Clerk of the House of Commons explained

Post:Clerk
Body:the House of Commons
Insignia:House of Commons of the United Kingdom logo 2018.svg
Insigniasize:240
Insigniaalt:Logo of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom consisting of the crowned portcullis alongside the words "House of Commons"
Incumbent:Tom Goldsmith
Incumbentsince:1 October 2023
Department:House of Commons
Status:Principal constitutional adviser to the House and Corporate Officer of the House
Seat:Palace of Westminster
Appointer:The Crown (de jure)
Appointer Qualified:Clerk of the Parliaments (de facto)
Inaugural:Robert de Melton
Formation:1363
first permanent appointment

The clerk of the House of Commons is the chief executive of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and before 1707 in the House of Commons of England.

The formal name for the position held by the Clerk of the House of Commons is Under Clerk of the Parliaments;[1] The chief clerk of the House of Lords is the Clerk of the Parliaments.

Appointment

The Clerk of the House is appointed by the sovereign by Letters Patent, in which they are styled "Under Clerk of the Parliaments [...] to attend upon the Commons".[2] Before 1748, the Clerkship of the House of Commons could be purchased until Jeremiah Dyson (then Clerk of the House) ended the practice of purchase when he left the Clerkship.[3]

Duties

The Clerk of the House is the principal constitutional adviser to the house, and adviser on all its procedure and business, including parliamentary privilege, and frequently appears before select and joint committees examining constitutional and parliamentary matters. As with all the members of the House Service, he is politically entirely impartial and is not a civil servant. Until 1 January 2008, when the reforms to the house's governance proposed by the Tebbit Review of management and services of the house were implemented, the clerk was the head of the Clerk's Department.[4] He sits at the table of the house, in the right-hand chair (the left-hand chair, looking towards the Speaker’s chair) for part of every sitting. The historic role of the clerks at the table is to record the decisions of the house (not what is said, which is recorded by Hansard). This they (but not the clerk) still do. The clerks at the table used to wear court dress with wing collar and white tie, a bob (barrister’s) wig and a silk gown. However, as of February 2017 the clerks will only have to wear gowns.[5] For the State Opening of Parliament and other state occasions, the Clerk of the House wears full court dress with breeches, and a lace jabot and cuffs.[6]

Incumbent

, the office is currently held by Tom Goldsmith, previously the Principal Clerk of the Table Office, who replaced Sir John Benger when he retired on 1 October 2023.[7]

List of Clerks of the House of Commons

14th century

15th century

16th century

17th century

18th century

19th century

21st century

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1992/Ukpga_19920027_en_1 Parliamentary Corporate Bodies Act 1992
  2. Web site: Clerk of the House of Commons . erskinemay.parliament.uk . Houses of Parliament . 16 February 2021.
  3. Book: Rogers . Robert . Who Goes Home? A Parliamentary Miscellany . 18 September 2012 . Biteback Publishing . 9781849544801.
  4. Web site: Clerk of the House of Commons . www.parliament.uk . 28 May 2020.
  5. News: Speaker Bercow says Commons clerks' wigs to get chop – BBC News. BBC News. 2017-02-06. en-GB.
  6. Web site: Clerk of the House and Chief Executive . 24 July 2014 . Parliament.uk.
  7. United Kingdom . Speaker’s Statement . House of Commons . 30 March 2023 . . Speaker of the House.
  8. Web site: House of Commons Commission decisions, 16 October 2014 . 20 October 2014 . parliament.uk.
  9. Web site: Clerk of the House of Commons appointment: Dr John Benger . GOV.UK . Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street . 15 February 2019 . en . 5 February 2019.
  10. Web site: Tom Goldsmith appointed as Clerk of the House of Commons . Parliament of the United Kingdom . 30 March 2023.