UK OGN response to House of Commons Modernisation Committee published
The submission from the UK Open Government Network (UK OGN) to the House of Commons Modernisation Committee has been published and it available to view here.
The Modernisation Committee was set up to ‘consider reforms to House of Commons procedures, standards, and working practices.’
The House of Commons Modernisation Committee has today launched a call for views on:
•Driving up standards
•Improving culture and working practices
•Reforming Parliamentary procedures— UK House of Commons (@HouseofCommons) October 17, 2024
The UK OGN submission focussed on driving up standards, workplace culture, and parliamentary procedures to rebuild trust and enhance Parliament’s relevance and effectiveness.
It also made recommendations associated with Open Parliaments, defined by the Open Government Partnership as ‘one that encourages transparency, participation, and accountability both within the parliamentary institution and throughout government’ and ‘open state’ defined by the OECD as ‘when the executive, legislature, judiciary, independent public institutions, and all levels of government collaborate, exploit synergies, and share good practices and lessons learned to promote open government.’
Content in the submission includes:
- Transparency and Accountability
- Proactive Publication of Parliamentary Data
- Legislative Footprint System
- Enhancing Ethical Oversight, Including MPs’ Second Jobs
- Inclusive and Safe Workplace Culture
- Strengthening Harassment and Bullying Mechanisms
- Gender Equity and Diversity Initiatives
- Enhancing Family-Friendly Policies
- Procedural Reform and Public Engagement
- Mandating Pre-Legislative Scrutiny for All Bills
- Mandating Public Consultations
- Strengthening Parliamentary Communication
- Modernising Parliamentary Practices
The Modernisation Committee has since published a memorandum on its next steps.