Schedule 2: Commissioner for Parliamentary Investigations
72.Schedule 2 makes provision for the appointment of the Commissioner, for his or her terms and conditions, resignation and removal from office, remuneration and status which is the same as that made for the members of the IPSA in Schedule 1.
73.Paragraph 3 sets limits to the term of office of the Commissioner. The Commissioner will be appointed for a single fixed term not exceeding five years. A person appointed as the Commissioner may not be reappointed to that office.
74.Paragraph 7 lays a duty on the IPSA to provide the Commissioner with adequate resources to fulfil his or her functions, and in particular the staff to assist in carrying out those functions. Because his or her resources will be provided by the IPSA, there is no separate requirement on the Commissioner to prepare annual accounts. Paragraph 8 requires the Commissioner to prepare an annual report which the Speaker must lay before each House of Parliament. The Commissioner is to publish the report in any manner he or she considers appropriate.
75.Paragraph 10 extends the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to cover the Commissioner. This will mean that the Commissioner will have to introduce a publication scheme explaining how he or she intends to handle the information in his or her possession, as well as being obliged to consider requests for information in accordance with the provisions of that Act.