The Commission does not control or regulate All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs).<\/p>
The rules for APPGs are approved by the House. The Guide to the APPG Rules<\/a> by the Committee on Standards makes clear that each group\u2019s Chair and Registered Contact is responsible for ensuring that if any person or organisation provides a secretariat or support service, that person or organisation is aware of and complies with the rules of the House. Members of the House are subject to the provision in the Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament that \u201cMembers must only use information which they have received in confidence in the course of their parliamentary activities in connection with those activities, and never for other purposes\u201d.<\/p> The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards may investigate allegations of a breach of the Code of Conduct and the associated APPG Rules, and he may report to the Committee on Standards any findings from such an investigation.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1493", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Charles Walker"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Broxbourne"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Sir Charles Walker"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-05-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "previousAnswerVersion" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1716550/answer/previousversion/33835", "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1493", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Charles Walker"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Broxbourne"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Sir Charles Walker"}
}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-05-15T14:16:26.307Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "18"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "House of Commons Commission"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "House of Commons Commission"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2024-05-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "All-party Parliamentary Groups: National Security"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, what steps the Commission is taking to ensure that secretariats of All-Party Parliamentary Groups do not pass sensitive information to foreign governments.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1566", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Daniel Kawczynski"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Shrewsbury and Atcham"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Daniel Kawczynski"}
], "uin" : "25197"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1716551", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "House of Commons Commission"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1716551/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Commission does not control or regulate All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs).<\/p> The Committee on Standards put forward recommendations which were approved by the House on 19 July 2023. These included the following provisions which are now contained within the APPG rules:<\/p> a) groups are not permitted to have a secretariat either provided or funded by a foreign government.<\/p> b) a group\u2019s officers must undertake due diligence as to whether a foreign government is the eventual funder of a secretariat or other benefit. If a group receives a benefit (other than a secretariat) from a foreign government, this is permissible but must be registered.<\/p> c) for groups receiving over £1500 in benefits in a calendar year, the group shall publish an annual report explaining its work and a due diligence statement in relation to foreign government funding.<\/p>