Select Committee on Standards and Privileges Appendices to the Minutes of Evidence


APPENDIX 26

Letter to the Clerk of the Committee on Standards and Privileges from Thompsons, Solicitors

COUNCILLOR PIARA SINGH CLAIR:

 EVIDENCE TO THE COMMITTEE ON STANDARDS AND PRIVILEGES—13 FEBRUARY 2001

We thank you for your letter of this afternoon.

We have already informed you of our instructions to the effect that Councillor Piara Singh Clair is not able to take time off work tomorrow for the purpose of attending at the Committee hearing.

Councillor Piara Singh Clair does not, in any event, regard himself as having sufficient authority to release Constituency Labour Party accounts to an outside body or authority. Indeed, the basis upon which the Committee feels it has the requisite authority to call for such accounts has not yet been explained to him.

Mrs Filkin, the Commissioner, has repeatedly said to officers of the Labour Party that the party itself is not under investigation. We understand this still to be the case.

In the circumstances, we are instructed to request from you the following:

    (i)  a copy of the Committee's procedures for disclosure of documents belonging to a third party, such as the Constituency Labour Party; and

    (ii)  the basis of the Committee's authority to require disclosure of the accounts called for together with details of any alleged wrongdoing by, or on behalf of, the Constituency Labour Party.

We look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible.

12 February 2001


 
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