Select Committee on Standards and Privileges First Report


APPENDIX 110

Statement by Mr Patrick Ferreira to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards

  1. My name is Patrick Ferreira of 43 Rue du Magistrat, 1050 Brussels.

  2. Over the past 10 years, I have worked for Ian Greer Associates, commencing my employment in London, as a researcher and working up the ladder to eventually become the Managing Director of IGA (Europe) in 1993, based in Brussels. In 1995, I was appointed Managing Director of IGA International, a position I held until the company went into liquidation earlier this year.

  3. From 1986 to 1990, I worked in the Parliamentary Research Unit of IGA. I subsequently became Head of the Unit. My responsibilities included drawing the attention of clients to various press reports concerning their interests, monitoring the initiatives of Government Departments, attending Debates, Oral Questions and Committee sessions in both Houses of Parliament. The Unit was responsible for the daily monitoring of Hansard - analysing Parliamentary Questions, Adjournment and other debates and Early Day Motions.

  4. Together with my team, I monitored matters of interest for all of IGA's clients, including that of the House of Fraser.

  5. I recall that in the run-up to the publication of the Department of Trade and Industry's report on the House of Fraser take-over by Mohamed Fayed, media and Parliamentary activity was frantic. Some of this activity was attributable, I should imagine, to the leaked DTI report, published in The Observer, in March 1989. Later on in the year however, there was considerable press speculation as to the date of publication of the report. As a result, I believe, the 1988-89 Parliamentary session, saw unprecedented Parliamentary activity in both the Commons and Lords, compared with previous Parliamentary sessions, on this issue. There were numerous Oral and Written Questions tabled and an astonishing number of Early Day Motions. I believe that there may also have been a number of Points of Order and interventions in Debates.

  6. I recall that during that session of Parliament a large number of the Early Day Motions were tabled by Mr Dale Campbell-Savours, MP, relating to various matters, including the publication of the DTI report, alleged links between Mr Harry Landy and Mr Michael Howard, Sir Edward du Cann and Lonrho, The Observer, Colonel Gadaffi, Mr Mark Thatcher, mining companies owned by Mr Tiny Rowland, the Sultan of Brunei, Dr Mawan, Tornado contracts, Dassault, Mr Donald Trelford, Mr Khashoggi, the Krupp arms deal, etc. My Unit was finding it difficult to keep pace with the different issues that required to be monitored on behalf of the House of Fraser, anticipating that in the final run-up to the report, the work-load would increase in intensity. Some welcome relief was provided by the Summer Recess.

  7. The 1989-90 Parliamentary session commenced relatively quietly insofar as the House of Fraser was concerned. I recall that about this time, the IGA fee was reduced considerably because of the delay in the publication of the DTI report and I recollect that during a review meeting with the company's Chairman, Mr Ian Greer, I asked if the fee could be renegotiated with the House of Fraser, in the run-up to the publication of the DTI report, given the work that my Unit had undertaken before the Summer Recess and the pressure that I knew would be inevitable.

  8. Early in 1990, things began to change. The DTI report was published and this was followed by a period of intense Parliamentary activity. The House of Fraser was naturally concerned (particularly Michael Cole's office) and anxious to have reports on the situation conveyed to them immediately. I recall I received a number of telephone calls at home in the late evening during this period. I believe that it is true to say that the first quarter of 1990 saw heightened activity in both Houses of Parliament, by way of Oral and Written Questions and Early Day Motions. Once again, I believe there were several Points of Order and Interventions. However, these now took a different form from that of the previous session: from relatively pro-Fayed Questions and Motions, I believe that there was more hostility. Both Oral and Written Questions were tabled asking for Mr Fayed to be prosecuted by the Director of Public Prosecutions, for the Harrods banking licence to be revoked, for Mr Fayed to be prosecuted under the Perjury Act, for Mr Fayed to be deported etc. In addition, there were Questions tabled on the Sultan of Brunei's links with Mr Fayed, the DTI inspectors report, Kleinwort Benson etc.

  9. Initially I was asked to only advise Mr Fayed's office on Parliamentary developments with regard to the House of Fraser. However, as Parliamentary activity increased before and following publication of the report, the list grew to include: Mr Royston Webb, Mrs Ruth MacIntosh, Mr Mark Griffiths, Mr Ali Fayed and Mr Michael Cole. We kept them informed of all Parliamentary developments, Debates, media reports, feedback that we were receiving from Parliamentarians and Government Departments etc. I recall that we were particularly inundated with calls from Mr Royston Webb's office and Mr Mark Griffiths. In the summer, as a token of appreciation for the work undertaken, Mrs Ruth MacIntosh invited me to the Park Lane office for lunch. It was the only occasion I had been to Park Lane.

  10. My Unit would also keep Mr Greer informed of political and media activity so that he was in a position to speak to, brief and advise Mr Fayed and to keep Parliamentarians abreast of events.

Patrick Ferreira

7 March 1997



 
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Prepared 8 July 1997