17 May 2002
In an interview with Public Finance, Filkin said she was not provided with enough staff to handle the workload she faced as the watchdog for MPs. As a result she had had to undertake all the investigative work herself.
'There were several staff inspections during the time that I was there… and the findings, which were for additional resources, were never implemented,' she added.
Filkin left her post in February after being told that she would have to apply for a further three-year term, instead of being automatically reappointed to the post. She was replaced by former mandarin Philip Mawer and is now calling for the independence of the commissioner's position to be bolstered.
'By that I mean that members of the standards and privileges committee should not be able to lobby, and senior members of the House of Commons should not be able to lobby,' Filkin said.
Filkin also said MPs needed to recognise that leaking investigation documents and briefing the press before inquiries were complete was conduct 'not appropriate to an investigative disciplinary system'.
She added: 'Many people have said to me that the House of Commons has not done itself any favours by not accepting rigorous appraisal and accountability,' she added. 'I have to say now that there is something in that.'
Filkin is due to give evidence to the Wicks committee on standards in public life, currently investigating the regulation of MPs' conduct, on May 20.
Elizabeth Filkin is speaking at the CIPFA conference on Wednesday, June 12
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