The Good Parliament Professor Sarah Childs July 2016 Contents

The Good Parliament Professor Sarah Childs July 2016 Contents

01 Executive Summary 03 Recommendations Summary 06 The Good Parliament: Introduction 12 The Good Parliament: Recommendations 42 Appendices 54 Acknowledgements 57 Bibliography 59 Endnotes

Supported by:

Acknowledgements:

Compiled and written by: Sarah Childs © University of Bristol, 2015 Extracts may not be reproduced without permission. Front cover image: Portcullis House Atrium by Tobias Till, 2012 (WOA 7381) © Parliamentary Art Collection Executive Summary image: © Political Studies Association Design: CW-Design: cw-design.co.uk Print: Print Services, University of Bristol Executive Summary

The recommendations in this Report are a blueprint for a more representative and inclusive House of Commons. They have the potential to significantly enhance the effectiveness and legitimacy of the House. Institutional leadership will be provided by the newly created Commons Reference Group on Representation and Inclusion.

An Unrepresentative House

The House of Commons is not as representative as it might be; its membership remains disproportionately white, male and elite

One hundred years ago the Commons contained no women; had only ever returned a handful of minority ethnic men; and was largely filled with men of independent means. Much has changed over the last century. Yet, the House remains unrepresentative and its working practices continue to reflect the traditions and preferences of Members who have historically populated it. The House is, then, at some distance from meeting the international democratic standard for The Good Parliament: ‘truly representative, transparent, accessible, accountable and effective in all its functions’.1

Institutional Deficit

Historically the House of Commons has lacked the institutional will to address issues of representation and inclusion

Members of Parliament are often regarded as individual office-holders. This can obsure a wider institutional responsibility to act. Hence, parliamentary reform is too often the result of individual MPs expending significant time and political capital. This is no longer a satisfactory state. The Good Parliament Report is for the House as an institution to ‘own’.

The New Commons Reference Group on Representation and Inclusion

To redress its institutional deficiency, the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Rt Hon John Bercow MP, has established a new group of MPs

The Commons Reference Group on Representation and Inclusion provides the necessary political and institutional lead to deliver on The Good Parliament. Formally chaired by the Speaker, it is comprised of a small number of Members, male and female, from across the House, and with the Deputy Speakers as Acting Chairs.

The Good Parliament Recommendations

The recommendations contained in this Report will transform who sits in the House, have the potential to significantly enhance Member effectiveness individually and collectively, improve the quality of parliamentary outcomes, and should ultimately raise the public’s regard for the House.

Individual recommendations are explicitly linked to particular actors. This makes it easier to hold them and the House to account.

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 1 The 43 recommendations in this Report address three dimensions of the Diversity Sensitive Parliament:

Dimension 1: Equality of Participation in the House

Ensuring a diverse composition and achieving equality of participation

Recommendations are made first to the new Reference Group, the Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, the House of Commons Commission, the Women and Equalities Committee, and the political parties, in order to deliver a greater diversity of Parliamentary candidates and MPs. Secondly, recommendations to the House of Commons Commission, the Procedure Committee, political parties, and the Reference Group address what is necessary to facilitate Members’ effective participation once present in the House.

Dimension 2: Parliamentary Infrastructure

How Parliament organises itself and supports the work of Members

Key recommendations are made to the Speaker, the House of Commons Commission, the Leader of the House, and the Liaison Committee. Specific recommendations are also made to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA). Looking to the likely temporary vacation of the Palace of Westminster due to the poor condition of the buildings, a series of recommendations is made to the Procedure Committee and any new ‘Restoration and Renewal’ body.

Dimension 3: Commons Culture

Making the culture of the House of Commons more inclusive

Recommendations are aimed at the Speaker of the House, The House of Commons Commission, any new ‘Restoration and Renewal’ body, the Women in Parliament All Party Parliamentary Group, and the Works of Art Committee.

Institutional Readiness2

The timing of this Report is highly auspicious: two ‘windows of opportunity’ arise in the present moment conducive to Parliamentary action.

• The centenary of the Representation of the People Act and the Parliament (Qualification of Women) Act • The ‘Restoration and Renewal’ programme for the Palace of Westminster

2018 is a timely reminder of the promise of equality in parliamentary participation and representation in the UK. By implementing this Report, much could be realised by the House of Commons within two years. Restoration and Renewal offers an additional opportunity for the House to deliver a new vision for Parliament, and in so doing achieve international recognition as the ‘gold standard’ Good Parliament.

2 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT Recommendations Summary

The Speaker

1. Secure cross-party support for a concord regarding what constitutes unacceptable and unprofessional behaviour in the Chamber, and more widely in the House; formally restate the House’s commitment to the highest standards of Member behaviour at the start of every parliamentary session; and improve sanctions against those who break the rules

2. The Speaker’s Office should systematically and comprehensively monitor and report the speeches and interventions in debates, questions, private members’ bills and other parliamentary activities by MPs’ sex/gender and other major social characteristics

3. Permit MPs to be counted at the ‘door’ of the division lobbies when accompanied by their children

4. Target a representative Parliamentary Press Gallery (Lobby journalists). Neither women nor men should be in receipt of less than 40 percent of lobby passes by 2020

5. Initiate an Inter-Parliamentary Union3 ‘Gender Sensitive Parliament’ audit in 2018

The Commons Reference Group on Representation and Inclusion

6. Publish a series of statements detailing and promoting the role and work of MPs, to both educate the public more about what it is that MPs do, and to explicitly signal the range of characteristics, skills, dispositions, and experiences relevant to the job of being an MP

7. Engage in various parliamentary and other activities to enhance the supply of, and demand for, diverse parliamentary candidates

8. Secure a cross-party concord regarding candidate selection for the 2020 Parliament following the boundary review:4 all political parties should seek to increase the percentage of its women MPs – at the absolute minimum all parties currently represented in the House should maintain existing percentages of women MPs

9. Introduce prior to dissolution for the 2020 general election statutory sex/ gender quotas to take effect for the 2025 general election if, three months prior to the 2020 general election, political parties currently represented in Parliament have failed to select at least 50 percent women in a party’s ‘vacant held’ and ‘target seats’. Introduce permissive legislation to allow for party quotas for other under-represented groups, where parties have failed to select proportional percentages of candidates from these groups

10. Sponsor a measure to gender balance MP membership of the House of Commons Commission

11. Commission a comprehensive diversity and equality audit of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA), and submit its findings to the IPSA consultation (October 2016)

12. Produce a ‘House Statement’ on maternity, paternity, parental, adoption and caring leave

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 3 13. Undertake a review for the provision of a crèche facility on the Parliamentary Estate (in addition to the nursery)

14. A rule change should be sought whereby any select committee witness panel of three or more must be sex/gender diverse if, by the end of the 2015 parliament, select committees are not reaching a 40 percent sex/gender threshold amongst witnesses

15. Introduce sex/gender quotas for the election of select committee chairs prior to the 2025 general election if, by 2024, the percentage of women chairs is less than 40 percent

16. Revise the dress code to ‘business dress’ or ‘national costume’

The House of Commons Commission

17. Recognise the House’s collective responsibility for enhancing representation and inclusion by formally taking note of the establishment of the Commons Reference Group on Representation and Inclusion

18. Support the production of comprehensive website materials showing that a diversity of people are, and can be, MPs

19. Support the development of a residential ‘Introduction to being an MP’ Programme for under-represented groups

20. Re-design the parliamentary identity pass

21. Maximise Member opportunities, capacities and capabilities via Continuous Professional Development (CPD)

The Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities

22. Immediately commence Section 106 of the Equality Act 2010 (which requires political parties to provide data relating to parliamentary candidates)

23. Clarify the status and effectiveness of the Access to Elected Office Fund for supporting disabled people to stand for election as local councillors or MPs5

The Women and Equalities Committee

24. Call the Secretary of State for Women and Equalities before the Committee regarding commencement of Section 106 of the Equality Act 2010

The Leader of the House of Commons

25. Put before the House a motion to establish the Women and Equalities Committee as a permanent select committee of the House, by amending Standing Order No. 152

26. Set the recess dates for each parliamentary session, at least one session in advance

27. Abolish party conference recess and sitting Fridays

4 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT Liaison Committee

28. Require the House Service to provide comprehensive and systematic diversity data in respect of select committees witnesses at the end of each session, and establish annual rolling targets for witness representativeness

Procedure Committee

29. Ensure that House rules and structures, institutions, nomenclature and culture are diversity sensitive and inclusionary

30. Prohibit single-sex/gender select committees, and encourage political parties to be mindful of wider representativeness in the election of members to committees

31. Introduce greater predictability in the scheduling of House Business

32. Review the establishment of a ‘Division Time’, whereby multiple votes could be taken together at a particular point of the parliamentary sitting

In the context of the expected temporary decant from the Palace of Westminster for Restoration and Renewal:

33. Trial sittings of the House based around ‘normal business hours’

34. Trial opportunities for remote voting by MPs physically present on the Parliamentary Estate

35. Trial new formats for Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs)

The new Restoration & Renewal Body

36. Trial new layouts in any decant Chamber, and review provision of a new Chamber for the return to the Palace of Westminster

37. Provide for flexible committee and other meeting rooms in a restored Palace

38. Provide for inclusionary social spaces for MPs in a restored Palace

39. Provide sufficient toilet capacity across the Parliamentary Estate

Works of Art Committee

40. Abolish the ‘10 year dead’ rule, whereby only individuals who have been dead for at least a decade are represented in the artworks in the Palace of Westminster

41. Commit to diverse artwork in a restored Palace of Westminster

The Women in Parliament (WIP) All Party Parliamentary Group

42. Campaign for male MPs to sign up to #nomoreallmalepanels

Political Parties

43. Engage in various activities to increase the supply of, and demand for, diverse parliamentary candidates

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 5 The Good Parliament: Introduction

The UK Parliament is facing urgent Arguments for diverse representation “First, we are behind the curve questions about its workings,6 worth,7 in politics are multi-dimensional:12 the compared with working practice and how the Palace of Westminster’s under-representation or marginalisation in much of industry, and the crumbling condition might be of key social groups is unjust when 8 charitable and public sectors, repaired. In responding, advocates of there are obstacles that limit political parliamentary democracy in general participation.13 In the House of and that is a problem. Secondly, and the House of Commons in Commons, as is the case for many if we act differently and change particular would be usefully guided of the world’s parliaments, individual, the culture and working practices by the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s institutional, and structural features here, we can change how definition of parliamentary good constitute significant barriers for others operate. We should do practice. The Good Parliament is one securing diversity amongst elected that is ‘truly representative, transparent, representatives.14 Reforms to make that, because we are here to accessible, accountable and effective parliaments more representative are change and improve the United in its many functions’.9 This Report also made on the grounds that there Kingdom.” contains recommendations that is a link, albeit not a straightforward together have the potential to make one, between ‘who’ is present in our The late Jo Cox MP10 the membership of the House more political institutions and the quality representative; enable Members to be and legitimacy of our democratic more effective in their parliamentary processes and outcomes.15 This is work, both individually and collectively; not to say that only female MPs can and to enhance the representational ‘stand for’ women, or that only Black relationship between the British public, and Minority Ethnic (BME) MPs ‘act Members, and the House of Commons for’ minority ethnic groups. Nor is as an institution. this about the quality of constituency representation achieved by individual Four compounding principles MPs. Instead it points to a measure underpin the Report: of the representational relationship at the aggregate level; between the 1. A greater diversity of MPs should be institution of Parliament and the people present in the House of Commons, that it seeks to represent, descriptively, not least in terms of class, disability, substantively and symbolically.16 11 “If you put eight Conservative ethnicity, sex/gender, and sexuality When inclusive, a parliament has the men round a table and ask 2. An inclusive, effective and potential to become a much more them to discuss what should representative Parliament is about effective political institution. This may be done about pensions, more than simply increasing the be due to: (i) a greater awareness of you’d get some good answers. diversity of Members elected to the the public’s multiple needs, interests, Restoring incentives to save. House; it also requires their equal and perspectives; (ii) consideration and effective participation therein of a more expansive set of issues Ending means testing. Raising and interests; (iii) more informed the retirement age. But what 3. The House of Commons has an decisions, as different talents and skills you’re less likely to get is a important symbolic role to play in and perspectives and experiences, powerful insight into the massive British society, over and above its provide new insights and question unfairness relating to women’s substantive role: it should embody ‘group think’ and the dominant ways the principle of equality and fairness, of doing things;17 and (iv) enhanced pensions... We need people acting as a ‘role-model’ institution legitimacy, as the public feel better from diverse backgrounds to represented by parliament, as a inform everything we do, to give 4. The responsibility of delivering consequence of better descriptive and us the benefit of their diverse on The Good Parliament resides symbolic representation, and a greater 18 experience, to ensure that we with the House of Commons as responsiveness to them. an institution. In other words, the stay in touch with the reality of House should acknowledge its There is, moreover, an incongruity in life in Britain today.” collective responsibility to redress a parliament which is unequal and David Cameron MP19 current limitations in representation exclusionary when, as a legislature, it and inclusion makes laws on such issues.

6 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT Diversity Sensitive This is not because women’s political representation is settled in the UK, or “It is not the job of oil rigs to Parliaments Approach that the House of Commons is already reflect society; it is not the job gender sensitive. It is not. Rather the of oil rigs to push for laws and The Inter-Parliamentary Union has DSP approach acknowledges that developed a globally influential ‘Gender regulations to improve families’ women are not the only group under- Sensitive Parliaments’ framework lives; and the world does not represented in politics and Parliament, that has been employed to identify and that these other exclusions should look at the people who work on international best practice. A Gender also be acknowledged and rectified. oil rigs for an example of what Sensitive Parliament (GSP) is a political For a parliament to be truly inclusive, our culture should be. But it is institution that responds to the ‘needs attention to diverse exclusions and and interests’ of both women and men the job of Parliament to do those to intersectionality and within-group in terms of its ‘structures, operations, things... what business do we differences is necessary. methods and work’.21 A GSP is one having asking big business and that has removed the ‘barriers to Three dimensions critical to realising a big employers to do something women’s full participation’ and offers representative and inclusive House of we are simply not willing to do ‘a positive example or model to Commons guided the development of society at large’.22 Box 1 below ourselves?” the recommendations in this Report:23 summarises the questions to be asked Jess Phillips MP20 of a parliament in order to determine Dimension 1: Equality and whether it is gender sensitive. Participation within the House

Box 1: Dimension 1 asks the question of Inter-Parliamentary Union Gender how a diverse group of MPs might Sensitive Parliament Questions be selected for, and elected to, Parliament and how, once present, Is your Parliament Gender Sensitive? they are enabled to become effective 1. How many women are there in your participants across Parliament’s Parliament? What positions do they core activities: representation and hold? interest articulation, legislative scrutiny, 2. Are there laws to support gender and executive accountability. This equality? Does your Parliament have dimension addresses in particular gender equality objectives and a the composition of the House of gender equality plan of action? Are Commons,24 and MPs’ participation workplace policies in tune with men and women’s realities? across the House leadership, and in its various committees. 3. Are gender considerations integral to the work of Parliament? Dimension 2: Parliamentary 4. Is the Parliamentary culture non- Infrastructure sexist? Are there facilities suited to men and women? Dimension 2 takes a critical look at 5. Are men shouldering their gender the way in which Parliament facilitates equality responsibilities? the work of Members and whether 6. How sensitive are political parties this privileges a particular type of to gender? MP – explicitly or implicitly. It covers everything from the buildings and Source: IPU 2011, 117 furniture of Parliament to the official rules and working practices that The Good Parliament is very much underpin the array of Members’ informed by the IPU’s GSP framework, parliamentary activities. It includes however it takes a broader approach provisions for MPs by IPSA, the to issues of representation by utilising Independent Parliamentary Standards a Diversity Sensitive Parliaments Authority. (DSP) approach, created as a result of research that underpins this Report.

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 7 Dimension 3: Commons Culture of the parliamentary nursery (2010); more diverse representation in the Dimension 3 acknowledges that the artwork that adorns the walls of official, written-down rules never tell Portcullis House and the Palace; and, the whole story about how institutions unbeknownst to many, the sex quota function on the ground – this is what written into the Standing Orders for might be thought of as the ‘normal the election of the Deputy Speakers way of doing things’. It is, admittedly, (2010).31 Many of the changes that frequently hard to pin down informal gave rise to these ‘Amber’ measures institutional norms, practices and culture. notably required the expenditure of That said UK parliamentary culture, as considerable personal and political elsewhere, is not fixed but an evolving capital over sustained periods of phenomenon, subject to change. time. Only in a single instance does the Commons unambiguously score ‘Green’. Note that the one item scoring How diversity sensitive is ‘Green’ – the Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) – is both a very the House of Commons? recent creation (2015), and is not a permanent feature of the House. In important ways the House of Commons in 2015 is more descriptively The House of Commons is not an representative of the society it seeks unchanging institution. In recent years a to represent than previously. All of number of reforms addressing diversity the main political parties are publicly of participation and representation have committed to the principle of diverse been implemented. These include: “I want to see a Parliament that representation. Over the last two is representative of the country decades parties have put in place • An amendment to the Equality that we live in...The number selection processes designed to Act 2010 which extended the Sex of MPs who are from different deliver a more representative group of Discrimination (Election Candidates) candidates.27 There have been some ethnic, religious and social Act 2002 until 2030. This is the law notable successes, particularly in 1997 that permits the use of sex/gender backgrounds, and the number of (Labour: sex/gender) and 2015 (Labour, quotas by political parties disabled people in Parliament, is Conservative and the Scottish National • The Speaker’s Parliamentary not as high as it should be.” Party: age, ethnicity, sex/gender and sexuality). The lack of working class placement scheme (for people from Maria Miller MP25 37 representation has become a more high disadvantaged backgrounds) profile political concern over the last • Permitting the celebration of civil 28 decade. partnerships within the House38

“Our democracy is worse off if • Repeal of Section 141 of the Mental Table 1 documents the diversity parents, women, and disabled Health Act 1983, which stated that insensitivities of the current UK House MPs detained on grounds of mental people don’t think the life an of Commons according to the three illness might be required to vacate MP is for them....[but] this isn’t dimensions of equality of participation, their seat39 just about MPs...over 2000 parliamentary infrastructure, and staff are employed by the Commons’ culture. It uses traffic • The creation of a fund to support light colours to signal whether the disabled people with additional House of Commons alone. The Commons is doing badly (red) or costs they may face when standing unpredictable hours, difficulties well (green). Amber signals there has for election as a councillor or MP40 with Parliament sitting during been some improvement but that • The establishment of the nursery considerably more needs to be done.29 school term time, and childcare on the parliamentary estate in The preponderance of ‘Red’ in the issues matters just as much to September 201041 Table underlines just how far the them.” House of Commons has to travel.30 • Provision for childcare vouchers Melanie Onn MP26 The ‘Amber’ items reflect recent for MPs42 improvements: the establishment

8 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT Table 1: ‘RAG’ Analysis of the UK House of Commons: Representation and Inclusion

Dimension Measure Red Amber Green

Equality of Participation Diversity of MPs32

Women’s House leadership positions33

Women’s participation (internal structures; committees)

Infrastructure Standing Orders34

Calendar & sitting hours

Equalities & diversity body (policy)35

Equalities & diversity body (institutional)

Parliamentary buildings & spaces

Childcare & child-friendly provisions

Maternity & parental leave

Culture House commitment & action plan

Chamber culture (PMQs & ‘set pieces’)36

There have also been changes to transform the House of Commons. the hours of the House to limit late It is more appropriate to conceive of night sittings (over a longer period of a process – of the House becoming time),43 and some MPs are involved a better Parliament over the next few in the Workplace Equality Networks years.46 (WENs) which have been established for House employees.44 Finally, and as For each recommendation a recommended by the 2014 Women responsible decision-maker (actor in Parliament APPG Report, and or institution) is identified. They have noted above, a Women and Equalities ownership of this recommendation Committee was established following and they are responsible for taking the 2015 general election. action on it. Where the likelihood of a reform being introduced looks less favourable a secondary actor Recommendations for and/or compounding or alternative recommendation is identified. Explicitly The Good Parliament linking each recommendation to a particular actor or institution This Report offers a ‘menu’ of practical within the House, and in whose solutions – 43 recommendations – to remit the recommendation falls, address the diversity insensitivities that along with identifying more than remain in the UK House of Commons. one possible recommendation In some instances these restate reflects past experience of reform or revise recommendations from at Westminster.47 It has proven all previous Inquires and Reports, not too easy for parliamentary reforms – least the 2010 Speaker’s Conference including those likely to be effective on Parliamentary Representation and with widespread support – to and the 2014 Women in Parliament ultimately fail to be adopted or fully 45 APPG Report, Improving Parliament. implemented. Reticence to act might The recommendations are specific derive from party or other reasons, and technical, and target the short, such as executive/legislative relations medium and longer term with a mix or positional advantage. At other times of soft and hard measures. No one the intent might be present but there recommendation will be sufficient to

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 9 is a collective failure to take ownership Reference Group, Mr Speaker made of the problem and its solution. For concrete his longstanding commitment these reasons, the recommendations to parliamentary representation, and in this Report are grouped not by made it more likely that the promise the expected effect they will have of the 2010 Speaker’s Conference on the House according to the three on Parliamentary Representation dimensions of The Good Parliament, would be realised. It also immediately but by the responsible parliamentary meets one of the key measures of the actor or institution. This approach will IPU’s Gender Sensitive Parliament, make it much easier in the future to and redresses a clear institutional hold particular actors and Parliament deficiency at Westminster: the lack of as a whole to account. an official Parliamentary group made up of Members whose very purpose Underpinning the Report’s approach, is to address the representation and and indeed many individual inclusion agenda within Parliament. recommendations, is then the principle A good many of the recommendations of institutionalisation: Parliament’s in this Report are targeted at the diversity insensitivities should not be Reference Group, and it is expected thought of as the responsibility of that this Report will inform its those individuals negatively affected Programme of Action for the rest of by them, or those MPs prepared to the 2015 Parliament. By also holding expend personal and political capital other parliamentary actors to account on them.48 Nor can reform be handed the Reference Group is uniquely over solely to the political parties; positioned to act as an institutional their interests might at times conflict catalyst for change.50 The Reference with the House as an institution. The Group will be in place following the commitment to The Good Parliament 2016 Summer recess. is for the House to sign up to as an institution. Of course, the historic It is a felicitous moment to act. 2018 preference for regarding MPs as will mark the centenary of both the individual office-holders reflects the Representation of the People Act, individual mandate Members receive and the Parliament (Qualification of from the electorate. This in turn Women) Act. The first Act abolished explains the apparent reluctance nearly all property qualifications for of them to embrace an institutional men, thereby enfranchising most identity, making it harder for Members working class men, and gave the vote to accept a collective responsibility. to women aged over 30 with property. Nevertheless, the House of Commons The second permitted women to stand is the pinnacle of UK parliamentary as candidates and be elected as MPs. democracy and it functions on a daily If Mr Speaker was to initiate an Inter- basis as an institution. Parliamentary Union ‘Gender Sensitive Parliament’ audit of the House of The necessity of an institutional Commons on the 100th anniversary of response to the ongoing diversity these Acts (Recommendation 5 of this insensitivities and deficiencies in the Report) this would be a significant and House of Commons was the reason high-profile move by the House.51 The that one key recommendation was UK could become the first parliament made to the Speaker, the Rt Hon John from an advanced democracy to Bercow MP prior to the publication of undergo this international assessment. this Report: the establishment of a new If the Commons reached the standard parliamentary body, The Commons of a ‘best practice’ parliament, the Reference Group on Representation IPU would showcase its achievement and Inclusion.49 By creating the around the world.

10 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT The ‘Restoration and Renewal’ (R&R) process for the UK Parliament is an additional opportune moment for consideration of reform of the House of Commons. The Director of the Hansard Society, Dr Ruth Fox, has spoken of R&R constituting a ‘once- in-a-150-year opportunity’.52 Any new body established to manage R&R must keep the principles of representation and inclusion firmly in its sights. With an explicit commitment to diverse representation and inclusionary politics, decisions could be taken, and action set in train, that would see the House of Commons become a globally recognised ‘best practice’ Diversity Sensitive Parliament in the very near future.

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 11 The Good Parliament: Recommendations

The Speaker Speaker Recommendation 2 (Short term)

Speaker Recommendation 1 The Speaker’s Office should (Short term) systematically and comprehensively Secure cross-party support for a monitor and report – on an concord regarding unacceptable annual basis – speeches and interventions in debates, questions, “The perception of parliamentary and unprofessional behaviour in the Chamber, and more widely in private members’ bills and other culture as aggressive was the House; formally restate the parliamentary activities by sex and 60 frequently cited as a barrier House’s commitment to the highest other major social characteristics to participation in the written standards of Member behaviour evidence we received, on at the start of every parliamentary It must not be the case that some MPs feel excluded from participating our online forum and in our session; and improve sanctions against those who break the rules in Chamber debates or other discussions around the country.” parliamentary activities. Full data Speaker’s Conference 201053 Much is said – and reported – about should be gathered by the Speaker’s the style of politics that characterises Office to determine the veracity of the House of Commons Chamber. anecdotal claims that some MPs are Without wishing to reduce the staying away from the Chamber whilst “[Eleanor Laing MP] agreed with passion, deliberation and debate others are said to dominate particular me from the Chair that it was too of the Chamber, unprofessional, parliamentary occasions and activities. often the case that some male sexist and exclusionary language If such differential participation is established, a review should be MPs fail to listen to their female and behaviour should have no place in the House.54 Reflecting the undertaken to consider new standards counterparts, but she hoped that concerns of some MPs identified and sanctions. this would be overcome with in previous academic studies and “persistence”....Even before this parliamentary inquiries, and for both Speaker Recommendation 3 depressing episode another Tory symbolic and substantive reasons, (Short term) the Speaker should: (i) secure cross MP felt compelled to refer to my Permit MPs to be counted at the party agreement, by working with “stockings” in a passing remark ‘door’ of the division lobbies when party leaderships and the whips, accompanied by their children64 on my way into the debating to uphold professional standards chamber that very morning. by all Members;55 (ii) regularly and As the 2015 BBC documentary Inside formally remind the House of these;56 Small victories like this one, the Commons65 laid bare, the House and (iii) police all transgressions, especially with the active support of Commons is far from a child-friendly and if necessary introduce new of the Deputy Speaker, make a institution – the image of Jenny Willott sanctions. Statements relating to MP running to the division lobbies with difference.” sexist language and behaviour, the her toddler was a powerful one. The 61 principle of diversity and equality, and Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh MP long-standing tradition of disallowing non-harassment should be explicitly children in the lobbies (they were until included in the concord.57 recently thought of as ‘Strangers’) was overturned in the last Parliament Members should be reminded by the MPs Jo Swinson and Duncan of Erskine May, the Guide to Hames ‘rule breaking’, and carrying Parliamentary Practice: ‘good their baby through the lobby.66 Whilst temper and moderation are the one could increase the age of children characteristics of parliamentary permitted to be taken through the language’ (emphasis added).58 This Lobbies, it is preferable that a rule is reminder of professional standards introduced allowing MPs accompanied applies beyond MPs’ relations with by their young children to be counted each other, to interactions with at the ‘door’ of the Lobby.67 This parliamentary and personal staff, reform simply reflects the reality of the and Lobby journalists.59 working conditions in the House of

12 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT Commons – given its current sitting be set for 2020. In the meantime, data hours, Members with young children should be published annually on the “When waiting in the Chamber using Parliament’s nursery or another Parliament website for sex/gender and for several hours to speak in local childcare facility may very well other social characteristics of Lobby an all-day debate I asked if I find themselves caring for their children members, disaggregated by pass could dive out to make sure whilst also working in the House.68 type, and media organisation. In this my son had eaten and was told way the public can be made aware Speaker Recommendation 4 of how different media organisations that I would invalidate my claim (Medium term) are faring. Within three months a to speak if I did as ‘it’s about scheme should be put before the choices’.” Target a representative Administration Committee to target a Rupa Huq MP62 Parliamentary Press Gallery (Lobby parity Lobby. Such a scheme might, journalists). Neither women nor men for media organisations in receipt of should be in receipt of less than 40 more than one pass: (i) set a ‘rolling percent of lobby passes by 2020 target’: no new passes will be given to “When my daughter was born an organisation unless passes issued 18 years ago, during Divisions I The public receives its representations to women for that same organisation of Parliament mediated by journalists. have reached the 40 percent minimum; had to leave her in the Lib Dem It is through their lenses and pens or (ii) set an ‘end point target’: where Whips Office with members of that what is happening in the an organisation fails to reach 40 staff in their early 20s...things House is received. A homogenous percent female by 2020, the total have improved slightly since Parliamentary Press Gallery risks a number of passes will be capped at then.” narrow representation of parliamentary the point where they reach 40 percent politics, offering a particular ‘take’, female.72 Where a media organisation Tom Brake MP63 69 or at worse, a distorted account. only receives one pass at any one time Political concerns – those not shared there should be an expectation that by the Lobby – might also simply go over time, the sex/gender of holder unreported. Independent research switches between women and men. has made clear that women MPs are in receipt of less coverage, and at the Speaker Recommendation 5 same time, highly critical and gendered (Medium term) media copy.70 Initiate the IPU Gender Sensitive Table 2 below details the skewed Parliament audit composition of Parliamentary Lobby journalists.71 This shows considerable Initiating the process of an IPU audit improvement from the 1980s, but of the House of Commons would reveals that men currently constitute mark out the UK as the first advanced nearly 75 percent of all Lobby democracy to subject its Parliament journalists. to a Gender Sensitive Parliament evaluation. The first step involves To address the over-representation of a self-assessment audit and the men in the Lobby a clear target should identification of a monitoring body.

Table 2: Female Parliamentary Lobby Journalists, 1983-2015

Number of Number of Percentage of Lobby members women women

1983 135 7 5.2%

1993 209 28 13.4%

2003 188 32 17.0%

2015 171 44 25.7%

Source: Dod’s Parliamentary Companion, various years

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 13 The monitoring body would be the A composition of women and men new Commons Reference Group on reflects the principle that any new Representation and Inclusion. The body addressing representation and IPU directly supports Parliaments in inclusion must itself be diverse.76 It conducting assessments and makes follows the ‘40, 40, 20’ rule; that no visible ‘best practice’ and ‘model one sex/gender should be represented Parliaments’; the House of Commons at less than 40 percent, and no one should seek such a standard. To begin sex/gender represented at more than this process in the centenary year of 60 percent (this rule also allows for women first gaining the right to vote those who reject binary identities). and to sit in the House of Commons The Speaker is the official chair of would be most fitting, and would the Commons Reference Group on add to the other commemorative Representation and Inclusion but his celebrations already in place for Deputies will be acting chairs. The 2018.73 Deputy Speakers are in addition to the ordinary committee Members. By handing over the active chairing The Commons to the Deputy Speakers, Mr Speaker is importantly signalling the group’s Reference Group autonomy from any Speaker as an on Representation individual.77 ‘The five key components and Inclusion of being an MP: (1) working The Reference Group will liaise with party and House leaders, including with and for local people The Commons Reference Group on Whips, key Committees and their Representation and Inclusion has the (constituency work); (2) the chairs, (e.g. Procedure, Liaison, potential to deliver significant symbolic publicly perceived aspects: Administration, and the Women and and substantive improvements speaking in the Chamber, being Equalities Committee), backbench within the House. Its very existence Committees, party Groups, and on select committees, taking part symbolises that the House of relevant APPGs, not least the WIP in all party parliamentary groups Commons – as an institution – takes APPG. It will also work closely with seriously diversity insensitivities and (APPGs), seeking amendments, the Clerk of the House, the Director deficiencies, issues of representation speaking in the House and General, the Workplace Equality and inclusion, and, indeed, elsewhere, issuing press Networks, and the wider House parliamentary effectiveness and Service, including, the Education, releases; (3) work[ing] for your standing. Substantively, the Group’s and Outreach and Engagement political party; (4) using the role remit is to take the lead for delivering, teams. Externally it should liaise with in a systematic and sustained fashion, to pursue particular interests; relevant civil society groups.78 The The Good Parliament agenda. It (5) being an employer.’79 Reference Group will be supported by provides political and institutional a secretariat of procedural, subject- leadership, and will act to ensure that based and administrative support. individual parliamentary actors, as “Next time you see an image of well as the House collectively, fulfil their roles in implementing necessary Commons Reference Group on an almost empty Chamber, take reforms. The Group will draw up Representation and Inclusion a moment to consider where a Programme of Action for each Recommendation 6 else MPs may be and what parliament, and will report to the (Short Term) they could be doing – whether Speaker on an annual basis. They Publish a series of statements should, via the Backbench Business scrutinising Government on detailing and promoting the role committee, seek an annual debate on Select Committees, raising and work of MPs, to both educate the floor of the House. issues for debate in Westminster the public more about what it is that MPs do, and to explicitly signal Hall, working on behalf of The Commons Reference Group the range of characteristics, skills, individual constituents facing on Representation and Inclusion is dispositions, and experiences comprised of a small membership: difficulties, dealing with party relevant to the job of being an MP 9 MPs, women and men, from across matters, campaigning, or running the House reflecting party balance, How do you know if you want a a busy office as an employer.” and should include Members from particular job? How do you know if you 80 other under-represented groups.74 Sir Paul Beresford MP can do a job? In most other walks of Parties nominate members.75

14 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT life, a job description sets out the key in various ways’. Hence it should: roles and responsibilities alongside ‘contain general principles and ‘Throughout the Inquiry, required and expected candidate main objectives and tasks, rather Members consistently referred characteristics, experiences and skills. than highly detailed prescriptions’. to the benefits and flexibilities of Being an MP is widely thought of as To date this Speaker’s Conference life as a Member of Parliament at distinct from other occupations or Recommendation has not been acted Westminster...Many MPs noted professions. MPs will often emphasise upon. that there is no one ‘ideal’ type of MP. that it gives them considerable There is seemingly a broad consensus In conjunction with political parties and flexibility and satisfaction...if that it is up to the individual MP to experts inside and outside the House, this were more widely known weight the various dimensions of an including the Education Service and amongst the general population, MP’s work: representing constituency Outreach, the Commons Reference this Committee believes more interests and their constituents’ Group on Representation and Inclusion individual interests (case work), should produce a statement that diverse candidates would be parliamentary scrutiny (written and oral speaks to the non-political citizen, encouraged to step forward.’81 questions, membership of a Public revealing to ordinary people what Bill or select committee or All Party MPs do in Parliament and in the Parliamentary Groups, for example), constituency,86 and showing that being and party work, in the constituency an MP is something that all can aspire “I have generally been able and in Parliament. to.87 This would address in a new to get home on a Thursday to way the aforementioned Speaker’s pick up my 10-year old...we The main political parties represented Conference recommendation for the are sometimes able to flex our at Westminster already outline – albeit House to create a job description working days and plan around to lesser and greater degrees – what whilst at the same time taking seriously they are looking for in parliamentary MPs’ reluctance to define what our home life. I think my little candidates, as noted in the 2014 might be taken to constitute a ‘job 10 year old thought to himself: Women in Parliament APPG Report.83 prescription’, and therefore something ‘I’m a bit better off than many In some instances these criteria were they could not support. The cross- others’.” developed explicitly to address a party agreement will have additional 82 commitment to equal opportunities symbolic value: demonstrating in a Karin Smyth MP in party processes of candidate non-partisan way, and to audiences selection.84 These party candidate beyond existing party members, what descriptors are to be welcomed; they it takes to be an elected representative enable party members to consider at Westminster. The Reference if they have the requisite credentials Group should instruct political parties to be successful in the parties’ represented in the House, and permit recruitment processes. other civil society actors, to cross- reference this statement on the public What of the member of the public pages of their websites. contemplating the work of an MP? It is at the stage prior to someone Commons Reference Group on joining a political party that the House Representation and Inclusion of Commons has an important role Recommendation 7 to play. It should act to both educate (Medium Term) the public more about what it is that MPs do, and explicitly signal the range Engage in various parliamentary of characteristics, skills, dispositions, and other activities to enhance the and experience that makes for ‘good’ supply of, and demand for, diverse representatives. This was the clear parliamentary candidates statement of intent of the Speaker’s Conference (Recommendation 14): • Seek biennial parliamentary ‘A description of the main functions debates at the time of International of a Member of Parliament should Women’s Day to discuss the be drawn up, agreed between the diversity of parliamentary candidates parties and published.’85 Note, this selected by political parties for the recommendation acknowledged that subsequent general election88 such a description ‘should not remove the scope for MPs to approach the • Seek amendment – at the job of representing their constituency earliest opportunity – to any

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 15 new employment law (in the the House should maintain existing spirit of Speaker’s Conference percentages of MPs92 Recommendations 36, 37 and 38) to give approved prospective The Government’s legislation to parliamentary candidates who are reduce the size of the House to 600 employees the right to request a Members constitutes, on paper, an reasonable amount of unpaid leave opportunity that could be seized to during working hours, and the right deliver a parity Parliament in 2020. to work flexibly for the purposes of Crudely, if the political parties selected campaigning at a general election equal numbers of women and men and or by-election, or to receive a candidates in the seats they expect grant from the state equivalent to to hold and, or are very likely to win at the minimum wage for the period the next general election, then all other sometimes known as the short things being equal, the Commons in campaign 2020 would overnight constitute a sex/ gender parity Parliament. If the parties • Amend the Sex Discrimination selected women and men from a range (Election Candidates) Act 2002 of backgrounds the House would also either: (i) to remove the sunset be more representative across other clause; or (ii) to revise the sunset dimensions as well. clause so that it is triggered only when women and men constitute This is no doubt rather fanciful. Factor no less than 40 percent of MPs for in incumbency and the number of two consecutive Parliaments openings for new candidates will be far fewer. Indeed, unless explicit action • Commission a report into the is taken the boundary review more sexist, racist, disablist, classist, and likely constitutes a challenge to a more homophobic treatment of MPs by representative Commons. This is the the print media at the midpoint of view of some senior women Members this, and each, Parliament89 and some civil society actors. All political parties should seek to increase • Commission data detailing the the percentages of their women MPs. percentage of MPs from under- The minimum that the parties must represented groups acting as official do is to sign up to a commitment spokespeople for their parties in the that there will be no decline in the national press, and participating in percentage of women selected in their key TV political programmes90 party’s held and target seats for the 2020 general election, compared with • Ask the Consultative Panel on the 2015 general election. (A target Parliamentary Security to report on seat is one where the party came 2nd what more can be done to protect or 3rd by a margin of 5 percent or less.) MPs from social media violence, As Baroness Anne Jenkin puts it, ‘no and what more can be done to woman left behind’.93 Political parties protect the children of MPs from currently represented in the House only media intrusion91 by male MPs should publish a target for the number of women MPs they are Commons Reference Group on seeking to elect in 2020. Representation and Inclusion Recommendation 8 Commons Reference Group on (Medium Term) Representation and Inclusion Recommendation 9 Secure a cross-party concord (Longer term) regarding candidate selection for the 2020 Parliament following Introduce prior to dissolution in the boundary review: all political 202094 statutory sex/gender quotas parties should seek to increase to take effect for the 2025 general the percentage of its women election if, three months prior to MPs – at the absolute minimum the 2020 general election, political all parties currently represented in parties currently represented in

16 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT Parliament have failed to select The general debate over quotas is well at least 50 percent women in a rehearsed.100 In summary, critics will party’s ‘vacant held’ and ‘target state that they are unfair and offend the seats’.95 Introduce permissive principle of merit,101 whilst advocates legislation to allow for party quotas will query the meritocratic nature of for other under-represented groups, current selection processes,102 and where parties have failed to select provide international evidence that proportional percentages of quotas work.103 The diffusion of quotas candidates from these groups96 is documented in Chart 1 below.

The 2010 Speaker’s Conference There may always be residual concluded that solutions to address resistance to the idea of quotas in the under-representation of one group principle, but the evidence in respect of in Parliament might not be appropriate sex/gender quotas – in the UK104 and for another under-represented group. globally – is in the same direction sex/ There is considerable academic gender quotas (when well designed) and civil society consensus that deliver increased numbers of women the most effective intervention for into legislatures.105 There is a 10 women’s under-representation is the percentage point difference between ‘quota-plus’ strategy.97 Quota-plus countries using sex/gender quotas refers to the introduction of sex/ and those that do not.106 And of those gender quotas alongside supply- countries with more than 30 percent side interventions such as training, women Members of Parliament, over mentoring, and additional funding. 80 percent use some kind of quota.107 Turning to BME representation, there Close to home, the positive impact of is some talk of quotas but there is as legislative quotas can be seen in the yet no substantial public appetite for March 2016 election in the Republic them.98 Consideration of ‘All working of Ireland. This saw 35 women class’ quota appears to be growing, Members (TDs) elected, resulting in although like BME quotas there is no an overall percentage of women TDs demand akin to those for sex/gender of 22 percent. Compared with 2011, quotas.99 Research on sexuality and when there were only 25 women representation frequently privilege TDs, this constitutes an increase of cultural change amongst the public 40 percent.108 That there was also and political parties. In respect of a 90 percent increase in the number disability arguments tend to emphasise of candidates demonstrates that the enhancing the resources made creation of an artificial demand for available to disabled persons seeking women candidates – via quotas – had selection as parliamentary candidates. a positive impact on the supply pool

Chart 1: The Adoption of Sex/Gender Quotas over Time

Number of Countries

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015

Source: Table 6.1 from Paxton and Hughes, 2016

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 17 of women.109 In other words, women For example: in appointing will put themselves forward in greater parliamentary members of the numbers when quotas are integrated House of Commons Commission into the system of candidate selection. under section 1(2) (d) of the House of Commons Administration Act Commons Reference Group on 1978 and external members of the Representation and Inclusion Commission under section 2B of that Recommendation 10 Act, the House should ensure that at least two are men and two women. (Short Term) This rule change would have an Sponsor a measure to gender additional symbolic effect: in fulfilling balance MP membership of the the IPU’s ‘sharing responsibility’ House of Commons Commission principle, a male dominated House of Commons Commission would The House of Commons Commission be demonstrating its institutional ‘is responsible for the administration commitment to a Diversity Sensitive and services of the House of Parliament. Commons’.110 The current sex/gender composition of the Commission is Commons Reference Group on highly unfortunate; none of the MPs Representation and Inclusion on the Commission are female. Recommendation 11 Such a state of affairs cannot easily (Short Term) be defended in 2016. To prevent this happening in the future, a rule Commission a comprehensive change should be introduced. A diversity and equality audit of gender-balanced House of Commons the Independent Parliamentary Commission should be achieved by Standards Authority (IPSA), and 2020, at the latest. Accordingly, and submit its findings to the IPSA in a similar fashion to the requirements consultation (October 2016) that the Speaker and Deputy Speakers are comprised of both women and Any pay and expenses regime must men MPs,111 the Reference Group work for all MPs; pay and expenses should seek a rule change that must not constitute a barrier to a more requires a mixed MP Membership.112 diverse group of individuals seeking

Box 2: Diversity Sensitive Principles and MPs’ Business Costs and Expenses

The expenses and pay regime for MPs should neither explicitly nor implicitly discriminate against certain groups of people. This is for reasons of equality and fairness, but also because to do so would likely negatively impact the supply pool of candidates seeking election. Given the difficulty of determining this relationship, the precautionary principle should come into play

Any expenses and pay regime for MPs should be explicitly designed to facilitate the effective work of an MP at both Westminster and in the constituency

Within this overarching commitment to the ‘effective’ MP, MPs’ resilience, and that of their family, should be central

IPSA should always act to ensure the retention of a diversity of MPs; where issues of retention are identified, measures should be implemented to directly address these

MPs’ experiences of housing, travel and security are likely mediated by their gender and other identities, not least ethnicity, disability and sexuality, as well as their family situations

MPs should not feel obliged to supplement their pay and expenses costs with their own private income; being an MP should be affordable by people from across socio- economic backgrounds

IPSA should be cognisant of the media context within MPs live and work; and recognise that some groups of MPs, such as women, LGBTQ or BME MPs, might receive more hostile coverage; and that some groups of MPs may be more concerned about the possible impact of the media on their families

18 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT selection by parties and election House of Commons is sitting, and to the House of Commons. IPSA returning to his wife, children and make commitments to support ‘MPs Labrador on the weekends is an working from two fixed locations’ and old-fashioned and masculinised to provide ‘appropriate support for model of an MP.118 Given the current MPs’ families’.113 IPSA are currently parliamentary calendar and sitting consulting on the MPs’ Scheme of hours of the House of Commons, the Business Costs and Expenses.114 single-parent MP, the MP who wants An Equality Impact Assessment to reside with their family as much as is to be ‘developed during the possible, and the MP with a partner consultation period’. IPSA add: working in London, will want to have ‘there will be a full assessment of their children with them in London any changes that we make to the when the House is sitting, and in the rules following consultation’.115 In constituency at the weekends and line with a recommendation of the during recess. A regime of business 2014 Women in Parliament APPG costs and expenses that does not Improving Parliament Report, this support such arrangements will likely Report recommends a comprehensive skew the supply pool of candidates diversity and equality review that to those who follow a more traditional feeds into IPSA’s current consultation. family model or those who have Box 2 outlines diversity sensitive independent means.119 IPSA should in principles that should inform IPSA’s its 2016 review reflect on the adequacy review of MPs’ Business Costs and of the accommodation ‘uplift’ for Expenses. children, and the rules regarding partner and child travel between the In previous reviews of IPSA’s provision constituency and Westminster. There for MPs the claim that MPs’ pay and is qualitative evidence to suggest that conditions do not affect the diversity some MPs are having to supplement of the supply pool of parliamentary these allowances with their own candidates was challenged by gender funds.120 equality experts and some women MPs.116 Subsequent academic ii. Defend the principle that research established for the first ‘connected parties’ can be time that there was a significant legitimately employed by MPs as ‘motherhood gap’ in Parliament.117 part of a wider commitment to Problematic gendered assumptions the principle of family continue to underpin the system of MPs costs and expenses, working to In 2014-15 IPSA report that there the detriment of the parent MP – male were 171 connected parties employed and female; and there are unintended by MPs and that 25 percent of MPs consequences of existing rules and employed a connected party.121 It is practices that particularly affect clear from qualitative evidence that working class MPs, and MPs without the right to employ a connected party additional private wealth. is valued by many MPs and by the connected party.122 This right should The following general principles should be maintained as it is one way in which inform the Audit commissioned by some MPs – like other small family the Commons Reference Group on businesses – manage their work/ Representation and Inclusion: life balance and family commitments. It should be noted that IPSA find i. Defend the principle of the family there is no ‘substantive evidence of and support sufficient funds for misconduct in the employment of family accommodation in the connected parties’.123 constituency and Westminster, and for familial travel between iii. Seek the equitable publication of Westminster and the constituency costs incurred by MPs in respect of their children. That is, like The traditional image of an MP residing the additional costs incurred for in a London pied-à-terre when the reasons of disability or additional

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 19 security, these should be legitimate use of taxis is further limited “An MP asked, could I please published at the aggregate and by the perception that the media will be put on a lunchtime seminar with not individual level highly critical of MPs even when they MPs who had had babies whilst are correctly claimed for. elected to the House so that The additional costs incurred by MPs with children are currently Commons Reference Group on new MPs could find out about treated inequitably relative to the Representation and Inclusion how to time and manage their additional costs incurred by MPs Recommendation 12 pregnancies, and how best to with disabilities, and in relation to (Short Term) address the care of young babies additional security costs.124 This with parliamentary work and the leaves MPs who make claims for Produce a House Statement legitimate children related costs on maternity, paternity, parental, parliamentary week.” being perceived as ‘expensive’ in adoption and caring leave. Report author, citing a 2015 the media, by political opponents, All parties represented in the intake MP and amongst the public. This is one Commons would be expected to reason why some MPs do not claim sign up to this their legitimate expenses; and it is why the least expensive MPs – often There is, as previously noted, “My partner and I have already valorised by the press – are frequently a sizeable ‘motherhood gap’ in decided that we can’t have a older men either without children, Parliament, with fewer women MPs family if I am an MP. They don’t or with grown up children. Whilst having children relative both to male MPs, to women in comparable want to be a single parent and IPSA should of course confirm the legitimacy of all costs associated professions, and to women more they would be, back in the with MPs’ children, there is no public widely in society. Some 45 percent constituency with the child.” interest in this information being of women MPs do not have children 2015 intake MP linked to individual Members. All the compared to only 28 percent of male latter does is feed critical comment of Members.126 the parent MP. Arrangements regarding maternity, iv. Ensure that IPSA acknowledges paternity, parental, adoption, and that MPs’ experiences of caring leave for Members are informal security are likely affected by and operate at the party level. This their identities no doubt results from the historic maleness of the House. Yet, to The issue of security is keenly felt become a truly inclusive institution by women MPs at Westminster,125 the House of Commons must and felt to be afforded insufficient accommodate and facilitate both recognition by IPSA. This might the pregnant woman Member and well be true of other Members as co-parenting and caring MP. Table well. The address of the family 3 (below) shows how parliaments home in the constituency is often commonly respond to maternity, widely known, and some MPs are paternity, and parental leave.127 It concerned that they are frequently reveals that provision for maternity alone in their constituency home with leave is, in the majority of parliaments, their children, and without sufficient the same as the national law, although protection. The rules permitting taxi more than one quarter makes no use in the evenings are also felt to provision. Paternity and Parental leave be overly restrictive, relative to public fare less well, suggesting that the and private sector provision. The father MP is rarely recognised.

Table 3: Parliamentary Provision of Maternity, Paternity and Parental Leave

No provisions Same as National Law Own Provisions

Maternity 26% 62% 12%

Paternity 49% 45% 6%

Parental 60% 39% 1%

Source: IPU128

20 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT In directly addressing the question The current ruling on infant feeding of MPs with parenting and caring in the Commons Chamber and in responsibilities, the Reference Group committees was set out in a written would importantly be responding to answer from Marion Roe MP, then contemporary concerns amongst Chairman of the Administration women MPs from across the floor of Committee, in March 2002: the House, notably identified in the 2014 Women in Parliament APPG Mr. Speaker [Michael Martin] has Report.129 Following a consultation informed the Committee that, period,130 clear recommendations after undertaking broadly-based should be made by the Reference consultations within the House, he Group to the Administration has decided to make no change to Committee.131 For the period of leave, the current regulations under which the MP might choose to: breast-feeding is not permitted in the Chamber, in Committees or in i. Vote remotely (i.e. off the the public galleries (HC Debate 7 Parliamentary Estate)132 March 2002 c467W). ii. Appoint a proxy from amongst Infant feeding is highly charged for both fellow party MPs to vote and critics and advocates alike. Advocates otherwise act for them in respect hold that babies should be fed of tabling questions, amendments, whenever they are hungry, wherever etc. in Parliament133 that may be.140 Critics frequently cite the ‘check-out critique’: what is iii. Be formally and transparently inappropriate for the supermarket is ‘paired’ so that any absence inappropriate in the Commons.141 from Parliament does not affect the balance of party According to a senior Commons representation in divisions134 clerk the issue of infant feeding is really a question of whether to In considering these options the permit babies into the Chamber and Reference Group should look to the, committees. This move would enable albeit limited, best practice in other all Members to fully participate in parliaments,135 as well as external House business. Members may well institutions, and work with IPSA to sit in the Chamber and in committees deliver an appropriate scheme. A for a number of hours either listening working principle should be that MPs to a debate or waiting to speak. In should have flexibility in how they addition to allowing Members to carry balance their caring,136 legislative, out their representative functions, and constituency duties. permitting entry to infants would have symbolic benefits – showcasing the To permit infants in the Commons as a role-model parent- Chamber and committees friendly institution.142 It is accordingly recommended. The provision of proper As part of their consultation the facilities for infant feeding near the Reference Group should revisit the Chamber and across the Parliamentary question of infant feeding in Parliament. Estate should also be made. Globally, the practice appears to be on the rise.137 In February 2016 Considerable media criticism might be the Australian House amended its expected if the House was to move Standing Orders to allow breast to allow infants into the Chamber and bottle feeding.138 Elsewhere, it and committees.143 In a recent is frequently neither formally ruled parliamentary debate Sir Simon Burns in nor ruled out.139 Once again this MP warned that the wider ‘merits’ likely reflects the historic under- of family friendliness might well ‘be representation of women, and undermined’ and ‘ridiculed’.144 The especially mothers of young children, late Jo Cox MP disagreed: ‘we should in parliaments. take on the popular press if it is critical

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 21 and say, “this is what women do; get has in addition the potential to be over it”. It is good for children, so we hugely symbolic. The Commons would should advocate it’.145 If permitted, one be presenting itself as an exemplar need not expect either the presence of an open, inclusive and welcoming of babies or their feeding to become a institution. routine event in either the Chamber or committees. Commons Reference Group on Representation and Inclusion Commons Reference Group on Recommendation 14 Representation and Inclusion (Medium term) Recommendation 13 A rule change should be sought (Short Term) whereby any select committee Undertake a review for the witness panel of three or more provision of a crèche facility on must be sex/gender diverse if, by the Parliamentary Estate the end of the 2015 Parliament, select committees are not reaching The establishment of the nursery on a 40 percent sex/gender threshold the Parliamentary Estate represented amongst witnesses a sea-change in the provision Parliament made for parents working In addition to Recommendation 28 at Westminster. The nursery provides made to the Liaison Committee a particular kind of childcare: the regarding enhanced data collection permanent placement of 40 children and monitoring of select committee up to the age of five.146 It is open to witness composition, and in the Members, their staff, House staff, instances where this fails to change lobby journalists and Whitehall civil the skewed sex/gender composition servants. The nursery symbolises of select committee witnesses by the that Parliament takes the needs of end of 2019, then a rule change its Members and staff seriously, and should be sought.151 signals to the outside world that, just like other ‘best practice’ employers, it Commons Reference Group on values parents amongst its workforce Representation and Inclusion and will act practically to support Recommendation 15 them. (Longer term)

A parliamentary crèche in addition to Introduce sex/gender quotas for the the nursery would provide a different election of select committee chairs kind of childcare: ad hoc and short- prior to the 2025 general election if, term.147 As in the Scottish Parliament, by 2024, the percentage of women this would be primarily externally chairs is less than 40 percent facing, aimed at, for example, visitors to the Parliamentary Estate;148 Even as the ‘percentage of women witnesses to committees or APPGs; [select committee] chairs has increased and members of the public attending successively over the last three formal events and meetings. It could Parliaments’, only 6 out of 27 select also benefit Members on those committee chairs are female.152 At occasions, such as school holidays, 20 percent, the current percentage is when they might find their children lower than the 29 percent of women with them in London, or when MPs in the House of Commons overall. Parliament ‘sits past its scheduled The means by which to achieve gender times’.149 In all these practical balance across select committee chairs ways a crèche has the potential to is not easy, given their elected nature. support the wider goals of The Good Chairs may stand for two parliaments Parliament by affecting the make- or 8 years, whichever is longer, and up of members of the public visiting so incumbency limits openings.153 Parliament, those attending in a Strict rules could be devised154 but a political capacity,150 and, on occasion, second approach is advocated, one Members. The provision of a crèche arguably more in keeping with the

22 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT House’s more usual ways of acting. neutral way, one that removes men’s Incumbent chairs of select committees stricter dress code.161 Today ‘business would first indicate their willingness to dress’ does not always require of men stand again. This information would a jacket and tie.162 Adding ‘national become part of the informal process of costume’ would furthermore reflect negotiation between parties when they the UK’s multicultural traditions and ‘divide up’ committee chairs by party, recognise that Members may wish to as in current practice. Once these wear something other than Western incumbents are agreed upon (either dress.163 Individual MPs would they stand unopposed or are elected hereafter become the arbiter of their as chairs), the party whips could divide own dress, no doubt assisted by the up the remaining chairs by lot, followed national and local media. The Speaker by elections based on single sex/ and Deputies could retain their role in gender nomination papers to gender deciding whether this was ultimately balance chairs overall, using either the of an acceptable standard.164 50:50 or ‘40, 40, 20’ target.

Commons Reference Group on The House of Commons Representation and Inclusion Commission Recommendation 16 (Medium Term) As the parliamentary institution tasked Revise the dress code to ‘business with the responsibility for the overall dress’ or ‘national costume’ administration and services of the House of Commons, the Commission The issue of Members’ dress code should be one of the key parliamentary is vexed. This is in part because, actors to help deliver The Good as a custom, different Speakers Parliament. Over the last few years have not always enforced the same it has increasingly taken seriously standards.155 It is also the case that its responsibilities to address issues norms of dress in the Chamber, as in of equality and diversity in respect wider society, are explicitly gendered. of administration and parliamentary 165 Take the issue of hats:156 male MPs are staff. This Report calls on the not permitted to address the House Commission to publicly recognise whilst wearing a hat whereas women its, and the House’s, key role in are exempt from this rule.157 If ‘large engendering a more inclusive, and briefcases’ ‘should not be brought ultimately more effective, Commons into the Chamber’ but ‘small bags are on the Member side as well. permitted’,158 there might again be a gendered distinction in play. As with the recommendations to the Commons Reference Group on Some male MPs are evidently Representation and Inclusion the aggrieved, charging that the principle House of Commons Commission of demonstrating ‘respect’ for the should initiate the removal of real and, House is offended by women’s ‘knee or perceived, barriers to the public’s length boots’ and ‘denim’.159 The participation and representation at underlying problem lies not with a Westminster. It should act to signal particular concept of style or fashion, that the Commons is ‘open to all’, but the convention itself: men are as voters, constituents, and aspiring expected to wear a jacket and tie in Members. In other words, under the the Chamber and women to dress with direction of the Commission, the the ‘equivalent level of formality’.160 Yet House Service should act to ensure there is no functional ‘equivalent’ to the that that the public have a greater male suit and tie for women – unless understanding of the constituency and one wants to suggest women must parliamentary roles and work of MPs, always wear a suit and blouse. and associated skills and capacities, in order to (i) increase public engagement The solution offered here is simple: with, and understanding of, Parliament, to reframe the convention in a gender (ii) engender greater participation in

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 23 electoral politics, and (iii) ultimately • Digital and social media is broaden the supply of ‘political extensively deployed (e.g. the ‘MP talent.’166 It should, secondly, address for Week Game’ and the twitter institutional rules, practices and norms campaign #MPforaweek)169 that limit Members’ participation and • The Information Office and media effectiveness within the House. It teams highlight stories about the can also act to persuade the political work of Members and the business parties that they should do all that they of the House can to support a diverse membership of the House. • The Visitor Services team conduct tours of the Palace of Westminster

House of Commons • The ‘About Parliament’ webpage170 Commission takes the virtual parliamentary Recommendation 17 visitor to a range of material (Short Term) detailing what Parliament does and who works in it171 Recognise the House’s collective responsibility for enhancing The provision of comprehensive representation and inclusion by website materials is the first step that a formally taking note of the creation parliament as an institution committed by Mr Speaker of the Commons to diverse representation and inclusion Reference Group on Representation can take to invite the public to think and Inclusion of themselves as political actors, and to become the candidates and By explicitly taking note of the new MPs of the future. Additional website Commons Reference Group on information about ‘being an MP’172 Representation and Inclusion, and should include amongst its content: providing it with resources, the House (i) comprehensive candidate and MP of Commons Commission would be diversity data, in the spirit of Section fulfilling its own remit to give political 106 of the Equality Act 2010 (see direction and leadership to the House Recommendations 22, 24 and 43 in of Commons. this Report);173 (ii) podcasts by diverse MPs showing how they do their job as House of Commons MPs, how they manage their work/life Commission balance, and how their experiences of Recommendation 18 pre-parliamentary work assists them (Short Term) in their MP work;174 and (iii) multiple ‘Day in the life of an MP’ stories.175 Support the production of It should also make direct links to comprehensive website materials the series of statements detailing showing that a diversity of people and promoting the role and work are – and can be – MPs of MPs drawn up by the Commons Reference Group on Representation Parliament has made a significant and Inclusion, as recommended above commitment to education and (Recommendation 6). outreach in the last few years:

• The new Education Centre was House of Commons 167 opened in 2015 Commission • A Parliamentary Studies Module Recommendation 19 is taught in just shy of 20 (Medium Term) Universities168 Support the development of a • The Speaker’s Lecture Series residential ‘Introduction to being has been running for more than an MP’ programme five years Establish a short residential • Regional outreach officers work with programme for those interested in local communities and partners, gaining more knowledge of Parliament hosting events and workshops and potentially considering standing

24 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT for political office in the future. This The House should via the House of programme would be in addition Commons Commission restate its to, and complements the Speaker’s responsibility to assist all Members Placement Scheme.176 Applicants in learning the skills necessary for would have no prior experience of effective parliamentary participation. working in the House; nor previously This responsibility applies to the worked for MPs or political parties; new Member and should also be must not have stood for national available for all Members, especially political office; not be an approved those considering taking on new roles prospective parliamentary candidate within the House.180 Much has been for a registered political party; and done in this respect in recent years, they must come from currently under- albeit with variable levels of take- represented groups, including young up. The Commission should seek, people, and those who have had, or via the parties’ leadership, greater have, caring responsibilities.177 ‘buy-in’ from Members for Continuing Professional Development (CPD). House of Commons Commission • Expect that all candidates Recommendation 20 standing for election as select committee chairs – including (Short Term) incumbent chairs – to have Instigate a re-design of the completed specified chair parliamentary identity pass training sessions, including equality and diversity training. Parliamentary passes identify who Completion of this training could be has a right to be present on the linked to the pay associated with Parliamentary Estate, and who has a chairing a select committee right to access particular parts of the Estate. This is in large measure about • Redouble efforts encouraging security, although it is also about MPs’ members to take up CPD privacy, and historically reflected the opportunities provided by the more hierarchical approach to those House. This would involve working who worked in Parliament. There is with party leaderships, the whips, plenty of qualitative evidence that the MPs and external experts to create current pass system leaves too many a new series of CPD181 – especially young, female and BME Members (and staff) – questioned about their identity and status. Should you be The Secretary of State in the Members’ lift, in that particular corridor, or on the Terrace?178 Such for Education and questioning is frequently experienced Minister for Women as discrimination at the individual level, and Equalities and at the collective and symbolic level reinforces problematic assumptions about who belongs in Parliament. Minister for Women There is a very straightforward and and Equalities pragmatic solution: parliamentary Recommendation 22 passes should be double-sided with (Short Term) (bigger) photographs and names on Immediate Commencement of both sides.179 Section 106 of the Equality Act 2010

House of Commons Section 106 of the Equality Act Commission 2010 was intended to ensure that all Recommendation 21 political parties provided full diversity (Medium term) data regarding candidate selection in advance of each general election. Maximise Member opportunities, Transparency is the means by which capacities and capabilities the public and civil society would be via Continuous Professional able to hold parties to account as Development (CPD)

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 25 the process of candidate selection In 2012, following up on her role took place. In other words, it would as Acting Chair of the Speaker’s no longer be left until the day after Conference, Dame Anne Begg MP the general election to total up the called in the Commons Chamber numbers of women MPs, or the for ‘central management and number of BME candidates, and guidance’ regarding the collation lament the homogeneity of the and monitoring of candidate House. At the Speaker’s Conference diversity data. Her fellow Conference evidence session in 2010 with each Member, Jo Swinson MP, agreed of the then leaders of the three main that Parliament should ‘think about parties, Gordon Brown MP, David a mechanism for regularly holding Cameron MP and Nick Clegg MP, the Government and the House all agreed to the provision of such and the parties to account’. In data. These promises have only responding, the Coalition Equalities been periodically and incompletely Minister, Lynne Featherstone MP, delivered upon, and frequently only made clear her preference for a after repeated pressure from senior voluntary approach.182 Two years MPs. later in 2014 the then Minister, Helen Grant MP reiterated the same Speaker’s Conference Report sentiment: ‘I am very pleased that Recommendation 25 made explicit the main parties are acting on their the nature of the information which agreement to publish the data ahead was to be supplied by the parties, of the 2015 general election as an as outlined in Box 3 below. alternative to implementing section

Box 3: Speaker’s Conference Report Recommendation 25

Political parties registered under part 2 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 should be required to publish details of their candidate selections online every six months, on 31 March and 31 October, setting out, for each potential candidate at each stage of the selection process, the following information:

(a) the administrative region in which the selection takes place;

(b) the method by which the candidate was selected;

(c) whether the party: (i) currently holds the seat for which the candidate was selected; or (ii) came second or third in the seat at the last general election within a margin of less than 5% of the votes cast; or (iii) came second or third in the seat at the last general election within a margin of more than five per cent but less than ten per cent of the votes cast;

(d) the sex of the candidate;

(e) the ethnicity of the candidate; and

(f) whether the candidate is willing to identify as a disabled person.

The reports might also include the following information:

(a) where a candidate is willing to identify as a disabled person, the nature of the impairment;

(b) where a candidate is willing to state his or her sexual orientation, the sexual orientation of the candidate;

(c) the age of the candidate;

(d) the occupation of the candidate at the time of selection; and

(e) the highest level of the candidate’s educational attainment.

26 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 106 of the Equality Act’.183 Neither of Minister for Women ‘We support the suggestion of these two Government statements, and Equalities nor indeed the political parties’ Recommendation 23 a Democracy Diversity Fund published data, has fulfilled the (Short Term) which could be drawn upon intention of the Speaker’s Conference by local political parties to recommendation. Accordingly, it was Clarify the Status and Effectiveness support the work of developing almost impossible for the public and of the Access to Elected Office for civil society to hold the parties to Disability fund186 talented individuals from account for their selection outcomes under-represented groups and as they happened at the 2015 In December 2015, in a written answer also to provide bursaries to 184 to Caroline Lucas MP, the Minister, general election. individuals who would otherwise Caroline Dinenage MP, wrote that ‘an be unable to sustain the costs The current Minister for Women evaluation of the pilot fund is currently and Equalities, the Rt Hon Nicky being undertaken and will be published of candidacy. There must be Morgan MP, should commence in due course’. She also stated that ‘an strong controls in place to make Section 106 forthwith. Given the announcement regarding the future of sure the money is not abused the fund is anticipated early in 2016’. 2010-15 data demonstrating the and therefore the scheme’s size of the motherhood gap in It is timely that a full and transparent effectiveness and propriety the UK Parliament, noted above, review of the fund be published but not known at the time of the forthwith and that a statement be should be regularly evaluated Speaker’s Conference, parenthood made as to its continuance.187 by the Electoral Commission, status and child/children age should in reports which should be laid additionally be sought. The diversity before the House at least once data should also detail the selection The Women and every Parliament. The Electoral method under which candidates are selected: the formal ‘rules’; dates Equalities Committee Commission should consult when these were in operation; and (WEC) the Equality and Human Rights detailing which candidates were Commission when evaluating the selected by which method at which Women and scheme.’ point. The Minister might consider Equalities Committee Speaker’s Conference, including religion as an additional Recommendation 24 characteristic, given that it is a Paragraph 214 (Short Term) protected characteristic under the Equality Act. Call the Secretary of State for Women and Equalities Minister Finally, to ensure transparency and before the Committee in respect of easy public access to this data, the Commencement of Section 106 the Minister should empower the of the Equality Act 2010 Electoral Commission to host the data collected under Section Without full, easily accessible, and 106 of the Equality Act 2010. It comparative diversity data from all would henceforward become a political parties seeking representation duty of the Electoral Commission in the House of Commons, it will to publish (i) parties’ candidate be very hard to hold the political diversity data by seat safety every parties to account for the selection six months (31 April and 31 Nov) of a diverse group of candidates for on a dedicated webpage. The data Westminster. The powers, as already would be structured by party and by noted, are established in legislation seat safety.185 (ii) parties’ selection but they need to be brought into methods, rules, and outcomes, force by the Secretary of State. If the by seat safety. The Electoral Minister for Women and Equalities Commission should also be asked does not respond favourably to the to investigate what measures, if recommendation made to her in this any, might be necessary to support Report (Recommendation 22), the smaller parties in the collection of Women and Equalities Committee such data. should call the Minister before the Committee and request that she immediately commence Section 106.

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 27 The Leader of the House MPs and constituents to plan ahead for events and meetings in both, and Leader of the House for MPs to undertake additional UK and overseas visits;189 (ii); enhance Recommendation 25 efficiencies in the use of the Houses’ (Short Term) resources (financial and staffing) if the Put before the House a motion to Lords and Commons sittings were establish the Women and Equalities made to marry as part of this process. Committee as a permanent Select This would contribute to improved Committee of the House, by perceptions of the two Houses as an amending Standing Order No. 152 effective bi-cameral institution; and (iii) bolster MPs’ work/life balance, The establishment of the Women and enabling them, for example, to plan Equalities Committee (WEC) following their Easter holiday and childcare the 2015 general election redressed arrangements a little bit sooner than a clear limitation in the legislature’s after Christmas, as was the case this scrutiny of the executive. The year. amendment to Standing Order No. 152 that gave life to the WEC is however Critics will counter that Parliament time limited for this Parliament (see must be a responsive institution. Yet Box 4 below).188 The loss of the WEC Parliament is routinely recalled when should be an unthinkable backward the House is not sitting and when move for the UK Parliament, both there are unexpected or time sensitive symbolically and substantively. The political crises.190 Moving to a fixed Government must act to ensure that it calendar need not damage the House’s is made permanent. ability to react when necessary, given that it already has the procedural Leader of the House flexibility to respond to such events.191 Recommendation 26 When compared with other institutions and workplaces, universities and (Short Term) schools, for example, such a move Set the dates of parliamentary recess seems not very radical, either.192 One for each parliamentary session, at year into a Parliament, and with clear least one session in advance indications that some backbenchers are becoming restless on the issue of Certainty in the dates of the time management, it is appropriate parliamentary calendar would: (i) permit for the Leader of the House to re-visit greater clarity for MPs and the public the virtue of this recommendation in in respect of both parliamentary and the context of the effectiveness of the constituency representation, enabling House.

Box 4: Standing Order No. 152

The Text of the amended Standing Order No. 152 (Select Committees related to governmental departments is as follows) 1 2

Standing Order No. 152 (Select Committees Related to government departments)

(1) Select Committees shall be appointed to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the principal government departments as set out in paragraph (2) of this order and Associated public bodies.

(2) The committees appointed under paragraph (1) of this order, the principal departments of government with which they are concerned and the maximum numbers of each committee shall be as follows:

Name of Principal government Maximum Committee departments covered members

19 Women and Equalities Government Equalities Office 11

1 New text in italics 2 This amendment is to have effect until the end of the current Parliament

28 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT Leader of the House Liaison Committee Recommendation 27 (Medium term) Liaison Committee Abolish the party conference Recommendation 28 recess and sitting Fridays (Short Term) Require of the House Service the The House of Commons currently annual provision of comprehensive rises in July, returns in September for and systematic diversity data two weeks, and then rises again – to in respect of select committee permit the political parties to hold witnesses, and establish annual their conferences – before returning in rolling targets for witness early October. This recommendation representativeness is that the Commons should: (i) sit continuously following the summer In-House and academic research finds 193 recess; and (ii) no longer sit the composition of witnesses to select 194 on Fridays. The advantages of committees highly skewed in men’s Parliament sitting continuously after it favour – just one-quarter are women. returns from the summer recess and Some select committees, notably the only Monday-Thursday are multiple. Treasury, have witness compositions This timetable would: that are 90 percent male.202 Such • Remove any (mis)representation an unrepresentative set of witnesses of MPs going on ‘holiday’ just a risks a ‘perception that the House of couple of weeks after Parliament Commons is a closed institution’; one returns in September that ‘does not hear from witnesses with whom the general public • Produce operating efficiencies at identify’.203 There are multiple ways in Parliament which the diversity of witnesses can • Recognise that the rise of multi- be achieved: the provision of additional party politics at Westminster no resources to compile and maintain a longer fits with the idea or practice more diverse ‘rolodex’; ‘joining up’ of a ‘party conference season’195 different parts of Parliament that deal with external contacts and experts, • Free up an additional 12 sitting such as the Parliamentary Office of days for parliamentary business Science and Technology (POST) and that more than compensates for Outreach; and explicitly asking existing the ‘lost’ Fridays196 contacts to identify potential witnesses • Permit reconsideration of the from under-represented groups. In the timing of summer recess to better first instance committees should when reflect Scottish school holidays197 inviting witnesses from organisations ask for the names of both a man and a • Guarantees a weekday day for woman.204 constituency representation,198 which potentially reduces The House Service should moreover weekend work commitments for be required to gather, evaluate, and the MP (bolstering MPs and MPs’ produce annual reports documenting families),199 whilst expanding data for committee witnesses MPs’ opportunities to meet disaggregated by sex/gender and with constituents.200 This point other major social characteristics, for importantly acknowledges that each individual select committee and constituency representation is overall. Witnesses could be asked today a larger aspect of MPs to fill in a form before their evidence work.201 session or prior to receipt of any expenses.205 A league table of the best and worst ranking committees should be published each year. Rolling annual targets should be set for each committee until no sex/gender participates at levels of less than 40

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 29 percent, and until proportionality is are, except for the seasoned clerk and achieved for other social characteristics. longstanding or exceptional MP, difficult to decipher. Not being fully appreciative There may be some exceptional of, or misunderstanding, a practice circumstances, for example, regarding can only limit MPs’ effectiveness. It a highly specific topic or role where the would likely also engender a sense of supply of witnesses may be limited, marginalisation within the House. At and, or may not be very diverse. In times the necessity for very precise these cases a clear reason should parliamentary language may be real; at be given by the committee chair other times this may be the triumph of and documented as part of the data tradition over transparency. In respect collection on committee witness of the former, an alternative, accessible diversity. Where a committee seeks to account should be made available for make a claim that there are ‘too few’ Members, and indeed for the public; in diverse candidates amongst the pool the latter case, a process of rewriting is of witnesses, the committee should be appropriate. required to seek a formal ‘waiver’ from the Liaison Committee, having first To limit any opaqueness in the formal put out a particular public request for and informal rules and workings diverse witnesses. of the House, the clerks could be required to produce ‘explanatory It is also important that the face of the notes’ for Standing Orders.206 The UK Parliament represented by select House of Lords already produces The committee members abroad is not Companion to the Standing Orders.207 overwhelmingly male and white. Data There should also be: (i) the immediate for UK and overseas committee visits implementation of gender neutral disaggregated by sex/gender and drafting amendments to the Standing other major social characteristics for Orders:208 (ii) an audit of gendered, each committee should be gathered. exclusionary and alienating language Again, rolling annual targets should in official House documents relating be set for each committee until to the operation of the House. These proportionality is reached. might be explicitly gendered, e.g. Father of the House, and Chairman of Ways and Means, or implicitly The Procedure gendered or exclusionary e.g. purdah, Chairman of Ways and Means (rather Committee than Deputy Speaker), Serjeant at Arms and Maiden speech.209 Given Procedure Committee the gap between what the formal Recommendation 29 written down rules say and how they (Medium term) are actually applied in practice, there should also be within 18 months (iii) a Ensure that House rules review of parliamentary customs and and structures, institutions, every-day practices, especially those nomenclature and culture are that might be perceived as opaque diversity sensitive and inclusionary or which might act to alienate some Members. Critics might claim value in By formalising the principles of such historical legacies or suggest that inclusion and representation in official they have little substantive relevance parliamentary proceedings, this should for most MPs and on most occasions. positively affect wider cultural change But even if not for substantive reasons, over time. there may very well be symbolic grounds for revision or abolition. The Standing Orders (SOs) are a test of a practice should be whether it central part of the ‘rule book’ of the contributes to an ideal of an MP that House of Commons, setting down is exclusive, for example, suggesting responsibilities for different actors in a narrow social, cultural or economic Parliament, and how these should act elite, or Members without caring in particular circumstances. In their responsibilities or other needs.210 current form the SOs of the House

30 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT Take Standing Orders 7 & 8, for most important are those chaired example.211 These SOs presume that and made up disproportionately by MPs seeking a seat for questions or men. Such horizontal and vertical a debate later in the day are able to segregation is important for the be present in the House some time, equality of participation amongst MPs. and perhaps many hours, prior to It also affects the work that committees this. In so doing, the SOs may very undertake, and for the authority with well be highly disadvantageous to which committee inquiries and reports MPs who have caring responsibilities, are held. The absence of ‘established’ disability or health issues or live some male MPs on the WEC has, for way from the House of Commons. example, been said to invite the view As one MP put it, ‘It’s not the first that ‘inequalities are not a big concern day of the Sales’.212 On specified for the most powerful group in the parliamentary days where the numbers land – the stale, male, pale majority of in the Chamber are likely to be larger Parliament itself’.218 Fiona Mactaggart than the capacity of the benches MP cites a clerk to the Defence (e.g. PMQs, the Budget and Queen’s Committee to show how women’s Speech) there could be a ballot for membership shifted that Committee’s seating in the second and third row of agenda: ‘we used to talk about how benches near the Speaker.213 Or take big the bombs are...now we also the conventions of ‘Elder Statesmen’ talk about the families of people who sitting on the ‘first front benches seat fight’.219 beyond the gangway’,214 or of the role of seniority – and not just experience – The recommendation for sex/gender in being called to speak. Seniority can balance on select committees is but privilege white men, given most straightforward: where parties have women’s and most BME MPs’ more more than one member to be elected recent election to the House. This to a select committee, the mode of convention, in other words, ‘only works ‘transparent’ and ‘democratic’ method for men’, or more precisely some of election must provide for the election men.215 of at least one woman and one man, e.g. through the use of preferential Procedure Committee voting.221 A proviso is also added: no Recommendation 30 MP should sit on more than two select (Short Term) committees, so as not to over-burden any Member. Prohibit single-sex/gender select and domestic committees, and A new sex/gender balancing rule encourage political parties to be for select committees is in the spirit conscious of representativeness in of the original Wright Committee 216 the membership of committees intention for membership of the Back Bench Business Committee: ‘... It highly undesirable in 2016 that remaining members [to] be elected the composition of some select by all the House, in the same way committees is so skewed by sex/ as deputy speakers, with provisions gender: Culture, Media and Sport has a single woman MP and the WEC just two men, for example. Recent research has established that the proportion of women members on the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committees has been significantly lower than the percentage of women in the House overall and below the average of other departmental committees for the overwhelming majority of parliamentary sessions since 1979.217 It is also the case that committees popularly considered the Treasury Select Committee220

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 31 to ensure some gender balance’, at be subject to Division Time voting, least two men and two women.222 It perhaps being so designated at the is regrettable that in 2012 the House Programming stage. Contingent agreed to Standing Order No. 122D, amendments would be addressed which, by moving from whole House following the Scottish model: votes to party-based election, had the effect on amendments to Bills are taken of removing this gender balancing immediately after the debate on the requirement.223 amendments.227

Procedure Committee MPs are deeply split on the question Recommendation 31 of when and how best to conduct (Short Term) divisions in the House of Commons. The argument against a single Introduce greater predictability in moment for divisions is clear: it the scheduling of House Business separates votes from debate.228 This is sometimes said to have ‘Improving the predictability of the substantive effects. The outcome Parliamentary Calendar so that MPs of a vote might be changed as MPs know whipping requirements and the are persuaded during the debate to timetable of the business of the House vote in a particular way.229 A Division further in advance’ was one of the Time is also said to reduce MPs’ seven key recommendations of the independence from the whips, as 224 2014 WIP APPG Report. Such a MPs might be more easily persuaded, move enables MPs to ‘plan their time cajoled or even coerced into voting in and work more effectively both in the a particular direction as they gather House and in the constituency’. This for a series of votes. It might also is not just a lament from the mother be regarded as a ‘selfish’ move that MP; the inefficiencies of the current makes MPs’ ‘lives easier’ rather scheduling are recognised by MPs, than making parliamentary scrutiny 225 male and female. For the good of better.230 parliamentary democracy, greater efforts should be made to improve the Advocates counter these points, advance scheduling of Government arguing first, that grouped divisions business, moving to three weeks or a save MPs time for other parliamentary month in advance. There needs to be activities, whereas the current system some flexibility admittedly, but there is is an inefficient use of MPs’ time.231 no suggestion that such scheduling Secondly, a Division Time is less would be unable to respond to disruptive of other parliamentary unexpected events. business as MPs will be able to schedule their time with greater Procedure Committee certainty. Thirdly, the principle of Recommendation 32 separating the debate from votes has (Medium Term) already been conceded with deferred divisions.232 Fourthly, on most votes Review the establishment of a MPs will usually vote with their parties ‘Division Time’ thereby limiting concern about MPs’ independence. A proviso to designate Division Time refers to a distinct period a particular vote outwith the new where MPs would vote in Parliament. rules would formally negate the In other words, votes are not taken ‘Syria’ critique; that a good speech in on a motion immediately following the a debate can change MPs’ minds.233 debate but at a specified Division Time Fifthly, this is not a practice without on the same day.226 This might apply precedent in other parliaments, for to (i) all divisions; (ii) limited to non- example, Scotland and the European legislation; or (iii) limited to certain types Parliament. Finally, a Division Time of business. Standing Orders could preserves the practice of MPs coming also provide for designation of a vote together to vote and lobby Ministers or a piece of legislation that should not in the division lobbies.

32 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT Table 4: Earliest and Latest Time of Division June 2015- January 13, 2016

Days Earliest Time of Division Latest Time of Division

Monday 05:00 pm 12:28 am

Tuesday 01:45 pm 01:45 am

Wednesday 02:55 pm 10:15 pm

Thursday 02:55 pm 05:29 pm

Friday 09:34 am 02:07 pm

Source: House of Commons Department of Information Services236

If the principle of divisions taking place by Barry and Pugin that any at a single moment of time each day vision of a renewed parliament is looked upon favourably, then the becomes blinkered by their Gothic case can subsequently be made that grandeur.242 The Joint Committee this should be within what is broadly on the Palace of Westminster, which accepted to be the business day: was appointed to consider the first 4-5pm or 5-6pm are the obvious stage of R&R,243 and whatever new choices.234 There is little to be gained body comes into being thereafter, from holding the Division Time late in should be asking: What should the the evening.235 parliament of 2030 or 2050 be like? What form of building, what type Table 4 above shows the of furniture, what style of decor, unpredictability of divisions within will deliver The Good Parliament, the House of Commons. The ‘latest’ one that is truly representative, time is the last division of the day. On transparent, accessible, Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays accountable and effective? In all – consecutive days that might this it must be minded that who sits compound the impact of evening and in the House of Commons of the later sittings – these clearly fall outside future may be – should be – much a routine understanding of business more diverse than those who are hours. It might be politically opportune currently elected to the House. for the Procedure Committee to give considered thought to a Commons At the time of writing, the most likely “Today the most dangerous Division Time given that debates scenario is that MPs will move out myth of all is that the process of about remote and electronic voting will of the House in the near future.244 reform is over. That great national 237 likely not go away. A trial of some The individual reforms outlined exploit will never be over.” such Division Time arrangements below are underpinned by a 239 could be recommended to the body commitment to experimentation that Chris Bryant MP established to handle Restoration and R&R decant permits. Most notably, Renewal during the likely decant from the physical form of the new spaces the Palace of Westminster. in which parliamentary debates and “Everyone who works in, or scrutiny will take place during any visits, the Palace of Westminster Procedure Committee decant should be sufficiently flexible is constantly reminded of how in the context of decant for to trial new ways of doing politics the old lives with the new. I Restoration and Renewal238 – ways that might both enhance the effectiveness within the House, think we are pretty comfortable and the legitimacy of the House Restoration and Renewal (R&R) with this; history should be our amongst the electorate. In sum, constitutes an unprecedented inspiration, not our jailor.” wherever Parliament is temporarily opportunity to imagine how housed, it should be sufficiently Robert Rogers240 Westminster might be. It is likely flexible so that alternative ways of that Churchill’s observation that ‘we doing politics could be trialled and, shape our buildings; thereafter they if successful, introduced in the shape us’ will be deployed to defend restored Palace. Parliament as currently constituted.241 Yet there is a risk of being so shaped

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 33 Procedure Committee Table 5: Current Sitting Times of Recommendation 33 the House of Commons Chamber

Trial sittings of the House Hours based around ‘normal Monday 2.30pm-10.30pm business hours’ Tuesday 11.30am-7.30pm

The question of what hours the Wednesday 11.30am-7.30pm House should sit is highly contested. Thursday 9.30am-5.30pm Reformers are told that the situation today is much better than before. Friday 9.30am-3.00pm And they would be correct in this, as Table 5 shows,245 although it Chart 2 (below) shows the average might also be the case that the hours time the House rises on each day. The of the House are getting ‘worse’ 2014/15 session sat past 9pm on 19 once again.246 The media have also occasions; the 2015/16 session has reported that some male MPs wish to already sat past 9pm 26 times, roughly 247 turn the clocks backwards. the equivalent of once a week, and includes two sittings finishing after The Commons’ sitting times are midnight, with one lasting until nearly notably not fixed, with the House 2am.250 Only one of these would be frequently sitting beyond the official said to have been caused by an urgent times: following the ‘moment of political issue.251 interruption’ there will often be a division, meaning that on a Tuesday It is worth re-stating that there is no or a Wednesday, MPs will be most objective reason for the current hours. unlikely to leave the House before Rather they reflect a continuation of 8pm even if it does not formally sit an historic accommodation to MPs’ beyond 7.30pm.248 Late nights are professional lives outside Parliament explicitly scheduled on Monday in the 19th and 20th Centuries. Some evenings to permit MPs to travel to MPs may prefer the current hours – the House on a Monday morning that is their prerogative – but these rather than on a Sunday evening.249 hours are not required.252

Chart 2: Average Time of the Rise of the House by Weekday

Average time of the rise of the house by weekdays 2014/15 and (up to weekend 12/02/16) 2015/16 sessions

24:00 2014/15 22:48 2015/16 21:36

20:24

19:12

18:00

16:48

15:36

14:24

13:12

12:00 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Source: House of Commons sessional returns diary

34 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT Defenders of the current hours and the mental and physical health of frequently draw on the apparently all MPs (effectiveness),257 irrespective “I chanced a little joke. If I was a opposing positions held by the of where they reside and whether they spouse living at the other end of ‘London’ versus the ‘geographically have children or not (representation). the country, I would want to be 253 distant’ MP. It is said that changing Neither does business hours threaten assured that my other half was to business hours might well be of MPs’ autonomy to do the job as snug in the warm bosom of the personal advantage to those MPs they like. With official Parliamentary whose constituencies are in London business not taking place in the Mother of all Parliaments and not or who choose to live in London. In evenings, MPs will be able to choose wandering the streets with too contrast, the geographically distant MP whether to undertake constituency much time on his hands and too will be said to prefer the concentrated or other parliamentary work in the much money in his pockets.” week, enabling them to return to their evenings if they so wish. Alternatively, 254 families and constituencies as quickly if their families are in London they Chris Mullin as possible on a Thursday or even on might undertake family responsibilities. a Wednesday. At the individual level, it Other MPs might choose to relax, so is likely correct to say that the London as to be fresh for parliamentary work living MP would be the beneficiary, and the next day or for when they return to “It’s not that we [the the non-London living MP bear the cost, their constituencies. On top of these geographically distant] would of any move towards business hours. positive substantive outcomes, there benefit from working hours – is also a final symbolic benefit: evening my family is in my constituency Framing the issue in a ‘geographic’ sittings symbolise a House that – but if we had normal hours, fashion is however not the only – or excludes rather than includes.258 necessarily the most appropriate – way we’d return to our families and to decide parliamentary hours. When Procedure Committee constituencies on Thursday Parliament make laws and when it Recommendation 34 evenings not exhausted by long holds Government to account is a hours; we’d have more energy political choice. This choice speaks Trial opportunities for and be more effective in the to the core of The Good Parliament. remote voting by MPs physically Business hours have the potential present on the Parliamentary Estate constituency.” to improve the quality of debate, “As a ‘role model’ institution deliberation and decisions. Might this Many, if not most, MPs are adamant Parliament shouldn’t feel it has (representation, effectiveness and that the division lobby is the critical accountability) be improved when not site for the individual and collective to match shift work/late nights of undertaken by exhausted MPs?255 lobbying of ministers – a key means other parts of the population...it of influencing and holding the That is, MPs tired both when they should be setting an example.” listen to the debates that are to inform Government to account. It is where their vote late at night, and tired the MPs gather as equals; a place “Evening work then becomes next day when they will likely be from which ministers cannot hide. your choice, and you might use Those that are critical of the current participating in a select committee your evenings to sleep, so you evidence sessions, in public bill arrangements contend in contrast that work better at the weekend.” committees scrutinising legislation, voting either at: (i) voting stations in a debating in Westminster Hall, or few locations across the Parliamentary ‘SNP MPs look to Scottish Estate; or (ii) from anywhere on the meeting constituents and other visitors. Parliament and ask, why are Parliamentary Estate, would negate the Westminster Hours as they Secondly, by making some aspects the need for the provision of division 260 256 of MPs’ parliamentary work more lobbies, maximise MPs’ time, and are?” predictable, business hours will would not, in respect of the first case, facilitate MPs’ non-Chamber undermine the interaction between parliamentary activities, not least MPs and ministers so valued by MPs, ‘The division Bell rings...the MPs interactions with constituents, though they may save less time. Some civil society and lobby groups MPs suggest that in other parliaments, rush out...we’ll be back soon (representation, transparency and those with MPs voting at their desks they cry...everyone sits around accountability). Thirdly, business or in the Chamber, Members are still waiting...this may happen more able to lobby ministers. And the way hours might have the advantage of than once over the event as MPs garnering greater media coverage, that MPs dash to and from votes might dash to and from PCH.’259 most obviously via the early evening leave less time for lobbying than other 261 news programmes. Fourthly, business MPs wish to suggest. hours should aid ‘work/life balance’

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 35 Against a backdrop of yet another or avoided.271 The previous Clerk of apparent parliamentary stand-off, the the House has admitted that when considerable conjecture advanced the volume prevented questions by both sides could be tested during and answers being heard, then the R&R decant: MPs could experience House and the country are losers.272 the reality of ‘on Estate voting’ before The PM’s questioning before the their return to the Palace.262 If MPs Liaison Committee is depicted as were to find themselves unable to, or an ‘antidote’ to PMQs.273 And then less effective at, lobbying Ministers, there are accounts of MPs – male or if electronic voting negatively and female – opting out of the impacted relationships within the Chamber.274 House (effectively emptying it out and reducing Member interaction, as So what might be done? At present it critics suggest), a strong case for the is for the Speaker to police aberrant retention of division lobbies would have behaviour: ‘offensive behaviour, been made. abuse and heckling should be addressed, as having to shout in Procedure Committee order to be heard above the noise Recommendation 35 did not appear to be in keeping with a modern democracy’.275 Amending Trial new formats for Prime the current practice, backbenchers Minister’s Questions (PMQs) could be heard in silence when asking their question. There is some Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) is precedent in that Maiden Speeches ‘Misbehaviour is now furtively frequently regarded as the epitome are heard ‘courteously’, and personal of the masculinised style of the out of the sight of the camera statements are heard in ‘(near) House of Commons – ‘willy-jousting’ silence’.276 Any MP not respecting or communal, where numbers par excellence: feisty’, ‘raucous’, this could be asked to apologise, 263 266 obscure identity.’ ‘gladiatorial’ and ‘rowdy. Favourably and if the behaviour is repeated by disposed MPs will tell you that the that MP or another of the same party, ‘theatre’ that is PMQs is integral to the MP could be asked to leave the British parliamentary politics. ‘It would Chamber for the duration of PMQs ‘The TV coverage fails to pick be unrealistic to expect that, having or put in a ‘sin bin’, as the Hansard up on the ‘one-line interjections corralled 500 people of deeply held Society has suggested.277 Questions that spice proceedings’; ...if the and opposing views in a small room, to the PM from the Leader of the minister keeps going, talking contentious assertions will be heard in Opposition might also be further reverent silence; they won’t’.267 MPs directly at the microphone, it separated from backbenchers’ will tell you that each party wills – and questions to the PM. sounds as though the ride is requires – their leader to perform.268 264 fairly smooth.’ That the public ‘love’ the spectacle. Then there are alternative or The media’s interest represents – if additional formats which could not constitutes – PMQs as the most challenge the pattern of ‘scrutiny important political moment of the 278 ‘Whips encourage MPs to shout by screech’: backbenchers – week at Westminster. Viewing figures drawn by lot – could hold a more ‘weak, weak, weak’ at an MP... 269 would concur. Foreign politicians deliberative Committee session whips give bottles of champagne and ministers are said to lament an with the PM;279 more radically still, if an MP ‘scores’, gets called equivalent in their legislatures: did public questions could be gathered Scotland not introduce First Minister’s to account for poor behaviour... via YouTube, or the PM might be Questions to fill the PMQ sized-hole in abuse is unacceptable, not about questioned by the public on internet its procedures? Tony Blair, in admitting TV.280 The substantive point being words per se, it is the intention his fear ahead of PMQs revealed its made here is that different ways of you are trying to achieve; that’s force in holding Prime Ministers to holding the Prime Minister to account 270 not difficult to judge: if it was account. And advocates of PMQs can – and should – be tried during will keenly name women MPs who children in the playground decant. The new R&R body might flourish in its atmosphere. On the other doing it [it] would be classed as invite the Procedure Committee to side of the argument, studies point undertake an inquiry into possible abusive and bullying.’265 out that little of substance is gained reforms. from the questions asked, answered,

36 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT New R&R Body281 The decant experiments outlined above should moreover inform ‘Even when there is room between two Members, a veteran R&R Body consideration of return. Extant debates over alternative configurations of Recommendation 36 will insist on occupying the usual seating are frequently based on place. The technique is to aim Trial new layouts in any subjective observation. ‘Have you the bottom at the non-existent decant Chamber, and review watched how dull and sterile or staged provision of a new Chamber for the European Parliament is?’ some space between two Members return to the Palace MPs ask. Decant provides for current bear down heavily while wiggling MPs to experience first-hand how a the posterior vigorously from Any debating Chamber should, at the variety of seating layouts are mediated side to side. By a phenomenon very minimum, provide seating for all by party-political and institutional that puzzles physicists a space its members. To do otherwise is to culture and norms. These experiences deny MPs the ability to participate should formally feed into discussions appears where there was none comfortably, and arguably, effectively in for return. before. The bottom of the MP the Chamber. The UK Parliament has with ancient rights hits the green never had a permanent home in the The necessity of accommodating leather.’ modern era that could accommodate Members’ needs as well as adopting 282 all its members, a senior clerk a more flexible seating system might Paul Flynn MP admitted: presently the number of well mean that the current Chamber spaces is said to be 427, over 200 is simply too small.289 This could be spaces short of the 650 MPs elected addressed by expanding the current ‘Bobbing up and down on the to the House,284 although the size Chamber into the division lobbies.290 of the House is to be reduced to Consideration should also be given to benches; it is sexual harassment. 600.285 As a minimal improvement the building of a new Chamber on the You find yourself sitting on a the means to distinguish ‘seats’ could Palace estate, most likely the building male MP’s knee.’283 be established by re-upholstering the of a glass extension or glassing over an benches.286 Chamber furniture should existing courtyard.291 This might have also be sufficiently flexible to provide the additional benefit of suggesting for all members. Members using to the public a commitment to the wheelchairs – and one should presume principles of a more transparent and more than one or two – should be able accessible Parliament. The existing to sit with their party colleagues on the Chamber could be retained for use on back and front benches.287 And there ceremonial occasions, and, or opened should be better audio provision to for more extensive public visits.292 aide participation.288 R&R Body The advantages of a flexible system Recommendation 37 of seating, over and above reasons of diversity and equality of participation Provide for flexible committee by individual Members just stated, rooms and other parliamentary include: (i) the provision or removal meeting rooms of additional seating as and when wanted; and (ii) variation in the layout The principle of flexibility is a very good of the seating specific to the needs one; to maximise efficiency in limited of particular Chamber activities and space, non-fixed furniture ensures events. For example, where the that the same space can be used Chamber is likely to be attended by for different purposes. Consideration few Members, it would be possible to should also be given to the layout, rearrange the seating so that Members furniture and furnishings. At present could sit in a physically closer committee rooms in the Palace are arrangement. This might enhance imposing, often with very formal debate and provide for better TV and fixed layouts, and dark wood coverage, and might counter the public panelling, wallpaper and oil paintings. perception of an ‘empty’ Chamber. This contrasts greatly with the more Alternatively, if a more consensual style contemporary business-like decor and 293 is preferred, seating might reflect a less feel of Portcullis House. Different adversarial layout. meeting purposes may very well further

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 37 benefit from the flexibility to rearrange Additional space in the restored Palace furniture so as to make a space more might be provided for by glazing over intimate and less intimidating to those courtyard(s). Again these could be not used to attending and speaking designed to be less foreboding. They in the House.294 In short, rooms used should be flexible spaces too; able to for meetings with the public should be be used in different ways at different made welcoming from the viewpoint of times, e.g. reception areas or private the public. In addition, consideration meeting spaces. There should also be should be given to access: many a review of establishing a ‘cafe-like’ doors in Parliament are very heavy to space in the Palace that provides a open, and are difficult to negotiate. more relaxed environment, as in the Signage is often poor too, directing Portcullis House atrium. The atrium is the public to Central Lobby and the extensively used by MPs, especially Committee floors, for example. The for meeting visitors to Parliament. For question of technology must also the latter it is a more informal, relaxed, be addressed during decant: virtual and hence welcoming space than the conferencing is a widespread practice Palace which, whilst awe inspiring, can beyond Parliament. Trials could be also be experienced as intimidating. undertaken to explore greater remote Some Members would also welcome participation in committees by MPs the provision of less formal and more and witnesses.295 Accordingly, the cafe-like dining provision; those restored Palace should ensure that the currently available in Portcullis House committee rooms and meeting rooms close earlier than the House currently are technologically ‘fit for purpose’. sits. 299

R&R Body R&R Body Recommendation 38 Recommendation 39

Provide for inclusionary Provide sufficient toilet capacity parliamentary spaces for MPs Provision should be planned for a The provision of ‘Lady’ Members future sex/gender parity and diverse rooms should be maintained in decant Parliament (MPs, staff and visitors).300 and in a restored Parliament; ditto Failure to do so will limit who can visit, the male changing room.296 These participate in the formal activities of, are necessary both because of the and work in Parliament. Baby changing hours that Parliament keeps and, facilities should be separate facilities regarding the former, because of accessible to all parents and carers the disproportionate number of men and there should be easily accessible in the House.297 There should be a disabled toilets. Unisex/gender neutral principle of equal provision in terms toilets should be provided.301 In of furniture, including baby changing respect of the latter, a US restaurant and caring furniture within these has succinctly explained why: ‘for rooms.298 Women MPs should be single dads with daughters, single asked their preference for the name moms with sons, members of the of the rooms – perhaps these might lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender be named after pioneering women communities, and adults with ageing MPs or women political activists if the parents who may be disabled’.302 notion of the ‘Lady Member’ is felt to be anachronistic. Given the existing hours and parliamentary calendar, the House should also ensure that the hairdressing salon is maintained. In the absence of a reform of parliamentary hours, the provision of additional facilities on the estate might be also considered.

38 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT Works of Art Committee The Speaker can waive the rule; instead, it should be permanently Works of Art Committee removed and new artwork should be commissioned to continue to show the Recommendation 40 diverse membership and activities of Abolition of the ‘10 year dead’ rule the Commons.

Works of Art Committee The following is recommended: Recommendation 41 • By abolishing the ‘10 year dead Commit to diverse artwork in a rule’ portraits of women former MPs restored Palace of Westminster currently hanging in Portcullis House should be considered for re-hanging What makes one person feel part in the Palace. This might include of, and welcome in, a particular portraits of Shirley Williams and Mo institution, and yet another feel less Mowlam welcome? Identifying or having • Artwork currently displayed in the an affinity with an institution is a House of Commons should be 303 304 Baroness Dawn Primarolo subjective, emotional state. In an era routinely audited to ensure diverse of apparent antipathy towards party representations309 and parliamentary politics, creating • Portraits of parliamentary ‘firsts’ a sense of belonging to, and being might be commissioned,310 e.g. part of, or having a relationship with, Jacqui Smith, Home Secretary; Ann ‘That no portrait bust or other a parliament is something that the Taylor, Chief Whip House of Commons should be very representations of living persons much concerned with. One part of this • New artwork commissioned,311 or of any person deceased is how the institution presents itself including, but not limited to, less than ten years shall be to the public and to those who work photographs of women MPs at accepted’; ‘except in accordance in the House when they are present each election until parity is reached; with a resolution of both Houses in Parliament, and for the public commission artwork for other when they access the House via the currently under-represented groups, of Parliament.’ parliamentary website. if Members so wish

• Maximise the use of technology The Parliamentary Art Collection to show contemporary displays ‘The Cabinet agreed that: the acquires works that document that document the diverse First Commissioner of Works Parliament, its buildings, people, Membership of the House over time business and ceremonies.305 The should have authority to write in the House’s public spaces (e.g. collection allows audiences to to Lord Astor and state that Westminster Hall, Westminster Hall engage with the work of Parliament Cafe, the Lower and Upper Waiting the Cabinet felt that it was and provokes considered thought on Rooms (the spaces at the top and undesirable as a matter of its role and activities.306 Seeking to bottom of the stairs leading to the principle, that pictures of living ensure that the artwork of the House Committee rooms)312 is representative is a principle that has persons should be accepted for been accepted. This principle – of • Commission greater gift shop wares the Houses of Parliament.’ creating a representative relationship celebrating the diversity of MPs Formal document dated 03/12/1924 between the public and Parliament via (e.g. postcards of existing portraits; its artwork – must be kept centre stage coffee table books)313 during the R&R process. ‘Letter to Speaker from Lord Peel The ‘10 year dead rule’ has been 27/02/1925 ...would be useful to an important inhibitor of showing quote it when refusing to accept artwork of women MPs. This rule was introduced precisely to prevent portraits of persons who have no the acceptance of a portrait of Lady real claim to be commemorated Astor: a misogynistic rule from the in the Houses of Parliament.’ very beginning, as indicated in the [emphasis added]308 exchange of letters (see right).307

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 39 The Women in members should be invited to sign a public pledge. Party leaders should Parliament All Party similarly be invited to sign a statement Parliamentary Group committing not to host ‘all male panels’.

Women in Parliament All Party Parliamentary Group Political parties Recommendation 42 (Short Term) Political parties are key gatekeepers to political office. There is a great Campaign for male MPs to sign deal more that the parties could and up to the #nomoreallmalepanels should be doing to ensure that they first select more diverse candidates All Party Parliamentary Groups are and secondly ensure equality of informal cross-party groups that, participation amongst MPs once they whilst having no official status within are elected to the House of Commons. Parliament, are numerous and can be This Report does not seek to highly active organisations.314 Made up reproduce the extensive literature that of women MPs and Peers, the purpose speaks to the totality of these issues of the WIP APPG is ‘to increase the – the 2010 Speaker’s Conference on number of women in Parliament in Parliamentary Representation Report all parties and to encourage women contains a considerable number of to get involved in public life’.315 A very good recommendations. Here the good number of recommendations recommendations are limited to those from its 2014 Report Improving that bolster other recommendations Parliament have fed into this Report. targeted in this Report. The WIP APPG has a critical ongoing role in representing the views of Political Party women Parliamentarians, and in supporting other parliamentary actors Recommendation 43 in addressing the recommendations (Short Term) made to them in this Report. They Engage in various activities to also have the potential to change increase the supply of and demand the culture of the House through for diverse parliamentary candidates campaigning to bring more male Members publicly on board with the • In the absence of the Minister for representation and inclusion agenda. Women and Equalities commencing Section 106 (see above), comply Outside of Parliament there is a with its spirit, as recommended growing international movement by the Speaker’s Conference #nomoreallmalepanels. The aim is (Recommendation 25).320 As part simple: to put an end to all-male of this commitment the parties line ups at seminars, workshops, should also support the request conferences, and on TV panel by the Commons’ Department 316 shows. All male panels do not ‘just for Information Services that MPs happen’; they are statistically biased complete a post-general election 317 and are by definition exclusionary. survey321 The WIP APPG group should ‘sign up to the hashtag’ and seek to end the • Publish, no later than six months practice in Parliament by encouraging after a general election, a target for male MPs to voluntarily refuse to the percentage of the candidate 318 participate in all male panels. This characteristics listed in Section voluntary endeavour has the potential 106 of Equality Act 2010 for the to reap significant symbolic reward: next two general elections, and all it requires is male Members to to set out their ‘action plan’ to ask, ‘who is on a panel?’ If there achieve these.322 Parties might add are no women, one simply declines ‘parenthood’ to the Equality Act the invitation, and makes it clear 2010 list of candidates why they have declined.319 Male

40 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT • Publish on the public pages of their party website an agreed set of expectations for candidates setting out the role, and the reasonable demands which may be made, of both prospective parliamentary candidates and local party associations323

• Publish a list of party national and regional equality champions

• Implement Speaker’s Conference Recommendation 32 ‘All political parties should place a ceiling upon the expenses which candidates can incur during any single selection process’324

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 41 Appendices

Appendix 1: The 2010 Speaker’s Conference From July 2015 to February Research Design and Approach examined under-representation in 2016 Professor Sarah Childs was the UK Parliament – women, minority ‘embedded’ full time in the House of The Report is generated from a ethnic groups, the disabled, LGBTQ Commons,336 interviewing MPs, male project funded by the Economic and and, albeit to a lesser extent, class.332 and female,337 meeting with groups of Social Research Council (ESRC) Its inquiry focused predominantly on MPs, talking to individual and groups and the University of Bristol.325 It is the supply and recruitment of MPs. of clerks and officials, observing underpinned by an extensive body Explicitly taking up the Speaker’s House activities and interactions of international research that has Conference baton the 2014 WIP APPG in Parliament’s social spaces, and analysed the under-representation Report added the issue of Member subjecting a range of parliamentary of women in politics over more than retention. Whilst it spoke to questions publications to a gendered/diversity two decades,326 as well as by newer of sex/gender, its recommendations reading. An international conference work on political institutions.327 It is were felt to benefit other currently was also held in conjunction with the also informed by recent parliamentary under-represented groups. The WIP BGIPU to facilitate ‘lesson learning’ reports on representation, most APPG’s most notable success to from the best practice parliaments of notably, the 2010 Speaker’s date: the establishment of the Women Sweden and Finland.338 A subsequent Conference on Parliamentary and Equalities Committee (WEC) in meeting was held with representatives Representation,328 the 2014 Women 2015.333 from leading UK civil society groups. in Parliament APPG report Improving Parliament,329 and the 2015 Report Both the APPG’s Improving Parliament The assessment contained in Table 1 presented to the Administration Report334 and the subsequent (the ‘RAG’ Analysis of the Commons) Committee, based on a survey of internal House of Commons report is based on: counting the diversity women Members.330 Sarah Childs for the Administration Committee, of MPs elected to the Commons in was the gender Special Adviser to the documented women MPs views 2015; assessing MPs participation Speaker’s Conference and advised on, and experiences of the House, in domestic and departmental select the WIP APPG on their 2014 Report. and involved gathering new data via committees and in leadership positions The Good Parliament Report is also surveys and interviews with women in the House; documenting equality informed by the 2015 Report of the MPs, past and present.335 Some and diversity provisions in the rules Speaker’s Commission on Digital women MPs speak privately on this of the House, and noting explicit Democracy. The 2015 BBC TV agenda whilst others are happy to institutional commitments to diversity series Inside the Commons provided speak publicly about their experiences. and inclusion; as well as examining additional illustrative and contextual Academics have also been gathering how the House ‘feels’ for Members material.331 qualitative and quantitative data for from different backgrounds. more than two decades. Women MPs views of the House are, then, well In all these activities, and in the drafting known. of the recommendations and this Report, the author benefited from the formal advice of a small group of MPs, male and female from across the House, and an Advisory Board made up of officials and clerks and chaired by Mr Speaker.339

42 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT Appendix 2: of operating? Are men shouldering UK Parliament was kept central. As The Inter-Parliamentary their responsibilities in respect of Melanie Onn MP stated: ‘We should Union (IPU) Gender Sensitive gender equality? And finally, is there a have a system that suits as many parliamentary plan of action for gender people as possible, and that includes Parliaments Approach equality? the staff, who work here as much as The IPU framework for a Gender the MPs, the men as much as the Sensitive Parliament (GSP) is In this Report the IPU’s third dimension women, and those with family caring structured across seven dimensions is not addressed. Assessing the extent responsibilities other than children’.341 (see Box 5 below), and suggests a to which Parliament mainstreams gender Nothing that would adversely affect continuum of gender (in)sensitivity. in policy and legislative terms was felt the administrative and support side The following criteria can be used to to lie beyond the remit of this particular would be advocated; the presence rate the gender sensitive status of a project. In other words, this Report of representatives from these parts Parliament: focuses on the ‘inward’ dimension of of the House on the Advisory Board • Infrastructure (amenities); Gender Sensitive Parliaments (Galligan protected against the inadvertent • Rules/practices (standing orders); and Meier EIGE/2014/OPER/13, 13); or unconscious marginalisation or • Language/discourse in plenary; on the position of women within the downgrading of these concerns. • Language/discourse in informal institution and the working conditions settings; and practices they face. The outward Dimensions 5 and 6 of the IPU • Sitting hours; dimension focuses on work parliament framework emphasise that the • Dress code; produces in steering society and ‘problem’ of a Parliament’s gender • Maternity and paternity leave; contributing to gender equality more insensitivity is not the responsibility of • Childcare facilities; broadly. women MPs but of political parties and • Induction training; of male parliamentarians. This shared • Parliamentary culture; Critically, the IPU definition calls responsibility goes further: it is a and access to resources. attention to the necessity of conceiving collective, institutional responsibility: in of Parliaments as an organism. In the UK case, the House of Commons Measurements include: the numbers particular, Dimension 7 holds that as a body should act to eliminate of women present; analysis of the gender sensitivity is not just about MPs gender insensitivities – it must take positions women and men hold within but about issues of gender insensitivity ownership of The Good Parliament. a parliament; and the extent to which affecting parliamentary staff. Whilst the This is implied in the IPU’s statement gender considerations are integral to specific concerns of the administrative that GSP status can be ‘irrespective the work of a parliament.340 Further side of the House are not directly of the number of women members’ in questions include: are facilities suited addressed in this Report, the necessity a parliament; it is not the concern of to men and women? Is the culture of acknowledging the interconnections women MPs but of the institution who of a parliament non-sexist, or does it and inter-dependencies between the can and should act. privilege traditional masculine ways political and administrative side of the

Box 5: The Inter Parliamentary Union’s Seven Dimensions of Gender Sensitive Parliaments

IPU Gender Sensitive Parliament: Dimensions

1. Promotes and achieves equality in numbers of women and men across all its bodies and internal structures

2. Develops a gender equality policy framework suited to its own national parliamentary context

3. Mainstreams gender equality throughout all its work (via gender mainstreaming and or via a women’s caucus or gender equality committee, to ensure that parliamentary outputs analyzed from gender perspective)

4. Fosters an internal culture that respects women’s rights, promotes gender equality and responds to the needs and realities of MPs – men and women – to balance work and family responsibilities

5. Acknowledges and builds on the contributions made by its men members who pursue and advocate for gender equality

6. Encourages political parties to take a proactive role in the promotion and achievements of gender equality

7. Equips its parliamentary staff with the capacity and resources to promote gender equality, actively encourages the recruitment and retention of women to senior positions, and ensures that gender equality is mainstreamed throughout the work of the parliamentary administration

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 43 Appendix 3: Box 7: Swedish Speaker’s Working Group for Gender Equality Issues, Parliamentary a History Gender/Equalities bodies Promoting Gender Equality in the Riksdag (undated) Box 6: The Swedish Speaker’s Action programme for the electoral period 2014–2018

Reference Group on Gender Equality The purpose of the current action programme for gender equality, for 2014–2018, is to highlight differences in the preconditions for male and female MPs to perform their History and composition duties, and to carry out initiatives to even out existing differences. Established in 1995. The Speaker, Brigitta Dahl invited seven women Another purpose is to increase knowledge and awareness of the significance MPs, from each of the parties in of gender when it comes to power and influence. By continuously focusing on Parliament questions of gender equality, the action programme is helping to reach the goal of a gender-equal Riksdag. Aims To shed light on the conditions and Meeting the challenges of daily life also depends on working environment and assumptions governing parliamentary working conditions. How Riksdag work is organised as regards voting times, how and political work in a broad meetings are scheduled and how services concerning child-minding, etc. are perspective, and the possibilities of organised are therefore of interest. development for individual members Social media are a significant part of the life of MPs today and this action and for parliament as a whole programme should therefore pay particular attention to how this affects the Organisation preconditions for female and male MPs to perform their duties. There are no formal rules or The action programme for 2014–2018 has begun with a mapping of gender equality procedures regulating the Reference in the Riksdag. This will also be used as a benchmark measurement in the follow-up Group and its activities. Normally it of the action programme at the end of the electoral period. meets once or twice a semester in the Speaker’s office Statistics As background material for future work, existing structures will be highlighted with Activities the help of gender-divided statistics, for example analysis of the duration of speaking Internal studies on gender equality in times, the gender composition of presiding members of committees, and how the the Swedish Parliament Riksdag is represented in various contexts.

Publication of proposals for a gender Studies equality Parliament Breakfast Studies are to be carried out into which policy areas women and men tend to talk meetings on gender equality topics about in Riksdag debates and gender differences in the way of expressing oneself Relations with FEMM Committee in are to be examined by means of a psycholinguistic analysis of Riksdag debates. European Parliament Survey The focus of the action programme is on qualitative aspects of gender equality in the Riksdag. These may concern terms of address, conduct and treatment, not only between colleagues but also in contacts with voters and the media. The way in which the political leadership is affected by gender should also be highlighted.

In cooperation with researchers in Political Science, a survey has been sent out to all active MPs in the Riksdag. The purpose of the survey is to obtain more in-depth knowledge of how the MPs experience different aspects of Riksdag work and whether there are differences between men and women in this respect. Besides containing background questions on age and gender, etc., the survey is to be divided into four different sub-areas:

• Expectations and demands regarding politicians • How is Riksdag work organised? • The working climate • Networks and contacts

Courses and seminars The action programme should also encompass educational initiatives and activities to increase MPs’ knowledge of the significance of gender for power and influence. It should include seminars, for example, on gender aspects and the use of social media.

Reference group of researchers In order to develop proposals for concrete measures which can be included in the action plan, a group of researchers from various disciplines relating to the project will be linked to the project. These will include researchers in both political science and behavioural science.

44 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT Box 8: The National Assembly for Wales’ Women in Democracy Caucus

The National Assembly for Wales, under the Presiding Officer, Dame Rosemary Butler, established a caucus in 2013

It is made up of one representative from each of the Assembly’s four political parties

Objectives: 1. Learn about measures parliaments and parties have put in place to encourage/ ensure female representation at varying political levels

2. Seek to identify whether parliaments with strong female representation create distinct policies and legislation as a result of this positive representation

3. Identify the pastoral needs of women politicians and what the Assembly Commission can learn from this and benchmark accordingly.

The Caucus would also present the opportunity for the representatives from the Assembly’s four political parties to advise of any measures and action their respective parties had undertaken.

Recommendations pertaining to Parliament included: • Seek a progress update from Assembly Party Leaders on the steps that they have taken to ensure an increased representation of women Members for the Fifth Assembly;

• Invite the Remuneration Board to look at the specific pastoral requirements of Assembly Members, particularly those with caring responsibilities;

• Encourage their party groups to adopt a more skill-based approach founded on the general principles of fair recruitment in order to encourage a wider range of women to put themselves forward for elections;

• Urge the Assembly to consider gender specific support and one to one coaching for new and returning female members in the Fifth Assembly.

Source: Women in Public Life, Assembly Women in Democracy Report, 2015 (www.assembly.wales/en/newhome/pages/newsitem.aspx?itemid=1417)

Appendix 4: Media Passes

Table 6: Media Passes by Type and Sex

Pass Type Male Female Total No. % Female

Cat 28Escort status (general access + reporters premises) 8 5 13 38

Cat 28A (gen + reporters premises, gallery and Lobby) 178 55 233 24

Cat 28B (gen+ reporters premises and gallery) 53 33 86 38

Cat 26C (gen+ reporters premises and sound box) 15 16 31 52

Cat 28D Foreign Press (gen+ reporters premises & lobby) 5 1 6 17

Cat 28E (gen+ reporters premises) 35 11 46 24

Source: UK Parliament Pass Office

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 45 Appendix 5: This change was passed without Appendix 6: Sex Quota for Deputy Speakers debate in the House. Maternity and Paternity Leave www.publications.parliament.uk/ 5 E (iii) ‘at least one man and at least pa/cm200910/cmhansrd/ There is no global parliamentary one woman shall be elected across cm100304/debtext/100304-0011. database listing the provisions the four posts of Speaker and Deputy htm#10030456000003 (col 1100). parliaments make for the mother or Speakers ...The constraints will be father Member of Parliament. As part applied at the count, so there is The history and background is in of this project a short questionnaire no obligation on Members to vote the First Report of the Procedure which included a generic question for candidates from both sides Committee 2009-10. about maternity/paternity provision 342 of the House, or for both a man www.publications.parliament. was gathered from ten parliaments. and a woman. The ballot paper uk/pa/cm200910/cmselect/ These included two sub-national UK indicates which side of the House cmproced/341/34102.htm Parliaments (Scotland and Wales), the candidates come from, and their three Westminster-style parliaments gender.’ Gender Weighting (Australia, Canada, and New Zealand); 44. One of the conventions observed and two Western and three Northern ‘Standing Order No. 2A also provides in nominating Deputy Speakers in the European parliaments (Germany and that constraints shall be applied to past has been that the team should Spain, and Denmark, Finland and the count so that of those elected: represent both genders. We believe Sweden respectively). The data (see (i) two candidates shall come from that this convention is a valuable one Table 7) finds that most of the surveyed the opposite side of the House to and we have considered how it might parliaments – six – have formal House that from which the Speaker was be translated into an electoral system leave arrangements, either general drawn, so the first candidate from based primarily on party balance. We leave provisions or more specific the present Opposition side will be have identified two possibilities: first, maternity, paternity and parental leave Chairman of Ways and Means and the that Members voting in the Deputy provisions (Australia; Denmark; Finland; second, Second Deputy Chairman of Speaker elections could be required Germany; New Zealand; and Spain); Ways and Means; (ii) one candidate to include at least one man and at three Parliaments have no formal shall come from the same side of least one woman in their choices, and provisions and rely on informal party the House as that from which the second that the rules could stipulate arrangements (Canada, Scotland, Speaker was drawn and shall be instead that the winning candidates Wales); and a single Parliament – First Deputy Chairman of Ways and include at least one man and at least Sweden – matches their country level Means; and (iii) at least one man and one woman. The former approach is provision. The UK Parliament’s reliance at least one woman shall be elected likely to lead to a higher percentage on informal party arrangements sees across the four posts of Speaker and of spoilt ballot papers and would not them in the same group as Canada, Deputy Speakers. If neither of the guarantee the desired result. The latter Scotland and Wales. Opposition side candidates reaches approach would have the advantage the quota in the first round of voting, of ensuring that the team could not the votes cast for the Government side fail to represent both sexes but it has candidate will be transferred to their the disadvantage that it could mean a next preference to determine which popular candidate of the “wrong” sex Opposition side candidate becomes – or several such candidates – being Chairman of Ways and Means. The passed over in favour of a candidate constraints will be applied at the who polled far fewer votes. On the count, so there is no obligation on whole, we believe that this is a price Members to vote for candidates from worth paying and one which could both sides of the House, or for both a be addressed through the judicious man and a woman. The ballot paper choice of an electoral system. We indicates which side of the House recommend that the rules for the the candidates come from, and their election of the Deputy Speakers gender.’ stipulate that at least one man and at least one woman be elected to the team formed by the Speaker and Deputy Speakers.

46 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT Table 7: Maternity and Paternity Leave Arrangements

Country Maternity Leave

1. Australia A motion to grant leave of absence does not require notice, states the cause and period of leave, and has priority over all other business. A Member who has been granted leave of absence by the House is excused from the Service of the House or any Committee

2. Canada No formal process of either maternity or paternity leave

3. Denmark An MP (male and female) may request up to 12 months paid leave (pregnancy, childbirth, adoption). Formally it is up to whole Parliament to grant leave – it is put on the agenda for plenary sitting; in practice it is always granted. An MP writes to the Speaker via the Legal Services office.

4. Finland According to section 48 of the Parliament’s rules of Procedure a record of absence form a plenary session (illness, maternity, paternity or parental leave) shall be entered into the minutes of the plenary session. MPs receive full remuneration during maternal or paternal leave.

5. Germany Members who are unable to be present on days when the Bundestag is sitting, or to attend recorded votes, notify the President of the Bundestag in writing. The reasons are not examined. … While the law provides for deductions to be made from Members’ monthly expense allowance in the event of their absence… no deductions are made if the absence is due to pregnancy, if it falls during the period of maternity protection, or if it is for the purpose of caring for an ill child under the age of 14.

6. New Zealand There is a provision for members to apply to the Speaker for extended periods of leave, and this can be used for what would effectively be maternity or paternity leave. Members would receive their full salary while on this leave. In New Zealand MPs are not employees, and are therefore not subject to the provisions of the Parental Leave and Employment Protection Act 1987.

7. Scotland There is no access to maternity or paternity leave for members; policies will be set by the individual parties

8. Spain According with the Standing Orders of the Congress of Deputies. Section 82 (modified by the Plenary Sitting on July 21th, 2011) Voting may be: i) By assent to the Speaker’s proposal. ii) Ordinary. iii) Public, by roll call. iv) Secret

2. In the event of pregnancy, maternity, paternity or serious sickness preventing a Member of Parliament from carrying out his or her functions and considered sufficiently justified taking into account the special circumstances, the Bureau may authorise in a motivated document the Member to cast his or her vote through the telematics procedure with identity verification, in plenary sessions, in a voting, that cannot be subject to fragmentation or modification, and which will be foreseeable in respect to the manner and moment when it will take place. For such purpose, the Member will issue the due application by means of a document addressed to the Bureau, which will inform him or her of its decision, specifying, if necessary, the voting and time period he or she will be allowed to cast the vote through this procedure. The vote casted through this procedure will have to be personally verified by means of a system established to this end by the Bureau and held by the Presidency of the Chamber prior to the beginning of the voting.

9. Sweden The same rules for parental leave are applicable to MPs as for the general public. The MP applies for parental leave also from Parliament; the application has to be approved by the Speaker.

(Parental allowance of 480 days, of 390 compensated at 80 percent wageg, and 90 days with minimum wage. 60 of the 390 are the ‘daddy quota’. Father is entitled to parental allowance of 10 days in connection of the birth at 90 percent of wage. Temporal parental allowance for care of sick children is 120 days per child and year (Freidenvall undated, 33)).

10. Wales There is no formal process; arrangements are made between the individual member and their parties. Some members have used ‘pairing’ arrangements via the party whips for one-off appointments.

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 47 The use of substitutes is a feature Box 10: Proxy Voting in the party consisting of up to five members, of two parliaments (Denmark and New Zealand Parliament: or an Independent member, only if at Sweden), although there is some Standing Order 154 least one of the members of that party limited substitution also in Finland. In or that Independent member is— (a) Denmark and Sweden the substitute 154 Proxy voting (1) A member may present within the parliamentary would be the next person on the give authority for a proxy vote to be precincts at the time, or (b) absent party list in the same constituency cast in the member’s name or for an from the House with the permission of abstention to be recorded. (2) A proxy as the Member on leave. Finland, the Speaker granted under Standing must state the name of the member whilst considering the rights of MPs who is giving the authority, the date it Order 38(1). (5) Despite paragraph (2), to be personal and not temporarily is given, and the period or business there is no limit on the number of proxy replaceable, permits alternate for which the authority is valid. It must votes that may be exercised in the members for Committees. Both New be signed by the member giving it period from the declaration of a state Zealand and Australia make use of and indicate the member who is given of national emergency until that state proxy voting (see Boxes 9 and 10). authority to exercise it. (3) A member of national emergency is terminated or who has given a proxy may revoke or expires. amend that proxy at any time before Box 9: Australia Nursing its exercise. Mothers and Proxy Votes343 38 Permission to be absent from the House (1) The Speaker may grant a Members nursing an infant are able General Procedures 51 member of a party consisting of one to give their vote by proxy for any (4) The leader or senior whip of each member, an Independent member, division except that on the third party, or a member acting as the or any other member (following a reading of a bill which proposes an leader or senior whip of the party in the request from a member’s party leader alteration of the Constitution. (This House for the time being, may exercise exemption is in recognition of the fact or whip) permission to be absent from a proxy vote for any member of the that bills proposing an alteration to the House— (a) on account of illness the Constitution must be passed with party, subject to any express direction or other family cause of a personal an absolute majority in both Houses) from a member to the contrary. 155 nature: (b) to enable the member to (Constitution, s128) Government Casting of proxy vote (1) A proxy vote attend to public business (whether Members give their vote to the may be cast or an abstention recorded in New Zealand or overseas). (2) A Chief Government Whip and non- on a party or personal vote only by leader or whip of a party consisting of government Members to the Chief the person who has authority to more than one member may grant any Opposition Whip. (Resolution of the exercise it. In the case of any dispute, House, Votes and Proceedings No. 1, member of that party permission to be 12-13 February 2008, pp. 27-8) the member exercising a proxy must absent from the House. produce the authority to the Speaker. The provisions for proxy voting are (2) In the case of a party vote, proxies provided for by a resolution of the In 2013, the New Zealand Parliament may be exercised for a number equal House agreed on 13 February 2008, adopted a sessional order to the terms of which are appended to no more than 25 percent of a party’s allow an MP to be absence from to the standing orders titled Special membership in the House, rounded the Parliamentary precincts on provisions for nursing mothers. upwards where applicable. (3) A proxy compassionate grounds, but to be may be exercised for a member, in regarded as present for the purposes addition to the number of proxies that of casting party votes. The Standing may be exercised under paragraph Orders Committee subsequently (2), while that member is absent from recommended to the House this be the House with the permission of the incorporated the rules and procedures Speaker granted under Standing Order for members’ attendance in the 38(1). (4) In the case of a party vote, Standing Orders (ANZACATT20167A). proxy votes may be exercised for a

48 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT Appendix 7: (SN01156, 6). With 191 women MPs Descriptive Representation – 29 percent of all MPs – the House of Commons has its highest ever Precise figures for Member diversity number and percentage of women. are not available. This is because It is just under 30 percent female. To data is not systematically collected, reach one third would require another and because identities are sometimes 26 women MPs. At 459, the current contested (class), and are not always number of men sitting in the House apparent, or declared (disability and is nine more than the total numbers sexuality). With such caveats noted,344 of women MPs ever elected to the only one percent of Conservative UK House of Commons, 450. As MPs (3) and seven percent of women constitute more than half the Labour MPs (16) elected at the 2015 UK population, there are some 130 general election came from manual women MPs ‘missing’ from the House. occupations.345 This is despite manual Twenty of the BME MPs are women: workers making up respectively 12 3 percent. This is double the number and 25 percent of the total, and the in the 2010 parliament. Sixty percent working, population. It is frequently (14 of 23) of non-white Labour MPs cited that only a ‘handful’ of MPs are women compared to 29 percent (5 identify as having a disability, when out of 17 Conservative MPs (SN01156, there are over 10 million disabled 7)). Thirty-two LGBTQ MPs – 5 percent people in the UK.346 The number of of all MPs – were elected in 2015, BME MPs would need to more than an increase of 6 from the previous double, from 41 to 83, to reflect their Parliament. Given that estimated percentage in the UK population. LGBTQ populations vary between Thirteen percent of UK resident 1.5 and 10 percent, the Commons population is non-white. (SN01156, 4); may be under-represented by LGBTQ 56 percent of all BME MPs are Labour Members.347 Members and 41 percent Conservative

Table 8: Women MPs Elected to the House of Commons, 1983-2015, by Party

Labour Conservative Liberal Other Total Democrat

1983 10 (5%) 13 (3 %) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 23 (4%)

1987 21 (9 %) 17 (5%) 1 (5%) 2 (9%) 41 (6%)

1992 37 (14%) 20 (6%) 2 (10%) 3 (13%) 60 (9%)

1997 101 (24%) 13 (8%) 3 (7%) 3 (10%) 120 (18%)

2001 95 (23%) 14 (8%) 6 (11%) 4 (13%) 118 (18%)

2005 98 (28%) 17 (9%) 10 (16%) 3 (10%) 128 (20%)

2010 81 (32%) 49 (16%) 7 (12 %) 7 (22%) 143 (22%)

2015 99 (43%) 68 (21%) 0 (0%) 24 (30%) 191 (29%)

Table 9: BME MPs elected to the House of Commons 1987-2015, by Party

Labour Conservative Liberal Other Total Democrat

1987 4 (1.7%) 0 0 0 4 (6.2%)

1992 5 (1.8%) 1 (0.3%) 0 0 6 (5.5%)

1997 9 (2.2%) 0 0 0 9 (1.4%)

2001 12 (2.9%) 0 0 0 12 (5.6%)

2005 13 (3.6%) 2 (1%) 0 0 15 (2.3%)

2010 16 (6.2%) 11 (3.4) 0 0 27 (4.2%)

2015 23 (10%) 17(5%) 0 1 (2%) 41 (6.3%)

Source: House of Commons, SN001156

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 49 Appendix 8: Section 106 of the Equality Act 2010

www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/106/prospective

Information about diversity in range of candidates, etc.

(1) This section applies to an association which is a registered political party.

(2) If the party had candidates at a relevant election, the party must, in accordance with regulations, publish information relating to protected characteristics of persons who come within a description prescribed in the regulations in accordance with subsection (3). [emphasis added]

(3) One or more of the following descriptions may be prescribed for the purposes of subsection (2)— (a) successful applicants for nomination as a candidate at the relevant election; (b) unsuccessful applicants for nomination as a candidate at that election; (c) candidates elected at that election; (d) candidates who are not elected at that election.

(4) The duty imposed by subsection (2) applies only in so far as it is possible to publish information in a manner that ensures that no person to whom the information relates can be identified from that information.

(5)The following elections are relevant elections— (a) Parliamentary Elections; (b) elections to the European Parliament; (c) elections to the Scottish Parliament; (d) elections to the National Assembly for Wales.

(6) This section does not apply to the following protected characteristics— (a) marriage and civil partnership; (b) pregnancy and maternity.

(7) The regulations may provide that the information to be published— (a) must (subject to subsection (6)) relate to all protected characteristics or only to such as are prescribed; (b) must include a statement, in respect of each protected characteristic to which the information relates, of the proportion that the number of persons who provided the information to the party bears to the number of persons who were asked to provide it.

(8) Regulations under this section may prescribe— [emphasis added] (a) descriptions of information; (b) descriptions of political party to which the duty is to apply; (c) the time at which information is to be published; (d) the form and manner in which information is to be published; (e) the period for which information is to be published.

(9) Provision by virtue of subsection (8)(b) may, in particular, provide that the duty imposed by subsection (2) does not apply to a party which had candidates in fewer constituencies in the election concerned than a prescribed number. [emphasis added]

(10) Regulations under this section— (a) may provide that the duty imposed by subsection (2) applies only to such relevant elections as are prescribed; (b) may provide that a by-election or other election to fill a vacancy is not to be treated as a relevant election or is to be so treated only to a prescribed extent; (c) may amend this section so as to provide for the duty imposed by subsection (2) to apply in the case of additional descriptions of election.

(11) Nothing in this section authorises a political party to require a person to provide information to it.

50 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT Appendix 9: Rule 11.2 Decision Time Report of the Consultative Steering Division Time Group on the Scottish Parliament 1. Except as provided in Rule 11.3, the ‘Shaping Scotland’s Parliament’ Table 10: Average Number Presiding Officer shall put any question www.scottish.parliament.uk/ of Divisions per Day in relation to a motion or amendment PublicInformationdocuments/ June 2015-January 13 2016 during Decision Time on the day on Report_of_the_Consultative_ which the motion or amendment is Steering_Group.pdf Days Number of Divisions moved. Monday 51 18. We recommend that where Tuesday 63 2. Decision Time is the period which possible voting in the Parliament normally begins at 17:00 where a should take place at a regular Wednesday 31 meeting of the Parliament is held appointed time, for example towards Thursday 12 on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday the end of the day on the day’s Friday 7 or Thursday and at 12:00 where a business, say from 5pm onwards for meeting of the Parliament is held on Plenary sessions or at the end of a Grand Total 164 Friday and which ends when every Committee session. Source: DIS decision which is to be taken during Decision Time has been taken. 19. It is important to schedule votes Table 11: Average Time of Divisions for the same day as the associated June 2015-January 13 2016 3. Normally, Decision Time shall end discussion to ensure that debates not later than 30 minutes after it begins are fresh in Members’ minds. The Days Average Time of Division but, in accordance with Rule 2.2.6(a), it scheduling of votes at a set time each Monday 08:30 pm may continue in order to complete any day, as proposed above, would ensure voting which is not adjourned to a later the most effective use of Parliamentary Tuesday 05:46 pm meeting under paragraph 5. and MSPs’ time. Such an arrangement Wednesday 06:04 pm would also allow Parliamentary and Thursday 04:27 pm 4. The Parliament may, on a motion of Members’ staff to plan other business the Parliamentary Bureau, decide that around this time. Friday 11:24 am Decision Time on a particular day or Source: DIS days shall begin at a time other than that mentioned in paragraph 2. The Scottish Decision Time www.scottish.parliament.uk/ Rule 11.3 Decisions at times parliamentarybusiness/26509.aspx other than Decision Time

Voting takes place at Decision Time 2. If an amendment to a Bill is which is normally at 5pm. In practice, moved, the Presiding Officer shall this means that the vote is not taken put the question on that amendment on a motion immediately following immediately after any debate on that the debate but at Decision Time amendment or, if the amendment has on the same day. There are some already been debated, immediately exceptions to this. For example, after the amendment is moved. votes on amendments to Bills will be taken immediately after the debate on 3. Decisions may, at the discretion of the amendments. These exceptions the Presiding Officer, be taken at a are set out in Rule 11.3. If there is time other than Decision Time or the a division then the vote takes place times mentioned in paragraphs 1 and electronically and only takes a few 2. Members shall be notified of any minutes. The advantage for Members such time. is that they know when they need to be in the Chamber each day and can plan their diaries accordingly.

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 51 Appendix 10: The Evolution of sitting hours in the Chamber since 1979348

Table 12: The Evolution of sitting hours in the Chamber 1979-1997

Sitting hours at the beginning of the 1979 Parliament Experimental introduction of Wednesday morning sittings (1994-95 Session)349

Monday 2.30pm – 10.00pm 2.30pm – 10.00pm

Tuesday 2.30pm – 10.00pm 2.30pm – 10.00pm

Wednesday 2.30pm – 10.00pm 10.00am – 10.00pm

Thursday 2.30pm – 10.00pm 11.30am – 7.00pm

Friday 9.30am – 2.30pm 9.30am – 2.30pm

Permanent introduction of Wednesday morning sittings (1995-96 Session)350

Monday 2.30pm – 10.00pm

Tuesday 2.30pm – 10.00pm

Wednesday 9.30 am – 2.00pm; 2.30pm – 10.00pm

Thursday 11.30am – 7.00pm

Friday 9.30am – 2.30pm

Table 13: The Evolution of sitting hours in the Chamber since 1997

Sitting hours at the beginning of the 1997 Parliament Thursday sitting experiment 1999-2002351

Monday 2.30pm – 10.00pm 2.30pm – 10.00pm

Tuesday 2.30pm – 10.00pm 2.30pm – 10.00pm

Wednesday 9.30 am – 2.00pm; 2.30pm – 10.00pm 9.30am – 2.00pm (until Nov 99); 2.30pm – 10.00pm

Thursday 2.30pm – 10.00pm 11.30am – 7.00pm

Friday 9.30am – 2.30pm 9.30am – 2.30pm

Experimental sitting hours from 2003-2005352 Proposed permanent arrangements (January 2005)

Monday 2.30pm – 10.00pm 2.30pm – 10.00pm

Tuesday 11.30am – 7.00pm* 11.30am – 7.00pm*

Wednesday 11.30am – 7.00pm* 11.30am – 7.00pm*

Thursday 11.30am – 6.00pm 10.30am – 6.00pm

Friday 9.30am – 2.30pm 9.30am – 2.30pm

Sitting hours from the beginning of 2005 Parliament353 Sitting hours at the beginning of the 2010 Parliament

Monday 2.30pm – 10.00pm 2.30pm – 10.00pm

Tuesday 2.30pm – 10.00pm 2.30pm – 10.00pm

Wednesday 11.30am – 7.00pm* 11.30am – 7.00pm*

Thursday 10.30am – 6.00pm 10.30am – 6.00pm

Friday 9.30am – 2.30pm 9.30am – 2.30pm

Sitting hours from 15 October 2012354

Monday 2.30pm – 10.00pm

Tuesday 11.30am – 7.00pm*

Wednesday 11.30am – 7.00pm*

Thursday 9.30am – 5.00pm

Friday 9.30am – 2.30pm

* If a Tuesday or Wednesday was the first day of sitting after a recess, Monday hours would apply

52 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT Appendix 11: ...The Commission fully Digital Democracy Commission endorses the draft political and Constitutional Reform Committee This Report overlaps in its foci and Recommendation that ‘the aims in some respects with that of government and the Electoral the 2015 Report of the Speaker’s Commission should examine the Commission on Digital Democracy. changes which can be made to The following Recommendations made provide more and better information in the ‘Open Up’ report are accordingly to voters, and should actively endorsed in this Report: support the work of outside • Increasing public awareness of organisations working to similar the role of Parliament and MP, goals (recommendation 25) and increasing public participation • Seize the opportunity that R&R in the work of Parliament. work provides to improve facilities (recommendation 1) to assist MPs in their work for • Simplifying and clarifying the public and ensure the fabric parliamentary language, including of Parliament is fit for the future procedural terms; developing digital (recommendation 28) tools; clarifying and simplifying • Pilot an electronic version of the online and printed communications; practice of ‘nodding through’ MPs the wider use of aids for people with who are physically unable to go disabilities. (recommendation 4) through the division lobbies, which • Pilot a new procedure for amending would enable MPs who are unwell, bills so that amendments ca be or have childcare responsibilities, or written, debated and voted in plain a disability, to vote away from the English (recommendation 5) Chamber. (recommendation 30)

• Engage with specific groups • Erskine May...should be freely who are not currently engaged available online by the time in the democratic process the next edition is produced. (recommendation 12) (recommendation 32)

• The House urgently reviews measures to support MPs subject to cyber harassment ...improving cyber-security(recommendation 15)

• Experiment with using digital to involve people more in committee work (recommendation 16)

• Experiment with new ways of enabling the public to put forward questions to Ministers. (recommendation 19)

• ...information on the social characteristics of candidates and those elected is currently gathered in an ad hoc manner by different sources. The House of Commons Library could gather all of this data and produce a regular report on the background of MPs and Candidates. This would create an officially recognised data source and improve the real-time data available for anyone to analyse.

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 53 Acknowledgements

The MPs Panel intentionally had a membership of male and The Clerk of the House, David Natzler, supported my female MPs from across the parties. My thanks go to Tom presence in the Commons throughout, and offered acute Brake MP, Angela Crawley MP, Ben Howlett MP, Caroline insights on drafts of the Report’s recommendations. He Lucas MP, Fiona Mactaggart MP, Maria Miller MP, Caroline also facilitated a survey of Parliaments in a number of Spelman MP, and Dr Eilidh Whiteford MP. Dr Dan Poulter parliamentary and European countries, some of the findings MP was a later addition. These MPs gave up of their time, to of which are presented in this Report. Always prepared to attend meetings, comment on draft reforms, and to provide see me, David frequently and rightly pushed me to explain, political and personal support throughout the project. I trust justify, and be more precise in my recommendations – the they realise how important it was, knowing that I could draw Report is very much better for this. Liam Laurence Smyth on their experiences and expertise. It was also a very good provided me with assured interpretations of the workings of experience of working with representatives from different the House and thoughtful consideration of, and suggestions parties. on, individual reforms. He was also a welcome lunchtime companion on more than one occasion. Simon Patrick very patiently took me through Standing Orders, and I also spoke with other Members, again male and female, willingly answered all the queries in purple ink that I had as part of this project; they shall remain anonymous but scribbled all over them. To Paul Evans, I am grateful for I thank them generously. I hope that they feel that their the driest of senses of humour, and a political astuteness views are fairly represented in this Report, even if they do that ensured that I was able to better negotiate the not necessarily agree with all of the recommendations politics of parliamentary reform, and to do so in a convivial that I make. A couple of MPs were particularly helpful and atmosphere. The ‘budding’ of my political antennae is supportive – above and beyond what I could ever have very much down to him. I’m not sure we share the same expected. I trust that they know who they are. I also had the choice of pubs, mind you. I must especially thank Andrew opportunity to meet with the Women’s Parliamentary Labour Kennon. Andrew had already been an excellent ‘link’ for the Party and the Conservative Party’s Women’s Forum. Parliamentary Studies Programme at the University of Bristol when I approached him with this project. My initial thoughts about ‘inviting myself into Parliament’ might never have Two former MPs, Mary Macleod and Jo Swinson, unselfishly come to fruition without his support. I suspect that he found gave up their time to assist me. Both have significant himself having to defend my presence to Members within records in respect of seeking and effecting a re-gendering the House. I am most appreciative of his willingness to stand of the UK Parliament. Their experiences in developing and by me, especially when I was not always cognisant of the implementing reforms were invaluable; their role in this peculiarities and particularities of the House. project demands formal recognition.

These senior clerks together played a significant role in this The Advisory Group included: Myfanwy Barrett, John project. They provided me with professional and personal Benger, Chloe Challender, Sarah Davies, Anne Foster, Gosia support that did not diminish as the months wore on; giving McBride, and Hannah White (Institute for Government and up a lot more of their time and attention than I could ever ex of the House). These parliamentary officials – most of have expected. This Report is unquestionably better for whom I did not know before arriving in Parliament – again their knowledge, experience, and intellectual challenges. offered immeasurable political insight and expertise that I am able to confirm that UK parliamentary politics is, at I simply never could have gained in the time I spent in least as currently practiced, not for the thin-skinned, and Parliament. Thank you for being so selfless in your support. so their personal support must also be acknowledged. I note – before someone else points it out – that these are all men, one indicator of the gendered hierarchies of the House I also had a circle of what I like to call my Critical Friends: to-date. Clerks, ex-officials, and external experts on Parliament.

54 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT Others to whom special thanks must go: Kate Emms your The advice proffered was very much in the clerkly tradition: reading of House politics and sunny disposition were so very folks would identify a solution even when they themselves welcome; and I always appreciate a woman with a good might not be in favour of that particular, or any other sense of cardigans! Melanie Unwin must be thanked for recommendation I might be, on that day, musing over. suggesting the painting that adorns the cover of this Report, They saw it as their job to provide the technical support or for helping me understand the ’10 year dead rule’, and for political insight that few who have not inhabited the House taking me on her Parliamentary ‘toilets tour’. Melanie has for an extensive period of time would be in a position to just overseen the unveiling of ‘New Dawn’ the art installation know. Whilst this observation reveals something of what is celebrating women’s suffrage. I encourage you to come exclusionary about Westminster; that its ways of working and see it. It is simply stunning. Melanie has done so much and being are highly complex, contingent, and frequently for the showing of diverse artwork in the House; she also conventional rather than rule-based. I would also suggest offered me excellent advice and parliamentary friendship. that the disposition of Parliament’s administrative staff reveal Mari Takayanagi similarly provided friendship alongside the very highest standard of service. a feminist history of the House, and she took me on a Parliamentary tour, including to the ‘Original Act Room’ that inspired ‘New Dawn’. The BG IPU and IPU Geneva, and especially Emily Davies, Kareen Jabre, and Rick Nimmo must be thanked for hosting and contributing to the international Conference on Gender There are three Members of House staff that I wish to thank Sensitive Parliaments held at Westminster in November 2015. in particular: first, Iana Messetchkova who worked with Emily acted with particular good grace as a stand-in chair me in the autumn of 2015 – she was a brilliant research in the face of my loss of voice on the day itself. Mr Speaker assistant. Iana was someone whom I wanted to talk things opened the event, and I thank him for that. Thanks also, to through with, and who could be relied upon to have good Elizabeth Evans (University of Bristol) for acting as Rapporteur; ideas, great research and administration skills, and was and to Mr David Natzler (Clerk of the House) and Lucy Wake always enthusiastic. Secondly, I am grateful to Matt Korris (Amnesty) for acting as discussants; and finally to Professors – an old friend from his Hansard Society days – for his very Lenita Freidenvall and Johanna Kantola (Stockholm University generous assistance with this Report. Finally, I must single and the University of Helsinki, respectively) and to Ola out Chloe Challender. Chloe accompanied me on this Johannson MP (Sweden) and Johanna Sumuvuori (ex-MP, journey from the very start: ‘Feminists in Residence’ indeed. Finland) for their academic and practitioner input. Together the two of us would like to thank the John Simon Hair Salon for the most fantastic of blow dries. I also participated in a number of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) events whilst embedded in Many other individuals – male and female – offered me the Commons, including the first ever Women’s Forum at the considerable and considered advice and support. PCH’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) Despatch box very much became my home. Some of these in Malta. My thanks go to Roberta Blackman-Woods MP, are not named for reasons of anonymity, although some Fiona Mactaggart MP, Valerie Vaz MP, Baroness Berridge, were publicly associated with the project or were known to and Helen Haywood (CPA) for making this such an enjoyable ‘know me’ and so they can safely be identified. I would like trip. This trip also confirmed that the British national costume to thank: Maxine Albert, Mathew Barrow, David Beamish, for women is the ‘little black dress’, albeit with a little bit of Megan Conway, Rachael Cox, Richard Cracknell, Ana sparkle. Dickson, Helen Emes, Oonagh Gay (former official), George Guven, Helen Haywood, Tom Healey, Philippa Helme, Mark Hutton, Rhiannon Hollis, Georgina Holmes-Skelton, Women from feminist and parliamentary and political Aneela McKenna (and her team in the Scottish Parliament), civil society groups also generously gave up their time Adam Mellows-Facer, Nicole Mason, Ann Moghaddami, to assist me: Ruth Fox (Hansard), Katie Ghose (Electoral Jessica Mulley, Colin Lee, Holly Pembridge (and her team Reform Society), Alexandra Runwick (Unlock Democracy), in the National Assembly for Wales) Crispin Poyser, Jenny Frances Scott (50/50), Nan Sloane (Centre for Women Radcliffe, Rob Truelove, Phillipa Tudor, Richard Ware, Aileen and Democracy), Sam Smethers, Polly Trenow, and Walker, and Penny Young. I would also like to thank those Jemima Olchawski (Fawcett Society), and Kate Willoughby Clerks and officials from the Parliaments that completed my (Emily Matters). Lucy Wake was my non-resident feminist questionnaire on Parliamentary infrastructure and culture. throughout the project, and she requires particular I wish also to thank representatives from the WENs for recognition for making me appreciate that value of ‘post it meeting with me. notes’ and a large piece of white paper.

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 55 Additional colleagues from the wider world of political Finally, I want to acknowledge the ongoing support of my think tanks, organisations and the media included: Tasbiah family and friends; they saw too little of me this year, and Akhtar, Briony Carew (IPSA), Iain Dale, Zeina Hilal (IPU), when they did I was often exhausted. But I knew that they Kareen Jabre (IPU), Megan Lee (Law Commission), Chris would forgive and feed me. As ever, thank you. Terry (Electoral Reform Society), Phil Thompson (Electoral Commission), and Joe Twyman (YouGov). I am, of course, solely responsible for The Good Parliament. Academic friends were as reliably supportive of my work as This Report was never about constructing a fantasy ever, personally and substantively. Too many had to put up Parliament but of offering a set of very practical interventions with me being rather preoccupied with Parliament for the that the House could – and should – adopt. It is now for best part of a year, but they were happy to talk over what politicians and the House to act on this ‘menu of reforms’. needed to be done, and how it might be achieved. Sarah Childs

For discussing Parliamentary reform, confirming individual reforms, reading parts or all of the Report, and for providing the research upon which it is based, I would like to thank: Peter Allen, Jeanette Ashe, Stephen Bates, Rosie Campbell, Elizabeth Evans, Lenita Freidenvall, Marc Geddes, Sonia Palmieri, Melanie Hughes, Kate Jenkins, Ron Johnston, Johanna Kantola, Meryl Kenny, Joni Lovenduski, Heather Savigny, Jessica Smith, Jo Silvester, Jane Tinkler, and Georgina Waylen.

My colleagues at the University of Bristol deserve thanks too. First, to SPAIS (the School of Sociology Politics and International Studies) for permitting me a semester away from teaching. It is important to publicly acknowledge the seriousness with which my School takes gender research. The ESRC and the University of Bristol provided the funds for the project. Secondly, to my students on the UK Parliament Studies unit (Poli 31336) who gave me their thoughts on Table 1, and who make teaching about Parliament so enjoyable. Thirdly, to Nikki Hicks, whose patience and support as I negotiated the design stages was most appreciated. Most of all to Andrew Wray, who saw the potential of this project from the very start, and took great interest in what I was up to in Parliament; he shares an intrigue for the politics of the place. At all times it was most reassuring to know that I had such strong institutional support.

56 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT Bibliography

Bryant, C. (2014) Parliament, The Biography Crewe, E. (2015a) The House of Commons Volume 2: Reform (London: Transworld (London: Bloomsbury). Publishers). Crewe, E. (2015b) Commons and Lords Chappell, L. (2015) The Politics of Gender (London: Haus Publishing). Justice at the International Criminal Court (Oxford: OUP). Criddle, B. (2015) ‘Variable Diversity: MPs and Candidates’ in P. Cowley and D. Kavanagh (ed) Campbell, R. and Childs, S. (2014) ‘Parents in The British General Election of 2015 (London: Parliament, Where’s Mum?’, Political Quarterly, Palgrave). 85, 4. Flynn, P. (2012) How To Be An MP (London: Casey, L. S. and Reynolds, A. (2015) ‘Standing Biteback). Out: Transgender and Gender Variant Candidates and Elected Officials Around the World’, Fox, R. (2012) ‘Too Important to access via www.newstatesman.com/politics/ Leave to the Parties’, Political Quarterly, 83, 4. elections/2015/11/invisibility-transgender- people-electoral-politics-around-world Freidenvall, L. (undated) ‘Gender Sensitive Parliaments: The Case of Sweden’, available Campbell, R. And Childs, S. (2015) ‘All aboard from the author. the Pink Battle Bus’, Parliamentary Affairs, 68 supplement 1, with Campbell. Also published in Freidenvall, L. (2013). ‘A Gender Equal A. Geddes and J. Tonge (eds.) Britain Votes 2015 Workplace’, Paper presented to the ‘Women As (Basingstoke: Palgrave). Legislators’ Workshop, Onati, Spain 18-19 April.

Childs, S. (2015) ‘The Unfinished Business of Galligan. Y. and Meier, P. (2014) Women Quotas in the UK’, EUI Working Paper, 2015. in Power and Decision-Making EIGE/2014/ blogs.eui.eu/genderquotas/ OPER/13.

Childs, S. (2013a) ‘In the Absence of Electoral Hansard Society (2005) Women at the Top Sex Quotas: Regulating Political Parties for (London: Hansard Society). Women’s Representation’, Representation 49, 4. Holli, A.M. and Saari (2009) ‘The Representation Childs, S. (2013b) ‘Intra Party Democracy: a of Women in the Parliamentary Standing Gendered Critique and a Feminist Agenda’, Committee Hearings in Finland, paper presented in Katz, R. and Cross, W. (ed) Intra Party to the 21st World Conference of Political Science, Democracy, (New York: Oxford University Press). Santiago.

Childs, S. (2013c) ‘Negotiating Gendered House of Commons Service, Members and Institutions: Women’s Parliamentary Friendships’, Members’ staff Interview Project Team (2015) Politics and Gender, 9. Report for the House of Commons Administration Committee on the findings of the interview Childs, S. (2008) Gender and British Party study with Members on women’s experience Politics (London: Routledge). in Parliament. Available from www.parliament. uk/documents/commons-committees/admin- Childs, S. (2004) New Labour’s Women MPs committee/Memoranda.pdf (London: Routledge). IPSA (Independent Parliamentary Standards Childs, S. And Evans, E. (2012) ‘Taking it out Authority) (2015) Review of the MPs’ Scheme of the Hands of the Party, Women’s Descriptive of Business Costs and Expenses and IPSA’s Representation in the UK’, Political Quarterly, publication Policy, A Consultation. Available from 83, 4. parliamentarystandards.org.uk/Pages/default. aspx Childs, S. and Lovenduski, J. (2014) ‘Representation’, in G. Waylen, K.Celis, J. IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union) (2011) Gender- Kantola, and S.L. Weldon (ed.) The Oxford Sensitive Parliaments: Handbook of Gender and Politics (Oxford: OUP). A Global Review (Geneva: IPU).

Childs, S. And Webb, P. (2012) Sex, Gender IPU (Inter-Parilamentary Union) (2012) A and the Conservative Party: From Iron Lady to Plan of Action for Gender-Sensitive Parliaments Kitten Heels (Basingstoke: Palgrave). (Geneva: IPU).

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 57 Ilie, C. (2013) ‘Gendering Confrontational Silvester J. (2008) ‘A review of existing systems Rhetoric, Democratization, May. for approving prospective Parliamentary candidates’, Commissioned report for the English Jones, O. (2011) Chavs, The Demonization of Candidates Committee, Liberal Democrat Party. the Working Class (London: Verso). Silvester J. (2012) ‘Recruiting politicians: Kelso, A. (2009) Parliamentary Reform at Introducing competency-based approval Westminster (Manchester: MUP). processes for prospective Parliamentary candidates’, in A. Weinberg (Ed.) Political Kittilson, M. (2006) Challenging Parties, Leadership (Cambridge: Cambridge University Changing Parliaments (Ohio: Ohio State Univ. Press). Press). Sobolewska, M., & Fieldhouse, E. Krook, M.L. (2009) Quotas for Women in Politics (2013) ‘Symposium on minority representation (New York: OUP). -Introduction: Are British ethnic minorities politically under-represented?’, Parliamentary Krook, M. L. and Mackay, F. (2011) Gender, Affairs, 66, 2. Politics and Institutions (Basingstoke: Palgrave). Tinkler, J. And Mehta, N. (2016) Report to the Lucas, C. (2015) Honourable Friends? (London: House of Commons Administration Committee Portobello). on the findings of the interview study with Members on leaving Parliament (Department Lombardo. E. and Meier, P. (2014) The of Information Services). www.parliament.uk/ Symbolic Representation of Gender (Ashgate: documents/commons-committees/admin- Aldershot). committee/Interview-study-Members-leaving- Parliament-report%20-%20April%202016.pdf Lovenduski, J. (2005) Feminizing Politics Speaker’s Conference on Parliamentary (Cambridge: Polity). Representation: Final Report: Session 2009-10: HC 239-1 (London: TSO).

Norton, P. (2000) ‘Reforming Parliament in the UK’, Journal of Legislative Studies, 6. Weinberg, A. (2014) ‘Should the Job of National Politician carry a Government Health Warning?’

Pitkin, H. (1967) The Concept of Representation in A. Weinberg (ed.) The Psychology of Politicians (Berkeley, University of California Press). (Cambridge: CUP).

Rogers, R. (2012a) Who Goes Home (London: Weinberg, A. (2015) ‘A Longitudinal Study of the the Robson Press). Impact of Changes in the Job and the Expenses Scandal on UK National Politicians, Experiences of Work, Stress and the Home –Work Interface’, Rogers, R. (2012b) Order!Order!.(London: the Parliamentary Affairs 68, 2. Robson Press).

WIP APPG (Women in Parliament) (2014) Rogers, R. And Walters, R. (2015) How Improving Parliament Parliament Works 7th Edition (London: www.appgimprovingparliamentreport.co.uk Routledge)

Russell, M. (2011) ‘Never let a Crisis Go to Waste’, Parliamentary Affairs, 64, 4.

Paxton, P. and Hughes, M. (2016) Women, Politics and Power: A Global Perspective, 3rd Edition (Thousand Oaks, California: Sage).

Norris, P. and Lovenduski, J. (1995) Political Recruitment (Cambridge: CUP).

Phillips, A. (1995) The Politics of Presence (Oxford: OUP).

Silvester J., Dykes, C. (2007) ‘Selecting political candidates’, Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 80.

58 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT Endnotes

1 www.ipu.org/PDF/publications/ 13 A representative Parliament is not limited 27 Childs and Lovenduski 2014. democracy_en.pdf to addressing women’s representation and most, if not all of us, have more than one 28 See appendix 7. 2 Jane Mansbridge, PSA Women and Politics (politically salient) identity. An MP might be Conference, University of Edinburgh, June 2016. a working-class, female; a disabled, gay 29 See Appendix 1 for the project research www.psa.ac.uk/events/psa-women-and- man; or an elite BME man, for example. See design. The methodology behind this table is politics-summit parliamentarycandidates.org/; Sobolweska outlined in this Appendix. and Fieldhouse (2013) on ethnicity; Casey and 3 www.ipu.org/pdf/publications/action- Reynolds (2015) on trans representation; Childs 30 See also WIP APPG Report (2014). gender-e.pdf (2015) on sex and class. 31 See Appendix 5. 4 These recommendations presume that the 14 Norris and Lovenduski 1995; Childs 2008; Parliament will last the full five years. Paxton and Hughes 2016. 32 Some might suggest ‘amber’ is warranted due to improvements in recent years regarding 5 www.gov.uk/access-to-elected-office- 15 Childs and Lovenduski 2014. sex and BME representation: I disagree on fund/overview the grounds of: (i) the asymmetry in women’s 16 Childs and Lovenduski 2014. representation by party; and (ii) the lack of 6 www.theguardian.com/society/2015/ representation amongst w/c, disabled and BME oct/30/tory-mps-filibuster-blocks-bill-to- 17 Such claims are also made in business: groups. give-carers-free-hospital-parking; www. www.ft.com/cms/s/4f4b3c8e-d521-11e3-9187- independent.co.uk/voices/comment/prime- 00144feabdc0.html 33 Despite two of the three Deputy Speakers ministers-questions-the-old-politics-is-back- and the Opposition Chief Whip being female, and-cameron-is-in-trouble-a6712046.html; 18 Childs and Lovenduski 2014. there is a clear under-representation of women www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/ on other House committees, not least the House nov/13/parliament-women-mps-sexist- 19 www.theguardian.com/politics/2005/ of Commons’ Commission, the Administration mothers-westminster. dec/12/conservatives.davidcameron. See also Committee and the Procedure Committee. This www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/david- was also true of the recent Joint Committee on 7 www.hansardsociety.org.uk/research/ cameron/9876685/David-Cameron-I-did-not- the Palace of Westminster. public-attitudes/audit-of-political-engagement/. appoint-enough-women-to-Cabinet.html; www. This Report does not seek to speak to the harrietharman.org/associate_parliamentary_ 34 The amber is warranted here by the sex totality of possible UK parliamentary reform. group_for_sex_equality quota for the Speakers and the removal of the See for example: www.hansardsociety.org.uk/ term ‘Chairman’ from most SOs. research/; www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/ 20 www.publications.parliament.uk/ research/parliament; pa/cm201516/cmhansrd/cm151110/ 35 The establishment of the WEC fulfils a key halltext/151110h0001.htm IPU criterion. 8 www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/ building/restoration-project/; www.bbc.co.uk/ 21 IPU 2012, 2011. 36 It was not possible to fully assess the news/uk-politics-33184160. culture beyond the Chamber e.g. in Select 22 IPU 2012, 40. Committees or Public Bill Committees, or in the 9 www.ipu.org/PDF/publications/ private MP spaces of the House of Commons, democracy_en.pdf. The term ‘The Good 23 These are informed by the IPU’s seven although a general account of these informed Parliament’ is mine and not the IPU’s. Chris dimensions of a gender sensitive parliament, the Report. The wider atmosphere of the House Bryant MP (2014) notes that the Parliament of see Appendix 2. is in some respects addressed in regard to the 1376 was known as the ‘Good Parliament’. provision of inclusionary spaces in a restored 24 Recommendations in this Report are limited and renewed House of Commons – see the 10 www.publications.parliament.uk/ to what the House of Commons might do to. recommendations for the Procedure Committee pa/cm201516/cmhansrd/cm151110/ See Childs (2013c), Childs and Evans (2012), and the R&R body. halltext/151110h0001.htm and the Speaker’s Conference (2010) for more comprehensive discussion of party reform and 37 www.parliament.uk/about/working/work- 11 The use of the term sex/gender recognises regulation. placements-and-apprenticeships/speakers- debates about essentialist and socially parliamentary-placement-scheme/ constructed gender identities and acknowledges 25 Chair of the Women and Equalities that some individuals do not identify with binary Committee, www.publications.parliament. 38 Speaker’s Conference Recommendation 56. gender or sex identities. One might, accordingly, uk/pa/cm201516/cmhansrd/cm151110/ and as representatives of Parliaout suggested, halltext/151110h0001.htm 39 Speaker’s Conference Recommendation advocate that the members of a group should 63. The Mental Health Discrimination Act 2013 not identify as the same sex/gender. 26 Shadow Deputy Leader of the House, came into force at the end of April 2013. www.newstatesman.com/politics/ 12 Childs and Lovenduski 2014. feminism/2015/10/we-need-do-much-more- 40 Speaker’s Conference Recommendations make-houses-parliament-21st-century- 33 & 61This was launched as the Access to employer Elected Office fund by the Coalition Government, although it has now closed.

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 59 41 Speaker’s Conference Recommendation 51. 56 This repeats the aspiration of the WIP 68 The nursery is open from 8am to 6pm. APPG Recommendation ‘Create a zero tolerance www.leyf.org.uk/find-a-nursery/westminster/ 42 Speaker’s Conference Recommendation response to unprofessional behaviour in the house-of-commons-nursery/. 52. The Scheme makes provision for additional Chamber to ensure the standard of behaviour payments to Members with dependants (see in the Chamber is what is accepted in other 69 The WIP APPG report (2014, 23) notes paras 4.22ff). work environments. If behaviour fails to improve, how concerns about intense media scrutiny additional ‘rules and sanctions’ may need to may reduce supply of women as parliamentary 43 See Appendix 9. be created.’ The Speaker’s Office might, for candidates. See also www.newstatesman. example, publish greater detail than currently com/media/2014/04/it-s-2014-yet-media-and- 44 In respect of the House administration, presented in the Sessional returns, including politics-still-man-s-game. the House of Commons Commission has names and reasons. already made a clear commitment to equality 70 O’Neill and Savigny 2013, cited in APPG and diversity, with new bodies and procedures. 57 IPU 2011, 68-9. Report 2014. See also Childs 2008, chapter www.parliament.uk/about/working/workplace- 6 and Crewe 2015b, 29-30. Both Crewe equality-networks/ 58 Erskine May, 24th edition, 444. 2015a and Childs 2008 are clear that ‘sexist’ reporting is not the preserve of male journalists. 45 www.publications.parliament. 59 In 2014 the House adopted a Respect For analysis of the 2015 general election uk/pa/spconf/239/239i.pdf; Policy (www.parliament.uk/documents/ campaign, see blog.politics.ox.ac.uk/politics- appgimprovingparliamentreport.co.uk/ commons-commission/Respect-Policy.pdf) as-usual-women-media-and-the-uk-general- download/APPG-Women-In-Parliament- which seeks to ‘ensure that any workplace election-2015/ Report-2014.pdf; www.publications.parliament. conflict is handled promptly, fairly and effectively’, uk/pa/cm201516/cmhansrd/cm151110/ and directly addresses issues of harassment and 71 See also Appendix 4. Data is not available halltext/151110h0001.htm; see also Lucas bullying between MPs and House staff. in terms of other characteristics. Note that some (2015, 177-9). changes are taking place, with part-time working 60 The 2012 House of Commons Briefing and job-share one of the reasons for more 46 A relative improvement is more achievable, paper ‘Guidance on the Conventions and women in the lobby. Sex differences are more according a senior male Labour MP. Courtesies of the House notes that ‘The obvious on the television than in newspapers: Speaker’s Office keeps comprehensive records www.theguardian.com/media/2016/mar/13/ 47 Russell 2011. of Members’ success and failure in being called women-political-reporting-westminster-lobby in debate’. www.parliament.uk/documents/ 48 Galligan and Meier (2014, 26) ‘it shifts the documents/conventions-and-courtesies- 72 If, in the meantime there is a review of responsibility for change from women to the guidance.pdf. The Speaker has already publicly passes which reduces the numbers of passes institution as a whole’. Crewe (2015b, 33) talks of noted his concern that some women MPs are no overall, the percentage given to women must not structural change. longer attending PMQs, www.bbc.co.uk/news/ be less than 40 percent. uk-politics-27062577. As part of this project it 49 See the section ‘The Commons Reference was also claimed to the author that women MPs 73 www.parliament.uk/vote100; twitter.com/ Group for Representation and Inclusion’ in the are deciding not to put in questions for PMQs for UKVote100 main body of this Report for more details. the same reasons. It might also be true for other Members. 74 In line with House practice, in the current 50 See the Section ‘The Commons Reference Parliament this translates for a committee with Group on Representation and Inclusion’ for 61 www.thenational.scot/comment/tasmina- 9 members to 5 Conservative and 3 Labour MPs further discussion about the composition, remit, ahmed-sheikh-women-mps-can-help-kill-off- with 1 from the smaller parties. and recommendations made to, the Group. these-tory-dinosaurs.15665. See Ilie (2013) for comparison of the UK and Sweden. 75 Where applicable, political parties might 51 It should be conceived of as the first part of want to make one of their nominees the chair achieving diversity sensitive parliamentary status. 62 www.theguardian.com/ of their parliamentary women’s organisation. www.ipu.org/conf-e/127/res-plan.htm The IPU commentisfree/2015/nov/13/parliament- Alternatively, MPs could elect their members has published A Self-Assessment Toolkit for women-mps-sexist-mothers-westminster from sex/gender specific shortlists or a party’s Parliaments, February 2014. www.ipu.org/pdf/ parliamentary women’s group might nominate publications/self-e.pdf 63 www.publications.parliament.uk/ the women members. The chair of the Women pa/cm201516/cmhansrd/cm151110/ in Parliament APPG might also be a nominee of 52 www.psa.ac.uk/events/future-parliament- halltext/151110h0001.htm their party. democratic-reform-and-restoration-palace- westminster; www.parliament.uk/about/ 64 See Jess Phillips, www.publications. 76 MPs may well identify with more than one living-heritage/building/restoration-project/. parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmhansrd/ under-represented group. This was also the view of the Straw Report, cm151110/halltext/151110h0001.htm www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/ 77 Mr Speaker is a self-avowed ‘advocate’ cmselect/cmgovern/692/692.pdf. Caroline 65 www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0522z48 for the ‘greater participation in politics from the Lucas agrees (2015, 203). widest possible range of people’ (WIP APPG 66 www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/lib- 2014, 6). 53 Paragraph 330. dem-mp-makes-history-by-bringing-his-baby- into-commons-for-vote-9611522.html; see also 78 For example, Disability Rights UK, the 54 Specific consideration of PMQs is Crewe 2015a, 44. Fawcett Society, the Hansard Society, OBV, and discussed later under the Procedure Committee Stonewall. and in the context of R&R. 67 This solution marries with aspects of Recommendation 30 of the Digital Democracy 79 www.parliament.uk/documents/ 55 This would meet the WIP APPG (2014, Commission. Such a rule should also apply commons-committees/admin-committee/ 35) and Speaker’s Conference (no. 71) to MPs who are unwell or who have particular Interview-study-Members-leaving-Parliament- recommendations for improving behaviour. needs relating to a disability. report%20-%20April%202016.pdf

60 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 80 www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/sir-paul- 92 These recommendations presume that the half had introduced legal quotas. By contrast, beresford/what-do-mps-do_b_9699054.html Parliament will last the full five years. among the twenty OSCE countries lagging behind in growth...none had implemented legal 81 WIP APPG 2014. 24. 93 Personal correspondence. quotas’.

82 www.publications.parliament.uk/ 94 This presumes that the Parliament lasts the 108 blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2016/03/16/ pa/cm201516/cmhansrd/cm151110/ full five years. the-2016-irish-election-demonstrated-how- halltext/151110h0001.htm gender-quotas-can-shift-the-balance-on- 95 This recommendation upgrades that in the female-representation/ 83 WIP APPG Report 2014, 29. WIP APPG Report (2014, 27) which called for a debate to discuss quotas. The quota should be 109 I’d like to thank Meryl Kenny for this 84 Silvester & Dykes 2007; Silvester 2008; set at 50:50 for vacant held and target seats, observation. Silvester 2012. and 40: 40: 20 for other seats, to ensure a more rapid increase in the numbers of MPs. Legislative 110 See Recommendations for the House of 85 See Chapter 4, of the Speaker’s Conference quotas should be linked to party funding and Commons Commission for more details. www. Final Report. other party regulation and involve significant parliament.uk/business/committees/committees- penalties and incentives (Childs 2012). a-z/other-committees/house-of-commons- 86 This complements the Speaker’s commission/workinfo/ Commission on Digital Democracy 96 Speaker’s Conference Recommendation 23. Recommendation. www.parliament.uk/ 111 The composition of the Commission documents/commons-committees/admin- 97 Evans and Childs 2012; Campbell and is laid down by the House of Commons committee/Interview-study-Members-leaving- Childs 2015. Administration Act 1978, amended in 2015 Parliament-report%20-%20April%202016.pdf. (House of Commons Commission Act). [Under Such efforts might also limit the rise of the much 98 cadmus.eui.eu/bitstream/ paragraph 6(2) of Schedule 1, the Commission criticised ‘professional politician’ (WIP APPG handle/1814/36175/LAW_2015_29.pdf may determine its own procedures] See Oral 2014, 24; Criddle in Cowley and Kavanagh 2016). Answers, 21 January 2016, where Tom Brake 99 Childs 2015 unpublished paper; available is ‘pleased’ that ‘the two lay people on the 87 See for example, WIP APPG Report 2014, on request. Commission are women’. 25; Speaker’s Conference Recommendation 14 and 16. In 2002 the Procedure Committee 100 For an account of quotas in the UK 112 It is to be regretted that this issue was attempted a job description, but ‘the truth is no Parliament see cadmus.eui.eu/bitstream/ not addressed in the Straw Report, www. definition exists (Rogers and Walters 2015, 54, handle/1814/36175/LAW_2015_29.pdf publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/ 74). See also Review Body on Senior Salaries, cmselect/cmgovern/692/692.pdf. The Report no. 38, Vol. 2. 101 mlkrook.org/pdf/pa_forth.pdf recommended four backbench members would ‘increase the ability to represent the full 88 Speaker’s Conference Recommendation 27. 102 Norris and Lovenduski 1995; Childs 2004, spectrum of views in the House’. Note, that the 2008, 2012; www.rainbowmurray.co.uk/ Membership of the Committee was all male bar 89 This amends the WIP APPG Key APSR_2014.pdf one, Valerie Vaz MP. To be sure, paragraph 21 Recommendation: ‘Ask the DCMS Select notes a relationship between effectiveness and Committee and Independent Press Standards 103 Over time quotas are setting higher targets diversity, as well as the importance of talent and Organisation to review sexism in traditional and and are getting better at reaching targets the ‘additional imperative to reflect the diversity of social media including analysis of how female (Melanie Hughes private correspondence). those whom it is there to serve...’ The later make parliamentarians are represented.’ Each report See also www.quotaproject.org; Fox 2012; no mention of the sex quota for the election of would likely incur costs of around five thousand Childs and Evans 2012; www.lse.ac.uk/ the Deputy Speakers (parag 33). pounds. See also Engender Scotland’s demand genderInstitute/pdf/Confronting-Inequality.pdf the creation of a Scottish ‘Women in Media’ 113 IPSA 2016, 11. body, resourced to monitor and challenge 104 In 1997 Labour women MPs constituted 84 underrepresentation, gender stereotyping percent of all women MPs; 81 percent in 2001; 114 Specific ecommendationsr will be made and sexualisation of women and girls in print, 77 percent in 2005; 57 percent in 2010; and 52 by the author as part of this consultation which broadcast and social media, www.engender.org. percent in 2015. Note that it was only in 2015 closes in October 2016. uk/files/Engenders-Gender-Matters-Manifesto- that the Labour party no longer had more women --Twenty-by-2016.pdf MPs than all the other parties added together; 115 IPSA 2016, 11. in no small part, this is explained by some 90 As above, this would likely incur costs of unexpected wins by Conservative women and 116 The Report author along with colleagues, around five thousand pounds per report. most importantly, the landslide success of the Professor Rosie Campbell and Dr Emma Crewe, SNP in Scotland. Women constitute 36 percent made this point on more than one occasion; 91 Note, that women’s concerns about of SNP MPs. a number of women MPs individually and familial press intrusion are a frequently cited collectively contributed to previous reviews. reason not to participate in politics. Tom Brake 105 Krook 2009. Private information. said he would take the issue of social media abuse to the House of Commons Commission 106 Hughes, private correspondence. 117 As discussed under Recommendation 12. (WH 10 November 2015). This complements Recommendation 15 of the Digital Democracy 107 IPU 2011, 12. www.ipu.org. See also 118 See also the same point made in the House Commission. Privacy laws do not apply to www.hks.harvard.edu/fs/pnorris/Acrobat/ of Commons Service (2015, 5, 10) MPs’ children. See also www.parliament.uk/ OSCEReport_Gender_equality_Norris-Krook. documents/commons-committees/admin- pdf ‘Among the twenty OSCE countries 119 IPSA 2016, 24. committee/Interview-study-Members-leaving- registering the sharpest growth in the proportion Parliament-report%20-%20April%202016.pdf of women in parliament during the last decade... 120 Interview data gathered as part of this project.

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 61 121 IPSA 2016, 70. 133 According to the Speaker’s Conference 140 Alison Thewliss MP, www.publications. (paragraph 267), ‘while there are arrangements parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmhansrd/ 122 Data gathered as part of this project. for proxy voting in the House these arrangements cm151110/halltext/151110h0001.htm require the Member to be present in the House 123 IPSA 2016, 23, 72. of Commons. There is some precedence for 141 See Maria Miller MP, www.publications. proxies in the Lords; and in the Labour party in parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmhansrd/ 124 IPSA 2016, 23, 75. terms of voting in PLP meetings. In New Zealand cm151110/halltext/151110h0001.htm. Miller there is a procedure for proxy voting – Standing rightly goes onto say, ‘does she agree that, by 125 This Report was written prior to the killing of order 154. See Appendix 6. making this place more family-friendly in the first Jo Cox MP. This is the case amongst those who place, the requirement for us to bring children participated in Childs’ 2016 study, and reported 134 Proxy voting is permitted for nursing into work would be less acute?’ See Chris in the House of Commons Service (2015, 6) mothers in the Australian House of Grayling’s response to Alison Thewliss MP (4 ‘Members wondered whether IPSA had taken Representatives. The Speaker’s Conference Feb 2016: Column 1099): ...we must also be sufficient account of the equality issues (through (Recommendation 53) called for ‘greater careful to maintain some of the traditions of this an equality assessment for example) surrounding transparency’ regarding the organisation of House as well’. www.publications.parliament. its rules around travel and taxis, including the pairing. Formal pairing might, if it was in place uk/pa/cm201516/cmhansrd/cm160204/ implications for those travelling with children. over an extended period, risk rendering the debtext/160204-0001.htm paired MP unduly absent from parliamentary 126 Campbell and Childs 2014. onlinelibrary. duties. Again, this might raise questions of 142 The symbolic value of permitting infant wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1467-923X.12092/ legitimacy and effectiveness for the individual MP. feeding is noted by Caroline Lucas MP (2015). abstract It might also reinforce the health benefits of 135 See Appendix 6. Also, IPU 2011, 94. breastfeeding www.who.int/maternal_child_ 127 The survey did not specifically ask about Australia: www.aph.gov.au/~/media/02%20 adolescent/topics/child/nutrition/ caring or adoption leave. Parliamentary%20Business/24%20 breastfeeding/en/ Committees/243%20Reps%20Committees/ 128 IPU 2011, 92-4. Procedures/NursingMothers/FullReport. 143 www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ pdf?la=en; Canada: www.parl.gc.ca/Committees/ article-1314283/Licia-Ronzulli-brings-baby- 129 The Group would also be fulfilling en/PROC/StudyActivity?studyActivityId=8775954 EU-Parliament.html; www.dailymail.co.uk/ Recommendation 49 of the 2010 Speaker’s news/article-3399700/Attention-seeking-MP- Conference. The House of Commons Service 136 See Barbara Keeley MP, www.publications. criticised-breastfeeding-baby-parliament- 2015, includes reference to ‘the pressure to parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmhansrd/ debate-Madrid.html; See also Jess Phillips, come back after having a child was therefore [in cm151110/halltext/151110h0001.htm www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/ absence of proper maternity leave] great (House cmhansrd/cm151110/halltext/151110h0001.htm of Commons Service 2015, 14). See also www. 137 www.publications.parliament.uk/ publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/ pa/cm201516/cmhansrd/cm151110/ 144 www.publications.parliament.uk/ cmhansrd/cm151110/halltext/151110h0001.htm halltext/151110h0001.htm In January 2016 pa/cm201516/cmhansrd/cm151110/ a Spanish MP breastfed her baby, www.bbc. halltext/151110h0001.htm 130 This consultation could be extended beyond co.uk/news/world-europe-35303171 parents to acknowledge the caring needs of 145 www.publications.parliament.uk/ others in society, not least elderly people. 138 This change was effected by amending pa/cm201516/cmhansrd/cm151110/ SO 257 to provide that ‘a visitor does not halltext/151110h0001.htm; See also www. 131 Our current system of election (first past include an infant being cared for by a Member’. newsweek.com/uk-parliament-break- the post, or single member simple plurality) The change implemented a House Standing breastfeeding-taboo-422811 renders it harder- albeit not impossible – to Committee on Procedure Recommendation, adopt a ‘substitute’ solution. In party list systems presented in December 2015. Personal 146 Brief on House of Commons Family Friendly a substitute who acts in the place of the MP correspondence. www.abc.net.au/news/2016- Policies, 2015. www.leyf.org.uk/find-a-nursery/ is identified from the party list, frequently the 02-02/breastfeeding-politicians-allowed- westminster/house-of-commons-nursery/ next best placed candidate. In the UK such to-bring-children-into-chamber/7133324; an approach would require the parties to ‘find’ www.nationalpost.com/m/wp/blog. 147 See Neil Gray MP: ‘I have not been able to people, most likely a losing candidate or ex- html?b=news.nationalpost.com//news/ bring my one-year-old down terribly often. Part MP to act in the place of an MP on maternity, canada/canadian-politics/breastfeeding-mps- of the problem is that, although there is a nursery paternity or caring leave. However, questions cause-a-stir-in-parliaments-around-the-world- here, it does not have a crèche facility. Children might be asked regarding the legitimacy of this but-with-more-women-running-than-ever- have to use it full time.’ www.publications. individual who will not have stood for election in in-canada-it-should-be-the-new-norm. This parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmhansrd/ the said constituency. Both local parties and the report cites case in Argentina and a Canadian cm151110/halltext/151110h0001.htm wider electorate might not in such circumstances MP carrying a baby in the chamber. Australian accept an alternative non-elected party Parliament – Breastfeeding MPs can now be 148 www.scottish.parliament.uk/ representative acting in the place of their MP. accompanied by their spouse or nanny on all visitandlearn/12522.aspx One might also think of the arrangements prior official interstate travel. www.theaustralian. to a by-election, whereby constituency duties are com.au/national-affairs/parliament-moves-to- 149 www.newstatesman.com/politics/ ‘normally handled by a neighbouring MP of the become-more-mumfriendly-as-breastfeeding- feminism/2015/10/we-need-do-much-more- same party’ as constituting a practice/norm akin mps-win-more-travel-flexibility/news-story/ make-houses-parliament-21st-century- to a proxy (see Rogers and Walters 2015, 23). employer 139 This is the case in Canada, Denmark, 132 The inclusion of remote voting for MPs on Finland and New Zealand; whilst in Germany 150 Anecdotally it has been suggested that maternity/paternity/caring leave need not be despite formal procedure ruling it out, in practice, childcare is rarely a reason for a witness not to read to favour this reform in general. I leave it to Members have periodically taken their children in, be able to participate as a witness to a select those who know about technology to establish a although there is no precedent for infant feeding committee. At the same time it is frequently secure system, e.g. biometric validation. within the chamber. accepted that the ‘everyday’ reasons of there

62 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT being short notice of evidence sessions explains 160 Erskine May 2011, 451; Business of the 174 www.parliament.uk/about/working/ the presence of the ‘usual suspects’. In this House and Its Committees, 42; Rogers and workplace-equality-networks/parliamentary- the ‘gendered’ nature of ‘everyday constraints’ Walters 2015, 264. role-models/ frequently fails to be appreciated (www.sheffield. ac.uk/politics/people/research/marc-geddes). 161 See Flynn 2012, 132. 175 This recommendation would help meet In any case, the symbolic is of importance here. the concerns of the WIP APPG: ‘more can be 162 No doubt some MPs will lament the loss done to outreach to women across the country’ 151 Issues of representation also relate to of the convention relating to ties. See Jacob (WIP APPG 2014, 5). As the Deputy Leader of Committee staff but fall outside of the remit of Rees Mogg, 29 Nov 2013, col 593 www. the House has put it: ‘I should encourage the this report. www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and- publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/ House of Commons authorities to make more offices/offices/commons/house-of-commons- cmhansrd/cm131129/debtext/131129-0002. widely known what happens in relation to flexible commission/single-equality-scheme/. htm#13112935000125 working, nurseries, childcare schemes in our unusual summer holidays, career breaks, 152 www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/ 163 Bernie Grant was congratulated by Speaker and so on.’ This complements recommendation blog/11979/meet-the-new-select-committee- Weatherill for wearing an African Daishiki (SN/ 12 of the Digital Democracy Commission. chairs/ PC/06432, 12). news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_ www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/ politics/771601.stm cmhansrd/cm151110/halltext/151110h0001.htm 153 2015 saw 11 incumbent chairs stand for It also complements the current Diversity and election again. www.parliament.uk/documents/ 164 The standard of ‘business dress’ would Inclusion communications/role models campaign. commons-committees/guide-select-ctte- undoubtedly rule out the wearing of beach wear, members.pdf including shorts and flip flops, or jeans and 176 www.parliament.uk/about/working/work- sundresses. Whilst frequently ruled inappropriate placements-and-apprenticeships/speakers- 154 For Example, once the total number of as business dress the question of ‘trainers’ is parliamentary-placement-scheme/ Select Committees is agreed, the Chair positions, more arguable for those with mobility issues: would by a process of lottery, be designated www.caledonianclub.com/club-information/faqs. 177 Any scheme should provide for those who either ‘male’ or ‘female’ for the duration of the may have caring responsibilities, e.g. provide Parliament. Single sex elections would then be 165 Indeed, it has been in receipt of national funding for child or other care where necessary. used to elect a Chair for each Select Committee awards for its efforts in this respect. www. Chair. A strict 50:50 quota could be used. parliament.uk/business/news/2016/january/ 178 www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england- Alternatively, a ‘40, 40, 20’ quota would provide house-of-commons-placed-116-out-of-400-in- london-35685169 for greater flexibility, and would be inclusionary equality-index/ of MPs who may not identify as either male 179 As advocated in the WIP APPG Report or female. The use of lot would importantly 166 See the late Jo Cox, www.publications. (2014, 34).On one occasion when my own pass avoid the problem of re-enforcing the historical parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmhansrd/ was the ‘wrong way around’ and a police officer gendered segregation of Committees that is cm151110/halltext/151110h0001.htm asked me to show the other side, I discussed currently evident, with apparently ‘women’s this recommendation; he heartily approved, committees’ chaired by women, e.g. Health, 167 www.parliament.uk/education/visit- stating it would make his life much easier. The and the WEC, and ‘men’s committees’, e.g. parliament-with-your-school/faqs-and-subsidy/ counter argument that all staff should be trained The Treasury, Defence, and Foreign Affairs the-education-centre/ better to recognise Members and to be polite chaired by men. in asking for Members and staff to show their 168 www.parliament.uk/get-involved/ ID fails to recognise the sensitivity of being 155 HC Deb (1981–82) 27, c 468; ibid education-programmes/universities- frequently asked to prove one’s right to be in a (1987–88) 119, c 194; but see ibid (1988–89) programme/students-and-parliament/ particular place. 159, c 1283. 169 www.parliament.uk/education/teaching- 180 See also WIP APPG (2014, 35); www. 156 The requirement that Members wishing resources-lesson-plans/mp-for-a-week-game/ parliament.uk/documents/commons- to raise a point of order during a division wore 170 www.parliament.uk/about/ committees/admin-committee/Interview-study- a hat has been abolished (1997/8 HC 600, Members-leaving-Parliament-report%20-%20 64, see SN/PC/06432, 10). ‘That MPs had to 171 www.parliament.uk/about/ April%202016.pdf speak uncovered’ is according to Bryant (2014, 249, 250) ‘another Victorian affectation dressed 172 www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and- 181 As suggested by the WIP APPG Report up as tradition’. See Rogers (2012, 194) for a offices/ See APPG Key Recommendation: (2014, 35). discussion of hats and Nancy Astor MP. ‘Improve the online gateway to Parliament to enhance the parliamentary online presence and 182 There would be a roundtable meeting 157 SN/PC/06432, 12. Speaker and Deputy encourage more women and other currently between officials and party representatives to Speakers 2015, 10. HC Deb (1951–52) 498, c under-represented groups to consider a role discuss how selection processes could be more 2750; ibid (1979–80) 984, c 986. The Speaker in public life, to help change people’s lives and transparent. Childs and Evans 2012; HC Deb 12 has also indicated that members should not the communities in which they live.’ See also January 2012 c440 wear arm bands to publicise a cause, HC Deb www.parliament.uk/documents/commons- (2004–05) 431, c 1519. committees/admin-committee/Interview-study- 183 HC Deb 27 February 2014 c511 Members-leaving-Parliament-report%20-%20 158 Speaker and Deputy Speakers 2015, 12. April%202016.pdf 184 parliamentarycandidates.org/; Campbell and Childs 2015. 159 As a senior male Clerk told me. See also 173 See the recommendation relating to Section Flynn (2012, 132); Lucas (2015, 173) ponders 106 of the Equality Act 2010 below. The House 185 Seat safety refers to whether a party holds the irony of having to cover up her ‘No more of Commons Library already publishes some the seat; came 2nd or 3rd within a margin of less page 3 T shirt’. information on MPs’ backgrounds but this should than 5 percent of the votes; 2nd or 3rd within a be supplemented with candidate data and given margin of more than 5 percent but less than 10 more prominence on the website. percent; and, other.

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 63 186 www.parliament.uk/written-questions- 198 In the WIP APPG Report (2014, 15): 207 www.parliament.uk/documents/ answers-statements/written-question/ A number of the longer-standing MPs responding publications-records/House-of-Lords- commons/2015-12-14/19860 to our survey commented that the life of a Publications/Rules-guides-for-business/ Member had become harder in recent years Companion-to-standing-orders/Companion- 187 The written answer reported that in despite the improvement in the working hours of to-Standing-Order-2015.pdf; www.parliament. 2012/13, 2013/14 and 2014/15, there had been Parliament itself. uk/business/publications/house-of-lords- 27, 34 and 48 applicants respectively; some publications/rules-and-guides-for-business/ 271K had been awarded; most to applicants in 199 Among reasons given for standing down companion-to-the-standing-orders/ greater London and the South East; with similar from Parliament ‘the most common one given amounts awarded to women and men; and that was the impact being an MP had on family life’ 208 www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/wp-content/ 218K had been awarded to white applicants, www.parliament.uk/documents/commons- uploads/2015/11/Historical-background-to- approximately 27K to Asian applicants, and 23K committees/admin-committee/Interview-study- gender-neutral-language.pdf. to Black, African, Caribbean, and Black British; Members-leaving-Parliament-report%20-%20 and finally that some 120K had been awarded to April%202016.pdf 209 The WIP APPG (2014, 33) held that recess the Labour Party. should be renamed to reflect the fact that MPs’ 200 Amended from WIP APPG Key are mostly working rather than on holiday when 188 www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ Recommendation: ‘Reconnect with voters by the House is not sitting. Although not gendered cm201516/cmstords/soadd0506.pdf rebalancing parliamentary and constituency this is clearly opaque language. This complements priorities given that the role and expectations of recommendation 5 of the Digital Democracy 189 Again, there is no suggestion that such a MP have changed over time.’ See also WIP Commission. See Rogers and Walters (2015, a calendar could not respond to serious and APPG (2014, 33). 53) for an explanation of the cricketing origins of unexpected events. ‘maiden speech’. Cf Disraeli, ‘A maiden speech 201 www.parliament.uk/documents/ so inaudible that it was doubted whether after all 190 www.parliament.uk/business/news/2014/ commons-committees/admin-committee/ the young orator really did lose his virginity’, cited september/recall-of-house-of-commons/ Interview-study-Members-leaving-Parliament- in Rogers (2012a, 35; see also 154). report%20-%20April%202016.pdf 191 www.parliament.uk/about/how/occasions/ 210 See Lucas (2015). recallparliament/ 202 Research suggests that women are currently fewer than 1 in 4 of Select Committee 211 SO 7: No Member’s name shall be affixed 192 Contra Rogers and Walters (2015, 372). witnesses www.psa.ac.uk/conference/2016- to any seat in the House before the hour of conference-0/paper/taking-evidence-role- prayers; and the Speaker shall give directions to 193 Mr Speaker has made clear his position witnesses-evidence-gathering-process-select. the doorkeepers accordingly; SO 8: Any Member www.politicshome.com/party-politics/ Geddes finds that men were 76 percent of all having secured a seat at prayers shall be entitled articles/house/john-bercow-its-time-rethink- Select Committee witnesses, with the Treasury to retain the same until the rising of the House. conference-break . performing the worst: less than 10 percent of its witnesses were women. Private sector 212 Private MP comment. 194 This recommendation was submitted as witnesses were also particularly unrepresentative, part of the Procedure Committee’s Inquiry into at10 percent. The best ranking Committee was 213 SN/PC/06432, 5. reform of Private Members’ Bills (January 2016) International Development at 30 percent. See www.parliament.uk/business/committees/ also eprints.lse.ac.uk/55425/1/Democratic%20 214 SN/PC/06432, 5. committees-a-z/commons-select/procedure- Audit_Who%20gives%20evidence_ committee/inquiries/parliament-2015/private- January%202014.pdf. Using data from one 215 Private MP comment. members-bills-15-16/publications/ month in autumn 2013, Berry and Kippin found that 76 percent of witnesses to House of 216 BBBC ’15 June 2010 ‘...remaining 195 Parties would decide when to hold their Commons Select Committees were male. In the members be elected by all the House, in the party conferences. These could be moved to a ‘expert’ category this rose to 83 percent, and same way as deputy speakers, with provisions weekend model or might be held in one of the if one was looking just at individuals without an to ensure some gender balance’; cf 12 March parliamentary recesses. organisational affiliation, 89 percent. The worst 2012, the House agreed to SO N 122D...’one ranking Committee, taking evidence from effect of the changes [from whole House election 196 Private Members’ Bill (PMB) business could less than six percent women was energy to party election] ...is to remove the requirement either be integrated with other business or see and climate change. for gender balance in the committee. ...SO [had] the establishment of ‘PMB Thursdays’ thereby specified that the Committee must include at recreating current Friday practice. The ‘lost’ 13 203 Marc Geddes 2016, 20-1. least two men and two women. In the debate, PMB Fridays are more than compensated for Angela Smith for the Labour party argued that by the 12 ‘reclaimed party conference’ days. 204 This is a practice established in Finland by ‘The opposition will have a quota to provide Hansard 13 Friday sitting times = 65 hours, 9.30- the Gender Equality Act 1995, amended in 2005 gender balance on the Committee, because 14.30. Current Thursday sitting hours 9.30-17.30 (Holli and Saari 2009). we are committed to equality when it comes to x 12 = 96 hours. I leave it to others such as the gender representation in the House’ (HC Deb Hansard Society to make suggestions to the 205 I would like to thank Marc Geddes for 12 March 2012 c46).SN/PC/6290 and SN/ processes and form of PMBs. this suggestion. PC05654.

197 See Neil Gray MP www.publications. 206 See www.parliament.uk/documents/ 217 Unpublished research by Stephen Bates, parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmhansrd/ commons-committees/admin-committee/ Mark Goodwin and Steve McKay, www. cm151110/halltext/151110h0001.htm Interview-study-Members-leaving-Parliament- birmingham.ac.uk/schools/government- report%20-%20April%202016.pdf; www. society/departments/political-science- parliament.uk/documents/rules-of-behaviour. international-studies/staff/profiles/bates- pdf, page 3. See Recommendation 4, and 32 of stephen.aspx the Digital Democracy Commission.

64 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 218 wonklifebalance.wordpress. of the debate’ www.telegraph.co.uk/women/ 243 www.parliament.uk/business/committees/ com/2015/07/05/does-it-matter-that-there-is- politics/sorry-mums---we-simply-cant- committees-a-z/joint-select/joint-committee- only-one-man-on-the-women-and-equalities- allow-mps-to-vote-from-home/ ; see also on-the-palace-of-westminster/role/. Of select-committee/ For a recent Canadian parliamentsandlegislatures.wordpress. the twelve members of the Committee only consideration on this matter, see www. com/2015/12/07/the-art-of-oratory-in-the- two are women. See Digital Democracy embassynews.ca/news/2016/04/06/huge- house-of-commons/ Recommendation 28 which speaks of ‘seize[ing] irony-in-male-dominated-study-of-women- the opportunity...to ensure that Parliament is fit peace-and-security-says-mp/48450 230 Rogers and Walters 2015, 157. for the future’.

219 content.yudu.com/web/1w6ew/0A1w6f0/ 231 Lucas 2015. The WIP APPG Report (2014, 244 www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/ ParlIssueOne2016/html/index.html?page=1 33) ‘encourage[d]’ more group and or deferred jan/26/palace-of-westminster-refurbishment- voting’ and thought electronic voting worthy of could-see-mps-and-peers-relocated 220 For additional images of the same ilk, see ‘discussion’. www.google.co.uk/search?q=treasury+select+ 245 Note how the term ‘better’ implies that later committee&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=667&sour 232 These relate mostly to SIs and EU hours are by definition worse. ce=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwip4- documents (A short Guide to Business of KupOjLAhVJRhQKHYHOBz0Q_AUICCgD the House and its Committees (2015, 58). 246 The 2014/15 session had 133 sitting days, Proceedings of Bills are not covered by these a total of 989 hours and 14mins at an average of 221 This recommendation reflects the fact arrangements (ibid). 7 hours and 26mins per sitting day. The 2015/16 that there are some 370 select committee session has so far had 116 sitting days, a total of places to be filled and only 191 women MPs 233 parliamentsandlegislatures.wordpress. 897 hours and 22mins at an average of 7 hours overall, a good number of whom serve on the com/2015/12/07/the-art-of-oratory-in-the- and 44mins per sitting day. Source: House of front bench teams. At the time of writing the house-of-commons/ Commons Library. See also SN02226. Cabinet is one-third women, the Government overall more than 25 percent female, and 234 The Speaker’s Conference 247 www.theguardian.com/ Labour’s Cabinet attendees are fifty percent (Recommendation 54) suggested the House commentisfree/2015/nov/13/parliament- female. researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/ reconsider business hours. women-mps-sexist-mothers-westminster documents/SN05368/SN05368.pdf 235 This discussion is a very good example 248 www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ 222 BBBC ’15 June 2010. where conceiving of the House of Commons cm201213/cmstords/614/body.htm as an organism reveals the impact on other 223 In the accompanying debate, Angela Smith staff working in the House other than MPs. 249 SN02226, 7. MP argued that ‘The opposition [Labour] will Late sittings and unpredictable sittings will bear have a quota to provide gender balance on heavily on other staff working in the House and 250 Sitting days starting on 7/9/15 and 5/1/16. the Committee, because we are committed to who have caring responsibilities, and will likely Source: DIS equality when it comes to gender representation limit diversity overall. in the House’. HC Deb 12 March 2012 c46. SN/ 251 The EU referendum bill followed a long PC/6290 and SN/PC05654. See Freidenvall 236 See also researchbriefings.files.parliament. statement on Syrian migrants. (undated) ‘, for a comparison. uk/documents/SN02226/SN02226.pdf 252 Rogers and Walters 2015, 133. 224 The WIP APPG Report (2014, 37) 237 See the discussion between Therese Coffey notes: ‘Members do not know for more than MP and Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh MP, www. 253 House of Commons Service 2015, 12. a maximum of two weeks the Parliamentary publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/ Agenda. See also Rogers and Walters (2015): cmhansrd/cm160121/debindx/160121-x.htm 254 Mullin 2009, 320. a ‘pretty firm’ first week followed by a second ‘more likely to change’. 238 This section expands my submission to the 255 Admittedly, this is an empirical question but Joint Committee of Parliament, February 2016. see Weinberg 2014, 2015. 225 A younger male Conservative Member who www.parliament.uk/business/committees/ had worked outside politics before becoming committees-a-z/joint-select/joint-committee- 256 Anonymous MPs. an MP was adamant about this. See also Alison on-the-palace-of-westminster/inquiries/ Thewliss, and the late Jo Cox MP, parliament-2015/restoration-and-renewal- 257 See Weinberg 2014, 2015. www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/ consultation-15-16/ cmhansrd/cm151110/halltext/151110h0001. 258 The IPU (2011, 121) Night sittings should be htm 239 Bryant 2014, 372. discontinued and sittings should be aligned with school holidays. There is also the aforementioned 226 As in the Scottish Parliament, 240 Rogers 2012, xi ‘knock on’ effect on parliamentary staff. see Appendix 9. 241 hansard.millbanksystems.com/ 259 Personal Observation. 227 For example, Criminal Justice Scotland Bill, commons/1943/oct/28/house-of-commons- Stage 3, formal divisions at 3.45. rebuilding; blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/ 260 Until 1836 those voting ‘aye’ went out of the-palace-of-westminster-should-be-a- the Chamber; the Noes sat where they were 228 Rogers and Walters 2015, 267. museum-not-the-institutional-heart-of-british- (Rogers 2012, 114) politics/ 229 Ridge contends that it matters that MPs 261 Rogers and Walters 2015, 157. The Digital are ‘forced to sit on the green benches listening 242 Rogers and Walters agree (2015, 1, Democracy Commission Recommendation 29 to that powerful and dignified oratory’; in her 3). See also theconversation.com/gothic- suggests a move to record votes using smart view Hilary Benn’s speech ‘strengthened’ glory-and-pop-up-parliaments-could-past- identity cards as an alternative solution. MPs views even whilst she accepts that MPs visions-help-rescue-the-crumbling-palace-of- frequently vote without listening to a ‘sentence westminster-45218

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 65 262 See, the Speaker’s Commission on Digital 279 www.hansardsociety.org.uk/wp-content/ constitution-unit.com/2016/01/29/the- Democracy. It is worth noting that Division uploads/2014/02/Tuned-in-or-Turned-off- restoration-and-renewal-of-the-palace-of- Lobbies were an innovation introduced after Public-attitudes-to-PMQs.pdf; Rogers and westminster-offers-an-opportunity-to-make- the 1834 fire (Bryant 20014, 36). Note also that Walters 2015, 376. parliament-more-user-friendly/ MPs arriving in ambulances for a vote do not physically have to go through the lobbies. In 280 Recommendation 19 of the Digital 293 A senior clerk claims that these rooms are the Lords some Members are permitted to stay Democracy Commission and tomdlondon. preferred by MPs. seated on the benches. blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/a-radical-and- practical-proposal-to.html?m=0 294 In June 2016 the WEC held an evidence 263 Flynn 2012, 196. session in which a roundtable format was 281 This Report was published prior to the adopted. www.parliament.uk/business/ 264 Rogers and Walters 2015, 161. publication of the Report of the Joint Committee committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/ on the Palace of Westminster which is to make women-and-equalities-committee/news- 265 According to an ex-MP not named for recommendations for the next stage of R&R. parliament-2015/sexual-harassment-and-sexual- reasons of anonymity. See also Crewe (2015a, violence-in-schools-first-evidence-16-17/ 46-7, 215). 282 2012, 174. One MP interviewed for this project reinforced this: the people who get seats 295 See Recommendation 16 of the Digital 266 See Bryant (2014, 250-1) for discussion on the benches are by convention all men. Democracy Commission. of men’s behaviour towards women in the House in the early 20th century. 283 Private MP comment. 296 House of Commons Service 2015, 15. parliamentsandlegislatures.wordpress. com/2015/12/07/the-art-of-oratory-in-the- 284 Rogers and Walters 2015, 12-13. 297 For an historical account see Bryant house-of-commons/. See also WIP APPG 2014, 252. (2014, 42); Crewe (2015b, 26); Flynn (2012), 285 The Boundary Review must be completed 196. by October 2018. www.assembly.wales/ 298 See contributions from Angela Crawley and NAfW%20Documents/About%20the%20 Barbara Keeley, www.publications.parliament. 267 Rogers and Walters 2015, 289. Assembly%20section%20documents/ uk/pa/cm201516/cmhansrd/cm151110/ Other_Publications/The_Future_of_the_ halltext/151110h0001.htm 268 Harriet Harman MP, Woman’s Hour, Assembly-E.pdf www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b079m0v0; 299 House of Commons Service 2015; Bryant 2014, 370. 286 As some tube carriages on the London Alison Thewliss, 10 Nov 2015, 44WH. See Underground have citytransport.info/ also www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/09/06/ 269 www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ Bakerloo.htm; or as in the foyer of the Scottish westminster-drinking-culture-contributed- jermey-corbyn-first-pmqs-viewing-figures- Parliament. I make no claims as a furniture to-charles-kennedy-s-problems_n_8095336. million-people-bbc-10506259.html designer, but suggest it is not beyond their wit html. These recommendations indirectly address to design such a bench. questions of the culture of the House beyond 270 www.totalpolitics.com/blog/28148/30- the Chamber. facts-about-pmqs.thtml 287 The Queensland Parliament removed seats to accommodate a quadriplegic 300 In 2012, the number of toilets in the Palace 271 pa.oxfordjournals.org/content/67/2/253. member www.parliament.nz/resource/en- was 530 (Rogers 2012, 37). See also blog.hansardsociety.org.uk/ nz/00CLOOCanzacatt1. See for a discussion pmqs2015/ the size of the National Assembly for Wales 301 9 November 2015, Points of Order: www.assembly.wales/NAfW%20Documents/ Pauline Latham; Government Equalities Office 272 Rogers and Walters 2015, 289. About%20the%20Assembly%20section%20 Report (2015, 14); www.hse.govt.uk/contact/ documents/Other_Publications/The_Future_of_ faqs/toilets.htm. Gender neutral toilets have just 273 Rogers and Walters 2015, 308, 289. the_Assembly-E.pdf been introduced into the White House www. charismanews.com/us/49144-obama-opens- 274 www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk- 288 uk.news.yahoo.com/sleeping-mp-blasted- first-gender-neutral-bathrooms-at-white-house politics-27062577. The 2015 Administration online-actually-115437272.html It is often said Committee report queried ‘whether this [criticism by MPs and officials that women’s voices are 302 uk.businessinsider.com/pizza-shops- of PMQs] was a gender specific issue’. This is not always picked up properly by the existing unisex-bathroom-goes-viral-2016-1. Having not, however, the test of whether a parliamentary equipment. had to take my ageing father into a women’s practice is masculinised. Some men may very toilet in a pub, a unisex/gender neutral toilet well be put off by the particular masculine 289 Rogers and Walters, 2015, 12. would have been most welcome. performance demanded by PMQs. Similarly, some women might very well relish it. 290 This would be facilitated by a move to 303 The Rt Hon Dawn Primarolo. Primarolo was ‘on Estate’ electronic voting. one of the MPs for my university city, the MP for 275 House of Commons Service 2015, 11. Bristol South 1987-2015. 291 Rogers and Walters 2015, 372. The 276 Rogers and Walters 2015, 142. obvious example here is the German Bundestag 304 Following Pitkin on symbolic representation www.galinsky.com/buildings/reichstag/index. (1967, 100). See also Lombardo and Meier (2014). 277 www.hansardsociety.org.uk/wp-content/ htm; nearer to home, the National Assembly for uploads/2014/02/Tuned-in-or-Turned-off- Wales and the Scottish Parliament building are 305 The majority of the Collection dates from Public-attitudes-to-PMQs.pdf ; www.bbc. also illustrative. to the late 18th century to the current day. co.uk/news/uk-politics-26133375 The works are used widely by departments 292 R&R offers up the possibility of of the House involved in public engagement, 278 blog.hansardsociety.org.uk/pmqs2015/ reconsidering what maximises visitor see www.parliament.uk/art. experiences. A point made by Oonagh Gay.

66 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 306 The constituencies and people Parliament 319 www.washingtonpost.com/ 331 As the then ten year old son of a friend – in represents are also made present through posteverything/wp/2015/10/13/why-i-say-no- a blatant attempt not to be sent to bed – asked images such as a Chartist petition being to-all-male-panels/ pointed questions about the behaviour of MPs in presented in 1842, www.parliament.uk/ the Chamber during PMQs, and could not make business/committees/committees-a-z/ 320 Parties would by so acting fulfil Speaker’s sense of the MP running to the division lobbies commons-select/petitions-committee/petition- Conference Recommendation 27. with her screaming toddler. of-the-month/1842-chartist-petition/ or Caroline Lucas, Green Party, Brighton, 24 March 2010, 321 This would fulfil Speaker’s Conference 332 It addressed class mostly through Brighton Pavilion constituency, www.parliament. Recommendation 57. See also the Digital consideration of the costs of political uk/worksofart/artwork/simon-roberts/caroline- Democracy Recommendation 25. participation. See Lovenduski 2010. lucas-green-party-brighton-24-march-2010- brighton-pavilion-constituency/7134 322 This would fulfil Speaker’s Conference 333 According to Philip Davies MP (19 Nov Com Recommendation 26. 242WH): ‘One of the most depressing things 307 Sir Lionel Earle suggests adopting the to have happened was the introduction of a SC National Portrait Gallery’s 10 year rule. 323 See also WIP APPG 2014 Report; Crewe on Women and Equalities. After everything else, 2015a, 25. in 2015, we have a separate committee to deal 308 PM Stanley Baldwin ‘his agreement with with women’s issues, on top of the Women’s the rule’, Source: Emily Green Assistant Curator 324 Included in the WIP APPG Report 2014, 27. Minister, Women’s Question Time, and the many (21/12/15). strategies in this country that only deal with 325 ESRC/UoB Impact Acceleration Award women. For the record I do not care less if every 309 As the WIP APPG (2014, 20) Report 2015-16, ES/M500410/1. MP in this House were female or if every member suggested. of my staff were female, as long as they were 326 See for example, for the UK, Norris and there on merit. Cf Maria Miller in the same debate 310 These are all, admittedly, Labour women Lovenduski 1995; Childs 2004, 2008; Childs and (Column 256WH) ...International Men’s Day is MPs but this is a product of Labour’s time in Webb 2012; Campbell and Childs 2015, and also about promoting gender equality ...women office between 1997 and 2010. for global studies, Kittilison 2006; Hughes and face discrimination on a daily basis – that is not Paxton 2016. a myth. He does not do his case much good by 311 As with New Dawn, www.parliament.uk/ attempting to belittle that discrimination. about/art-in-parliament/news/2015/march/ 327 This Report does not seek to produce an artwork-to-commemorate-womens-suffrage- account of the gendered nature of the UK House 334 WIP APPG methodology included: online commissioned-/, and in the Scottish Parliament, of Commons, see for example Crewe 2015a,b; survey of all MPs, evidence from external ‘Travelling the Distance’, www.gov.scot/Topics/ Childs 2013c; Krook and Mackay 2011. www. experts; oral and written evidence from current People/Equality/18500/comsculp femfiin.com. Joni Lovenduski (2005, 50 & 52- and retired MPs; review of progress of Speaker’s 3)): Both gender theory and institutional theory Conference recommendations (2014, 12). The 312 In Iceland the Centenary of Suffrage suggests that institutions have considerable Report’s suggestion that ‘job-share for MPs and celebrations included a digital screen on the capacity to reproduce their cultures. See also Ministers’ be reviewed is to be addressed in a outside of a parliamentary building with images Crewe 2015a. parliamentsandlegislatures. stand-alone pamphlet, to be published in late of all the women MPs on a loop. Personal wordpress.com/2015/07/29/what-is-a-good- summer 2016. observation. ethnography-of-parliament/ 335 For a comparison with Sweden, see 313 The suffrage campaign is rightly a huge 328 www.publications.parliament.uk/ Freidenvall (2013). Interviewing both women and part of Parliament’s history but the story of pa/spconf/239/239i.pdf. This strategy of men she found that men had a slightly more women and the House of Commons must not establishing a Speaker’s Conference was positive view of the Parliament; critical views become reduced to suffrage. See Chi Onwurah prompted by the 2005 Hansard Society Women came primarily from the women in the opposition MP (21 January 2016) discussing the items on at the Top Report. parties, who had served in the Parliament for sale in the bookshop and the walls of the Palace. some time. www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/ 329 appgimprovingparliamentreport.co.uk/ cmhansrd/cm160121/debindx/160121-x.htm download/APPG-Women-In-Parliament- 336 June 2015 to February 2016. Report-2014.pdf I was an adviser to the APPG 314 www.parliament.uk/about/mps-and-lords/ for this Report. 337 Interviewees are not named for reasons of members/apg/ anonymity. 330 Report for the House of Commons 315 www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/ Administration Committee on the findings of 338 See the Acknowledgements. cmallparty/160603/women-in-parliament.htm the interview study with Members on women’s experience in Parliament. It adopted a qualitative 339 See the Acknowledgements. 316 allmalepanels.tumblr.com/; www.owen. approach with interviews (23 Members) and org/pledge focus groups. The aim was to ‘give a real sense 340 ‘So a gendered hierarchy is not merely of some of the issues experienced by women, revealed by the absence of women from 317 www.theatlantic.com/business/ particularly as a result of living and working in influential or decision making forums, but by the archive/2015/10/the-odds-that-a- two geographical centres’ (2015, 4). 17, one-to- denigration of their ideas when they do articulate panel-would-randomly-be-all-men-are- one interviews, one paired interview, one focus them’ (Crewe 2015a, 214-5). astronomical/411505/; ‘qz.com/ group; Labour MPs over-interviewed; women 20 524694/524694/ to 3 men interviewed. See also www.parliament. 341 www.publications.parliament.uk/ uk/documents/commons-committees/admin- pa/cm201516/cmhansrd/cm151110/ 318 This report contains precise committee/Interview-study-Members-leaving- halltext/151110h0001.htm recommendations for select committee Parliament-report%20-%20April%202016.pdf composition and witnesses.

THE GOOD PARLIAMENT 67 342 Galligan and Meier (2014, 19) note that Portugal allows for temporary substitution; Estonian MPs may request a suspension of their mandate for raising a child under three.

343 www.aph.gov.au/~/media/02%20 Parliamentary%20Business/24%20 Committees/243%20Reps%20Committees/ Procedures/NursingMothers/FullReport. pdf?la=en

344 Not all disabled or gay MPs will be ‘out’; the gendered definition of manual labour might mean that women’s jobs are less likely to be included. See Criddle (in Cowley and Kavanagh, 2015, 342) and Jones (2011, 144). See Appendix 7 for tables for Sex and BME representation.

345 Criddle, in Cowley and Kavanagh 2015, 357.

346 www.disabilitypolitics.org.uk/; www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-21464655.

347 Criddle (in Cowley and Kavanagh 2015, 349), citing Andrew Reynolds. www.bbc.co.uk/ news/uk-11398629; www.theguardian.com/ society/2015/apr/05/10-per-cent-population- gay-alfred-kinsey-statistics. See also www.academia.edu/21837364/Standing_Out_ Transgender_and_Gender_Variant_Candidates_ and_Elected_Officials_Around_the_World.

348 All data from the House of Commons Department for Information Services.

349 Changes to sitting times on Wednesdays were agreed on 19 December 1994 and came into effect on 25 January 1995. The changes applied on an experimental basis until the end of the 1994-95 Session [HC Deb 19 December 1994 cc1456-1498 (debate); cc1500-1507 (decision)].

350 On 2 November 1995, the House agreed to make Wednesday morning sittings in the House permanent, hansard.millbanksystems. com/commons/1995/nov/02/parliamentary- procedure.

351 Thursday sittings began at 11.30am from 11 January 1999. See HC Deb 16 December 1998 cc986-1058 and HC Deb 20 November 2000 c101. Sittings in Westminster Hall replaced Wednesday morning sittings from the beginning of the 1999-2000 Session, initially on an experimental basis (See HC Deb 24 May 1999 cc81-132). Sittings in Westminster Hall were made permanent from the beginning of the 2002-03 Session and the Standing Order providing for Wednesday morning sittings in the Chamber was repealed.

352 HC Deb 29 October 2002 cc689-843.

353 HC Deb 26 January 2005 cc327-386.

354 HC Deb 15 July 2012 cc333-385.

68 THE GOOD PARLIAMENT