Annex 46
Letter to Mr Geoffrey Bindman, Bindman
& Partners, Solicitors, from the Parliamentary Commissioner
for Standards
Further to my letter of 3 October 2000 I now
find there are some additional pieces of information I wish to
put to Mr Vaz.
1. On 8 March 2000 I sent to Mr Vaz the
relevant extracts from a transcript of a taped telephone conversation
between Mr Milne and Mr Brown dated 14 January 2000. In case Mr
Vaz wishes to provide me with further comment on this conversation
I now attach a copy of the complete transcript with the names
of others unconnected with this complaint removed to protect their
confidentiality.
2. Mr Allan Gratrix has provided me with
a copy of a letter which in July 1993 Mr Vaz was proposing to
send to members (of the 100 Club) in connection with the 100 Club
Lottery, along with a statement about this fund-raising effort
which Mr Vaz had prepared for Mr Gratrix.
The statement says that funds were to be raised
through this lottery to pay for premises and a local organiser.
Mr Gratrix also provided me with a copy of a letter from Mr John
Thomas to Mr Attwall, dated 10 January 1995, thanking him for
agreeing to become a Patron of the 100 Club. (Copies attached.)
When I wrote to Mr Vaz on 20 April I asked him
for comments on a letter I had received from Mr Kamal which raised
concerns about the disbursement of monies raised in this way.
Mr Vaz replied on 20 April to say this was a
matter for the Labour Party, and that the Club was called the
50 Club.
To enable me to complete my enquiries I would
be grateful to receive from Mr Vaz information about the background
to this Club and the Lottery, answers to the following questions
and any other comments he wishes to make on the correspondence.
(a) When was the 50/100 Club set up? If it
is still in existence, please give names of current officers,
their addresses and telephone numbers and the purpose of the Club.
(b) When was the Lottery established?
(c ) Who is currently responsible for the
Lottery? Please give name and address and telephone number.
(d) To how many people were fund-raising
letters sent in connection with premises?
(e) Into which bank account were donations
paid? Please provide me with copies of the 50/100 Club and Lottery
bank statements from 1993-2000. Please show on the statements
any payments which relate in any way to premises, indicating the
purpose and the address of the premises.
(f) Were the accounts of the 50/100 Club
and Lottery audited? Please provide me with copies of the accounts
for the years each operated between 1993-2000.
Thank you again for your help in dealing with
my enquiries.
12 October 2000
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