Bishop Hill Interesting
Jan 12, 2015 Climate: Parliament Well here's a turn up for the books, from the pages of Hansard:
David TC Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether members of the Climate Change Committee are permitted to have financial interests in businesses which might be affected by energy and climate change policy.
Amber Rudd: The Government and the Committee on Climate Change takes very seriously the need to ensure that board members have no conflicts in fulfilling their public duties. When appointing to the board, the Government follows Cabinet Office guidance about making public appointments that sets out the rules and transparency requirements which must be satisfied before public appointments can be made.
I wonder if a follow up question along the lines of "What steps would be taken against committee members who were found to have made false statements about their business interests during the recruitment process?" might be interesting.
Reader Comments (14)
I think MP's are just seeking parity with Bankers.
Bonuses from insider dealing, and selling taxpayers short. No financial consequences for getting it wrong, or for being found out getting it wrong.
Easy money
Being a Yeoman of the Guard, or Beefeater used to be respected.
Now we have Tim Yeo and Lord Deben (formerley John Selwyn Gummer)
A Yeo man, and beefburger feeder, they have both earned money and national disrespect.
Most of DECC have conflicts of interest and faces in the trough.
The system stinks.
...When appointing to the board, the Government follows Cabinet Office guidance about making public appointments that sets out the rules and transparency requirements ...
I seem to remember that the rules simply require you to state what your other interests are. Once you have done that, you are free to do whatever you like.
The way it works is that if you are not liked by the Great and Good, then someone will say "We can't make a convicted fraudster Head of the Audit Office!". Conversely, if you ARE liked, people will fall over themselves to say how useful it would be to have this sort of experience in a regulatory position, and talk about "poacher turned gamekeeper"....
"When appointing to the board, the Government follows Cabinet Office guidance about making public appointments that sets out the rules and transparency requirements which must be satisfied before public appointments can be made."
That means asking them...
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/12/03/climate_change_committee_double_standards/
So the grilling goes as follows:
'Are you trougher'?
'No'.
'Oh good . Sorry to have troubled you'.
About as much use as the question on US landing cards. 'Is it your intention to overthrow the US government by force'?
I wonder how many ever answer 'yes'.....
nothing to see here...move along please.
As usual !
To ask such would be to set the cat among the pigeons.
Man fined for dud doomsday warning
"Wang Chao-hung, better known as "Teacher Wang", stirred up a media frenzy after he "predicted" a giant quake and tsunami would hit Taiwan on May 11, urging people to move into makeshift shelters converted from cargo containers.
Mr Wang later claimed that his remarks were misinterpreted by journalists when the catastrophe failed to materialise ...
He may face additional fraud charges as prosecutors are investigating claims that he might have cooperated with container businesses to set up a shelter village in Nantou."
http://www.couriermail.com.au/ipad/man-fined-for-dud-doomsday-warning/story-fn6ck55c-1226080950490
Teacher Wang was an amateur.
As 'honourable' gentleman , as MP are official called, of course they do not need to ask for its clear such a thing would never happen .
Meanwhile back on planet earth , the lying , self-serving , 'piggies' will regularly sit on committees that make judgements which can personally benefit their own and friends pockets.
Guido has this about Cameron receiving cash from his father-in-law's wind farm developer
http://order-order.com/2015/01/13/so-much-for-green-crap-cams-cash-from-sam-dads-wind-farm/
Maybe all Govt posts should be like when i joined the Army in the Sixties what you wanted to be was defined by Warrant Officer and was probably the exact opposite of what you wanted proved to be most educational
Ron.
In answer to your question, Your Grace, the answer would inevitably be: Nothing...'
Oh, I wish I had a quid for every time I've read or heard that such-and-such an organisation takes (e.g.) safety, customer service, integrity, you-name-it, 'very seriously' - which usually actually means: 'Chaps, put out the 'very seriously' statement and then as soon as the item has gone off the news revert to business as usual...'
Cynical..? Moi..?