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Business of the House

My hon. Friend is quite right that this is an important issue and the public need to know that the resources that Members have for fulfilling their responsibilities are adequate and properly accounted for. As he knows, before the Standards and Privileges Committee looked into the case of the hon. Member for Old Bexley and Sidcup (Derek Conway), the House decided to refer the question of all the allowances to the Members Estimate Committee for a root and branch review. That review and that work are now under way. In the light of the case of the hon. Member for Old Bexley and Sidcup, the Standards and Privileges Committee has proposed some changes in the operation of the Register of Members' Interests. That makes an important contribution to debate on the matter. It would be helpful if the House considered all the issues together, and examined the Committee's suggestions in the light of the report from the Members Estimate Committee, in order to resolve the matter before the summer recess.