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Letter from Mr Neil Hamilton MP to Parliamentary
Commissioner for Standards
I am sorry that I have not come back to you
before now on some of the outstanding questions in your previous
letters. You will understand that, unlike The Guardian,
I do not have teams of professionals to do all the work involved
in responding to the allegations. You are also aware of the difficulties
deliberately placed in my way by The Guardian - and it
is now admitted in their oral evidence that their harassment of
me is part of a carefully staged campaign to destroy me.
I hope the following answers your questions:
1. STRATEGY NETWORK INTERNATIONAL
I accepted a consultancy with SNI on 2 July
1990. Within three weeks I resigned, on my appointment as a Government
Whip. My consultancy fee was £8,000 per annum paid monthly
in advance. Accordingly I received £667 in respect of my
first month.
I resigned the appointment within the four week
period allowed for registration. There was no related parliamentary
activity - indeed, to the best of my recollection, no activity
of any kind. Accordingly I assumed I did not need to register
it.
I gave no thought to the question of registration
until, in the aftermath of The Guardian's article of 20
October 1994, I was telephoned by a journalist from The Independent,
who informed me that they would be publishing an article criticising
me for non-registration of this interest.
I went almost immediately to consult Mr Hastings,
who had been the Registrar of Members' Interests in 1990 and
enquired whether he would have considered this de minimis
at the time. He told me that he might well have done so.
This is consistent with the note taken by Andrew
Mitchell of his conversation with Mr Sands on 24 October 1994
and which is reproduced in Appendix 1 to the Committee on Standards
and Privileges Third Report Session 1996-97.
I note that Mr Sands says (as reported by Mr
Mitchell) that I "was entitled not to register it `especially
if there was no related Parliamentary activity' ". Also
he is reported as saying: "I can understand his argument;
it is not worthless." Had it continued, I should certainly
have registered it. It simply did not occur to me at the time
and in the circumstances that I should do so.
2. MOBIL OIL
I was a consultant on taxation matters to Mobil
Oil plc in 1989 and this interest was duly registered at the
time. I asked no Parliamentary Questions on behalf of the company;
nor was I ever asked to do so.
3. PLATEAU MINING PLC
I was appointed a non-executive director of
Plateau Mining plc in January 1990 and duly registered the interest.
I resigned my office immediately upon my appointment as a Government
Whip in July 1990. My resignation was duly minuted in the Board
Minutes and referred to in the Annual Report and Accounts.
My salary was paid quarterly in arrears. Although
I resigned in July, only three weeks into the third quarter of
the year, the company decided, as a valediction, to pay me the
full salary to which I would have been entitled had I continued
in office until September 1990.
4. FINANCING OF TRIP TO FRANCE, SEPTEMBER 1990
At this distance in time it is impossible to
be precise about how this trip was financed. Our expenses were
low - we stayed with friends in Normandy and Strasbourg, and
in between stayed at the Paris Ritz at the invitation of Mr Mohamed
Fayed.
There are no specific mentions of foreign currency
on my bank statements. If we did buy foreign currency from the
National Westminster Bank I believe the statement would mention
only the sterling amount and not the exchange details.
We never reconvert travellers cheques left uncashed
at the end of a foreign trip. It is possible that we had some
left over from an earlier trip. Similarly we never reconvert currencies
which we frequently use such as French francs. It is highly likely
that we had a reasonable quantity of francs remaining from a previous
visit to France.
We would also have taken some sterling notes
with us. I note also that we purchased some francs on a credit
card around 18 September and paid also for some hotel/restaurant
bills with a credit card around 25 September.
I cannot now remember whether we drew out cash
from the bank prior to departure. There is a withdrawal of £1,250
on 28 August. This may have been spending money for the holiday.
19 February 1997
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