduct, but appealed against the commissioner’s recommendation that she be suspended for eight weeks. We took the noble Baroness’s contrition into account in considering the appropriate sanction, but as our report explains, we did not accept the arguments advanced in her appeal and we upheld the commissioner’s recommendation.
This was a serious breach of the Code of Conduct. The noble Baroness sought to use her privileged position as a Member of this House to influence a live criminal process for her benefit. Not only was this a serious breach of the rule that noble Lords must act on their personal honour, but such behaviour risks undermining public confidence in your Lordships’ House.
The Conduct Committee concluded that a significant suspension was warranted. I therefore invite the House to agree the Motions before it. I beg to move.
The Lord Speaker (Lord McFall of Alcluith)
My Lords, under Standing Order 68A, no debate is allowed on this Motion. I must therefore put the question.
Lord Kakkar
That, in accordance with Standing Order 11, Baroness D’Souza be suspended from the service of the House for a period of eight weeks; and that, in accordance with section 1 of the House of Lords (Expulsion and Suspension) Act 2015, in the opinion of this House, the conduct giving rise to this resolution occurred after the coming into force of that Act.