Mr Vaz's properties
243. Since Councillor Thomas had told me that
Mr Vaz owned both 144 and 146 Uppingham Road, Leicester and Mr
Kamal had claimed that Mr Thomas had for a time been a tenant,
and in receipt of housing benefit, at number 146, it appeared
that issues of registration might arise. This was because if Mr
Vaz owned a property other than his (or his wife's) personal residence
which had a substantial value or from which a substantial income
was derived he would have been required to register it under Category
8 (Land and Property) of the Register of Members' Interests.
244. In a letter dated 19 October 2000 (Annex
47), I asked Mr Vaz to confirm the facts, as I understood them,
in relation to the two properties in Uppingham Road, namely that
No. 144 was used as an office and No. 146 as a second residence.
He replied as follows, in a letter from Bindmans dated 2 November
2000 (Annex 50):
"Mr Vaz owns 144 and 146 Uppingham Road,
one as residence and the other he allows to be used as the constituency
office. The only complaint as to these properties which you have
mentioned in your letter of 7 June relates to the possibility
that Mr Vaz has received housing benefit as rent from Mr Thomas.
Mr Thomas does not live in the property and neither he nor the
Labour Party pays Mr Vaz any rent or has ever done so. Save that
you have transposed the addresses [in my letter of 19 October]
you may therefore infer that your understanding of the position
is correct."[158]
245. Mr Vaz added that he owned his home jointly
with his wife. So far as the use of 146 Uppingham Road was concerned,
the Labour Party paid its own office expenses and he had "received
no personal benefit" from the Party's occupation of this
property.
246. In January 1994 Mr Vaz sought advice, when
returning his annual Register form, as to whether he should register
his property at 144 Uppingham Road. The files do not indicate
what advice, if any, was given to Mr Vaz, but the property was
not in the event, registered.
Financial Assistance by the Co-operative
Party
247. Since this allegation appeared to relate
to the Labour Party in Leicester East and no evidence was produced
that Mr Vaz was personally involved, I did not pursue it further.
146 See paragraph 114. Back
147
This letter subsequently came, without my authority, into the
possession of Mr Colin Hall, secretary of Leicester East Constituency
Labour Party (see paragraphs 211 to 229 ). Back
148
See paragraphs 230 to 247. Back
149
I had previously received a letter from Mr and Mrs Stuttard on
another, related matter (see paragraph 220 ). Back
150
See paragraphs 272 to 284. Back
151
Mr Kamal's letter of 17 April had been sent to Mr Vaz to enable
him to comment on Mr Kamal's allegations (See paragraph
206). Back
152
See paragraphs 186 to 188. Back
153
For Mr Vaz's comments on this sequence of events, see his
response to this memorandum in draft (Annex 56A, paragraphs 44
and 48). See also paragraphs 473 to 475 of this memorandum. Back
154
See paragraph 180. Back
155
The letter refers to the '50 Club' rather than the '100 Club'. Back
156
This standard letter was sent to me by Mr Gratrix. Back
157
Allegations concerning payments by Mr Attwall to Mr Vaz are dealt
with separately in this memorandum (see paragraphs 248
to 271). Back
158
It transpired from Mr Vaz's formal response to this memorandum,
supplied to him in draft, that this statement was incorrect and
that in fact my original understanding was accurate (namely that
No. 144 was Mr Vaz's office and No. 146 was his home). See
also paragraphs 371-2 and 476 to 487. Back