Annex 26
Letter to the Parliamentary Commissioner
for Standards from Mr Geoffrey Bindman, Bindman & Partners,
Solicitors
I am grateful to you for sending me a copy of
your letter to Mr Vaz of yesterday's date. In it you mention that
my firm told you last week that we expect to provide you with
a response by the end of this week.
My contemporaneous notes record that on 11 May
I spoke to your PA following a message from you that the report
was not imminent and that there would be no difficulty if I were
to submit representations on my client's behalf at the beginning
of next week (ie the week beginning 22 May). I told her that I
would let you have my representations as soon as possible, which
I certainly intend to do.
I have in fact provided my client with a draft,
but he is abroad and will not be able to give me instructions
until after the weekend. I will certainly write to you as soon
as possible after that.
Meanwhile, I note that while you have responded
to some of the points made by my client in his letter to you of
14 May in your letter of 17 May, you have not made clear what
outstanding questions there are to which you are waiting a reply
from my client. I am aware that you asked Mr Vaz whether he had
recommended Mr Zaiwalla for an honour, but I am somewhat surprised
at that question because Mr Vaz believes that you already have
the answer. In any case, you are aware that Mr Vaz has sought
the advice of the Speaker as to the propriety of his providing
information on such a matter. Nor have you indicated the purpose
or relevance of asking that question.
It would be helpful if you would let me or Mr
Vaz know precisely what questions you consider to remain outstanding
so that if possible I can deal with them in my submissions next
week.
18 May 2000
| 
