Select Committee on Standards and Privileges Third Report


Annex 86

Letter to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards from Mr Colin Hall, Chairman, Leicester East Constituency Labour Party

  Thank you for your e-mail of 19 May 2000, in response to mine of 18 May (formal copy attached for your records). I am pleased to note your response to the matters I raised in my previous mailing. However, I did not receive your note relating to the investigation process.

  I enclose as requested the copy of Mr Kamal's letter of 17 April, though unfortunately I have been unable to locate the envelope in which it was sent. You are the first and only person to whom I have shown this document. There are no other copies in my possession.

  Given the contentious nature of the letter's contents, I appreciate and share your efforts to restrict its circulation. However, I am aware of at least two persons who are in receipt of further copies, and there is reason to believe there may well be a number of others, both in London and Leicester, who have either been sent copies of the letter, or been extensively advised of its contents. In the light of recent publicity, such as the Sunday Telegraph front page story of 21 May, perhaps you may wish to contact Mr Kamal, together with his associates Sir Peter Soulsby at Leicester City Council and Rajeev Syal at the Sunday Telegraph to establish how this could have happened.

  I welcome your assurance about the confidential nature of your enquiries and note with regret the apparent reluctance of other parties involved in this case to respect this. I am sure you will decide on whatever action you consider necessary to protect the integrity of your investigation.

  I hope that you will bring these matters to the attention of the Standards and Privileges Committee at its meeting on 23 May, and look forward to the completion and publication of your deliberations in due course. If, at any stage, you consider that I can be of further assistance in your investigation, please do not hesitate to contact me.

22 May 2000


 
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