Select Committee on Standards and Privileges Minutes of Evidence


Examination of witness (Questions 194 - 199)

TUESDAY 30 JANUARY 2001

MR KEITH VAZ, MP

Chairman

  194. Welcome to the Committee. You have Mr Bindman with you, your solicitor. Your position here is quite clear. You can advise your client of course whenever you wish. Do not address the Committee unless we particularly ask you and the questioning will be conducted by myself and my colleagues. The first question is what discussions have you had, if any, with Mr Kapasi about religious buildings in Leicester?

  (Mr Vaz) Mr Kapasi is the trustee or community leader of one of the groups that was seeking to acquire land in the eastern part of my constituency called Hamilton. Mr Kapasi made representations to a number of people. Mrs Filkin wrote to me and asked me if I knew whether he had written me a letter and I replied saying he may well have done so. My policy is always, if people write and ask for help, that we would help them. I have not had any particular discussions with him. Any discussions I have had on places of worship are with the council and have been minuted.

  195. Did you receive any money or payments, benefits, donations of any kind, that we should know about?
  (Mr Vaz) In respect of Mr Kapasi or generally?

  196. In general, on matters in Leicester.
  (Mr Vaz) No.

  197. Nothing from Mr Kapasi?
  (Mr Vaz) No.

  198. Not at any time?
  (Mr Vaz) No.

  199. Not through relatives or donations or charitable causes?
  (Mr Vaz) No, but when Mrs Filkin wrote to Mr Kapasi, as is clear in the report, he told Mrs Filkin that he had made a donation of £52 to a charity that was set up following the death of my first child. I was not able to tell Mrs Filkin that because I was not aware that he had done so until she wrote to him and reminded him.


 
previous page contents next page

House of Commons home page Parliament home page House of Lords home page search page enquiries index

© Parliamentary copyright 2001
Prepared 16 March 2001