Letter from Mr Michael Brown, MP to the
Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards
I enclose a Statement which I have made today
relating to an introduction fee I received from Ian Greer Associates
in 1987-88 for introducing a client, US Tobacco.
I realise that, in retrospect, this payment
should have been declared in the Register of Members' Interests,
and I wish to apologise to you unreservedly for being mistaken
in my belief at the time that this was not necessary.
This apparent belief was referred to in the
Third Report of the Select Committee on Members' Interests (HC561,
published 25 July 1990) paragraph 3. The Committee noted that
"it may not be readily apparent from the description of
each category contained in the introduction to the Annual Register
that commission payments of a minor or casual kind should be
registered or where they should be registered". The Committee
then undertook a review of the Register.
In the light of recent events, however, surrounding
the question of Ian Greer Associates and its relationship with
Members of Parliament, I felt it right to advise you that this
was why I failed to make this declaration at the time.
I regret the embarrassment which I have caused
to the Register of Members' Interests for this error of judgment
on my part and wish to re-assure you and the Committee that I
have checked all other declarations since I entered the House
in 1979 regarding visits, directorships and consultancies and
am satisfied that this is the only omission in my declaration
in the Register.
Michael Brown
2 October 1996
Statement by Mr Michael Brown, MP
I confirm that while making representations
to the Government against the closure of the US Tobacco factory
in Scotland after the Government had made available regional
financial assistance, I decided that US Tobacco required professional
public affairs advice which I could not give.
I gave US Tobacco the names of several Public
Affairs companies. As a result, Ian Greer Associates were successful
in gaining US Tobacco as a client. Subsequently, I received an
introductory commission.
Given the lack of clarity of the Parliamentary
rules as they then existed, it appeared to me that I did not have
to declare this in the Register of Members' Interests. In the
light of recent events, I feel that Sir Gordon Downey, Parliamentary
Commissioner for Standards, should be aware of these facts.
2 October 1996
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