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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