In 2009, the Rt Reverend
and Crossbench Peer Lord Eames, was appointed as the head of a cross party
review group to draw up new rules that would ban Lords from taking money from
lobby firms to ask questions in parliament.
The rule change took place
following allegations that four Labour Lords had offered to try and amend laws
for up to £120,000. At the time, not only were there no rules to prevent such
behaviour, but there was also no Commissioner for Standards to investigate
wrongdoing.
Lord Eames concluded in a
report that the rules needed to change, a commissioner for standards needed to
be instated because “We need to restore public confidence in the House of
Lords, and in the conduct of its members…There is no place in the House of
Lords for 'peers for hire'." At least these two proposals were implemented,
but the House of Lords has remained an open house to lobbyists.