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Letter from the Parliamentary Commissioner
for Standards to Mr Gerald Malone MP
I wrote to you on 20 January seeking information
about contributions from Mr Greer towards election expenses.
As you know this related to allegations, principally by The
Guardian, against a number of Members, including yourself.
I am now in a position to set out in formal
terms the complaint made against you by The Guardian.
ALLEGATION MADE BY THE GUARDIAN AGAINST GERRY MALONE
MP
1. In November 1985, when Parliamentary Private
Secretary to the Secretary of State for Trade (Leon Brittan),
you met Mr Mohamed Al-Fayed at 60 Park Lane at the suggestion
of Ian Greer. Shortly after that meeting, you spoke to the Secretary
of State on behalf of Mr Al-Fayed.
2. In May 1987, as a reward for that activity,
you were given £1,000 from Ian Greer Associates for election
expenses.
This allegation is now set out at pages 64 and
65 of Sleaze - The Corruption of Parliament by David Leigh
and Ed Vulliamy - a copy of those pages is enclosed.
I would welcome a detailed, written response
to these allegations setting out which are accepted, which are
disputed, and in so far as actions or omissions are accepted
by you as correctly described, providing any explanations which
may assist me in my inquiry.
I do not seek to place any limit on the length
of any written statement which you may wish to submit, but so
that the inquiry can proceed I would appreciate your written
statement as soon as possible, and in any event, by 6 February
1997. If you propose to submit written statements from others
who may assist me in considering your responses to these allegations,
I would also hope that they could be provided to me by the same
date.
If there are potential witnesses from whom you
have not been able to obtain written statements, please identify
them (with details as to how they can be contacted) and explain
why their evidence will assist me in investigation of the allegations
set out earlier in this letter.
DOCUMENTS
I would welcome copies of any documents upon
which you may wish to rely.
PROCEDURE
I enclose a copy of the procedure note which
forms the basis for the conduct of my inquiry.
(Sir Gordon Downey)
28 January 1997
Letter from Mr Gerald Malone MP to the
Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards
Following my letter in response to yours of
28 January I have had an opportunity to clarify the points I raised
with David Doig, for which I am grateful. I can now respond fully
to your original letter, on the understanding that it is the
material in the book by David Leigh and Ed Vulliamy that comprises
the substance and extent of the complaint or allegation against
me.
In November 1985, when I was PPS to Leon Brittan,
Mohamed Al-Fayed requested a meeting with him through his private
office. This was discussed within the Secretary of State's private
office and while it was thought that the matter did not warrant
a meeting with the Secretary of State, it was decided that it
would be courteous to suggest a meeting with me. The meeting
took place and I reported what Mr Al-Fayed had to say to the
Secretary of State. As far as I am concerned that was an end of
the matter.
In May 1987 my Aberdeen South constituency Association
received a donation for its election fighting fund from Ian Greer.
The origin of the donation was not disclosed. I recollected that
it was described as being directed towards marginal seats, was
unaware that it had any association with Mr Al-Fayed, and did
not make any connection with the meeting that had taken place
some 18 months before.
As the donation is described as "undeclared"
in the book, meaning, I assume, in the Register of Members' Interests,
it may be material that, at the time I was not a Member of Parliament.
I was not returned to the House until 1992.
4 February 1997
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