(a)  to provide guidance for Members of the House of Lords on the standards of conduct expected of them in the discharge of their parliamentary and public duties;

(b)  to provide the openness and accountability necessary to reinforce public confidence in the way in which Members of the House of Lords perform their parliamentary and public duties.

2.  This Code applies to all Members of the House of Lords who have not taken leave of absence.

(a)  must comply with the Code of Conduct;

(b)  should act always on their personal honour;

(c)  must never accept any financial inducement as an incentive or reward for exercising parliamentary influence;

(d)  must not vote on any bill or motion, or ask any question in the House or a committee, or promote any matter, in return for payment or any other material benefit (the "no paid advocacy" rule).

5.  Members of the House should observe the seven general principles of conduct identified by the Committee on Standards in Public Life. The seven principles are:

(a)  Selflessness: Holders of public office should take decisions solely in terms of the public interest They should not do so in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends.

(b)  Integrity: Holders of public office should not place themselves under any financial or other obligation to outside individuals or organisations that might influence them in the performance of their official duties.

(c)  Objectivity: In carrying out public business, including making public appointments, awarding contracts, or recommending individuals for rewards and benefits, holders of public office should make choices on merit.

(d)  Accountability: Holders of public office are accountable for their decisions and actions to the public and must submit themselves to whatever scrutiny is appropriate to their office.

(e)  Openness: Holders of public office should be as open as possible about all the decisions and actions that they take. They should give reasons for their decisions and restrict information only when the wider public interest clearly demands.

(f)  Honesty: Holders of public office have a duty to declare any private interests relating to their public duties and to take steps to resolve any conflicts arising in a way that protects the public interest

(g)  Leadership: Holders of public office should promote and support these principles by leadership and example.

A Member of the House must register relevant interests before 31st March 2002 and thereafter within one month of acquiring them.

The register shall be available for public inspection in accordance with arrangements made by the Registrar. The register shall be regularly updated and shall be reprinted annually. The annual publication shall include all interests registered since the previous edition and all continuing interests unless their termination has been notified to the Registrar.

(a)  register in the Register of Lords' Interests all relevant interests, in order to make clear what are the interests that might reasonably be thought to influence their actions;

(b)  declare when speaking in the House, or communicating with ministers, government departments or executive agencies, any interest which is a relevant interest in the context of the debate or the matter under discussion. This is necessary in order that their audience may form a balanced judgment of their arguments. In cases where Members of the House vote in a division where they have a relevant interest that they have not been able to declare, they should register that interest within 24 hours of the division.

10.  The test of relevant interest is therefore not whether a Member's actions in Parliament will be influenced by the interest, but whether the public might reasonably think that this might be the case.

11.  Relevant interests include both financial and non-financial interests.

(a)  any consultancy agreement under which Members of the House provide parliamentary advice or services. A copy of any such agreement, and the remuneration received by Members for advice in relation to parliamentary matters, must be deposited with the Registrar of Lords' Interests, so that details are available for public inspection.

(b)  employment or any other financial interest in businesses involved in parliamentary lobbying on behalf of clients, including public relations and law firms but Members of the House involved with organisations that offer commercial lobbying services are not obliged to refrain from participating in parliamentary business in connection with all clients of that organisation but only their personal clients;

(c)  any remunerated service which Members of the House provide by virtue of their position as Members of Parliament, and the clients of any such service;

(d)  employment as a non-parliamentary consultant;

(e)  remunerated directorships;

(f)  regular remunerated employment (excluding occasional income from speeches, lecturing, broadcasting and journalism);

(g)  shareholdings amounting to a controlling interest;

(h)  provision by an outside body of secretarial and research assistance;

(i)  visits with costs paid in the United Kingdom and overseas, made as a Member of Parliament, except any visits paid for from public funds.

13.  The list in paragraph 12 above is not exhaustive. For example, relevant financial interests may also include (depending on their significance):

(a)  shareholdings not amounting to a controlling interest;

(b)  landholdings (excluding Members' homes);

(c)  the financial interests of a spouse or relative or friend;

(d)  hospitality or gifts given to a Member which could reasonably be regarded as an incentive to support a particular cause or interest

14.  Except for remuneration received by Members for advice in relation to parliamentary matters, Members of the House are not required to disclose how much they earn from the financial interests set out in paragraphs 12 and 13, but they may do so if they wish.

(a)  membership of public bodies such as hospital trusts, the governing bodies of universities, colleges and schools, and local authorities;

(b)  trusteeships of museums, galleries or similar bodies;

(c)  acting as an office-holder or trustee in pressure groups or trade unions;

(d)  acting as an office-holder or trustee in voluntary or not-for-profit organisations.

16.  The list in paragraph 15 above is not exhaustive. For example, relevant non-financial interests may also include (depending on their significance):

(a)  other trusteeships;

(b)  unpaid membership of voluntary organisations.

17.  Members of the House are not obliged to register membership of Churches, religious bodies and quasi-religious organisations. But it may be necessary to declare such interests (see paragraph 8).

(a)  Any allegation should normally be raised first with the Member complained against. However, there may be circumstances when it is more appropriate to raise the matter with a party Leader or Chief Whip, or the Convenor of the Cross Bench Peers.

(b)  If the complainant chooses to pursue the matter, he or she should refer the allegation in private directly to the Sub-Committee on Lords' Interests, through its chairman.

(c)  The Sub-Committee will then examine the allegation and may decide to investigate it further or to dismiss it.

(d)  In the investigation and adjudication of complaints against them, Members of the House have the right to safeguards as rigorous as those applied in the courts and professional disciplinary bodies.

(e)  If after investigation the Sub-Committee finds the allegation proved, the Member complained against has a right of appeal to the Committee for Privileges.

(f)  The conclusions of the Sub-Committee and of the Committee for Privileges are reported to the House.

20.  Paragraph 7 shall have effect forthwith; the remainder of this Code shall have effect from 31st March 2002; and the resolution of the House of 7th November 1995 on the practice of the House in relation to Lords' interests shall cease to have effect on the same date.

It is no longer necessary for Members with interests in this section to refrain from all parliamentary activity in relation to that interest Members should, however, be especially careful not to act in a manner contrary to paragraph 4(c) and (d) of the Code. Members must register the amount earned in respect of any interest in this section (paragraph 14).

Parliamentary lobbying: paragraph 12 (b)

This section includes public relations firms and law firms. Members with an interest in this section should provide the Registrar with a list of those clients for whom he or she acts personally. A short description of the nature of the client's business should be included in the list except in cases where it is clear. Members must register the amount earned in respect of any interest in this section (paragraph 14).

Remunerated Services: paragraph 12(c)

Only those services arising directly from membership of the House should be registered. An interest arising from a Member's profession, training or particular expertise should not be registered. Occasional income from speeches, lecturing, broadcasting and journalism should not be included. Members must register the amount earned in respect of any interest in this section (paragraph 14).

Non-parliamentary consultant: paragraph 12(d)

This section covers all consultancy arrangements not registered under paragraph 12(a) of the Code. Copies of these agreements do not need to be deposited with the Registrar, nor is it necessary to register the amount earned.

Remunerated directorships: paragraph 12(e)

It is not necessary to disclose the amounts earned from such directorships. Where not clear, the nature of the company's business should be indicated.

Regular remunerated employment: paragraph 12(f)

Where it is not clear from the entry, Members should indicate the nature of the remunerated employment. It is not necessary to register the amount earned.

Shareholdings: paragraph 12(g)

This section applies to shareholdings in any public or private company. Members entering shareholdings in this section should indicate the nature of the company's business where it is not clear.

Secretarial research and assistance: paragraph 12(h)

An entry in this section should refer only to such provision of assistance which is of direct financial benefit to the Member. If assistance is provided for the purpose of, for example, charity work and there is no direct financial benefit to the Member, the assistance should not be registered.

Visits: paragraph 12(i)

Members may wish to indicate whether a spouse or partner accompanied them on the visit if their costs were also so paid. Any visit should be registered within one month of being undertaken. An entry made in this section will remain on the Register for a period of three years from the date on which the visit was made. Visits undertaken as a public duty should not be registered.

This section only applies to shareholdings not registered under paragraph 12(g) of the Code and which constitute 5% or more of the issued share capital of the company or body or which hold a nominal value of over £50,000. Members entering shareholdings in this section should indicate the nature of a company's business where it is not clear.

Landholdings: paragraph 13(b)

Entries in this section should include foreign as well as domestic landholdings. The decision as to what to register in this section must be one for the Member of the House and will depend on the significance of the landholding. Second homes need not be registered unless regularly let at commercial rents. The nature of the holding and its general location should be entered, but it is not necessary to include the acreage. The expression "including residential property" is to be taken as indicating that there are cottages etc. on the land which may be let. For example "Farmland in Herefordshire, including residential properties".

Interests of spouse or relative or friend: paragraph 13(c)

This section is not intended necessarily to include the interest of a spouse etc. which would have to be registered were that person a Member of the House. The financial interest of a person other than a Member of the House will only in very rare circumstances be suitable for inclusion in the Register, even in cases where a declaration on the floor of the House would be desirable. An entry in the Register might be made in a case where an interest was so significant, and held by a person whose relationship to the Member was so close, that its existence might reasonably be thought to have a bearing on his or her action. The advice of the Registrar should be sought in all such cases.

Hospitality or gifts: paragraph 13(d)

This section applies only to gifts or acts of hospitality which might reasonably be thought to have been given in order to influence a Member's actions. Normally gifts or hospitality of a value less than £1,000 are unlikely to be considered significant for the purposes of the Register. Members may however wish to make a declaration in respect of a gift or act of hospitality of a lesser value in the context of a particular debate. Gifts and the acceptance of hospitality should be registered within one month of receipt and entries will remain on the Register for a period of 3 years thereafter.

The post of Patron is not to be considered an office-holding for the purposes of this section.

The post of Patron is not to be considered a relevant interest for the purposes of this section.

Voluntary organisations: paragraph 16(b)

It is not necessary to declare membership of those organisations where membership is open to all for the payment of a fee, e.g. the National Trust.