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<p>I have not received any formal complaints from members, their staff or House staff
but under neither the current system nor the proposed future system would complaints
come to me. Currently complaints may be received by the House Administration, the
Commissioner for Standards, any of the political parties or whips, or the Convenor
of the Crossbench Peers.</p><p> </p><p>Complaints of bullying or harassment by members
of the House of Lords may be made to the Commissioner for Standards. Consideration
of complaints by the Commissioner follows a two stage process. The Commissioner conducts
a preliminary assessment to determine whether there is evidence sufficient to establish
a prima facie case that the Code has been breached. This stage of the process is confidential,
known only to the Commissioner, complainant and respondent. Basic details of cases
are made public only if a complaint proceeds to the second stage, which is a formal
investigation.</p><p> </p><p>When I launched the consultation on 11 February there
were no live formal investigations by the Commissioner solely in relation to the Code’s
personal honour provision, which is the only aspect of the Code likely to be engaged
by complaints of bullying and harassment. No such investigations have been initiated
since the consultation was launched.</p><p> </p><p>Furthermore, no formal complaints
relating to the behaviour of House of Lords members were being dealt with by the Administration
when the consultation was launched, and none have been initiated since.</p><p> </p>
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