At the Council Chamber, Whitehall

THE 18 DAY OF OCTOBER, 2002

BY THE LORDS OF HER MAJESTY'S

MOST HONOURABLE PRIVY COUNCIL

WHEREAS by an Order of Council dated 20th May 1997 a Committee of the Privy Council was established for the period of the duration of the present Government to assist the Prime Minister in putting forward to Her Majesty the names of persons for appointment to a dignity or honour on account of political services:

AND WHEREAS it is expedient that new provision should be made for the scrutiny of proposals for honours:

NOW THEREFORE it is ordered as follows:-

In this Order:-

“political donation” means any donation or donations totalling more than £5,000 made during the previous five years to a registered political party represented in the House of Commons;

“political nominee” means a person whom the Prime Minister proposes to recommend to Her Majesty for appointment to any dignity or honour (other than a peerage) on account of political services;

“non-political nominee” means a person whom the Prime Minister proposes to recommend to Her Majesty for appointment to any dignity or honour at the level of Knight, Dame or above (other than a peerage) where the proposed recommendation is not on account of political services, but where the person concerned has made a political donation;

The Order of 20th May 1997 is revoked.

The Lord Thomson of Monifieth, KT, the Baroness Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde and the Lord Hurd of Westwell, CH, CBE are appointed a Committee of the Privy Council for the period of the duration of office of the present Government to assist the Prime Minister in making recommendations to Her Majesty in respect of political and non-political nominees.

The Lord Thomson of Monifieth, KT, is appointed to be Chairman of the Committee.

Mrs Patricia Gay Warren Catto is appointed to act as Secretary to the Committee.

The Committee shall carry out its responsibilities in the manner described in the Schedule to this Order.

A. K. Galloway

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SCHEDULE

The Committee established by the above Order will assist the Prime Minister as follows:-

1. The Prime Minister will cause to be submitted to the Committee the following particulars in respect of each political and non-political nominee:-

(a) the reasons for the recommendation;

(b) full details of the political services rendered or performed, or, as the case may be, of any political donation;

(c) a statement made on behalf of the leader of the relevant political party by a representative appointed by him for the purpose that he has made all necessary enquiries and has satisfied himself that no payment or expectation of payment to that party, or to a political fund associated with that party, is directly or indirectly responsible for the recommendation;

(d) the name of the person or organisation considered by the Prime Minister to be responsible for the original recommendation.

2. The Committee, after such enquiry as they think fit, will report to the Prime Minister whether each political nominee whose particulars they have considered is a fit and proper person to be recommended, having regard to his or her history and general character, and whether they are satisfied that no payment or expectation of payment to any party or political fund was directly or indirectly responsible for the recommendation.

3. In the case of every non-political nominee they shall report whether they are satisfied that the political donation made by that nominee was not a factor in the recommendation.

4. It shall not be part of the Committee's responsibility to initiate recommendations for honours, to select individuals for honours or to take a view on whether an individual has been recommended for an honour of an appropriate nature or at an appropriate level.

5. If the Prime Minister recommends to Her Majesty the name of any person in respect of whom the Committee have reported either that he or she is not suitable or that they are not satisfied that a political donation was not a factor in the recommendation, the report of the Committee will be submitted to Her Majesty with the recommendation.