Annex E
Letter to the Parliamentary Commissioner
for Standards
from Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP
RE:
MEMBERS
DECLARATION
OF
INTEREST
You wrote to me on the 22nd March 2001, following
John Cryer's letter of complaint dated 7th March regarding twenty
six speeches, including three of my own, made by eighteen members
of parliament. I discussed these yesterday with David Doig, the
Registrar and I would now like to record my comments.
The complaints relate to my speeches on the Euro
on the 5th July 2000, Hansard Column No: 44 WH; my intervention
in the Debate on the Address on the 7th December 2000, Hansard
Column No. 151 and a speech on Education and Industry on the 8th
December 2000, Hansard Column No. 310.
You kindly asked for my response on these three matters
and I will deal with them in that order:
a. Three of my declared interests namely forestry,
agriculture and farming are thought to have a conflict of interest
with the entire speech that I made on the Euro in Westminster
Hall on the 5th July 2000, in which I did not mention any of these
interests.
Whilst it could be perceived by some that agriculture
might have something to gain by the United Kingdom joining the
European Monetary System (EMS), as far as I am aware, this is
not the official view of the major farming organisations and indeed,
there is no unanimity within the industry that this is so. In
any case my speech was critical of the Government's position on
the United Kingdom joining the EMS.
However, may I suggest that if the requirement to
declare an interest is interpreted so widely as to link an interest
in agriculture with issues relating to the Euro, then there will
be a great many Members who will inadvertently transgress the
rules and consequently the whole system could be brought into
disrepute.
b. On the 7th December 2000 during a Debate on
the Address I intervened on our Shadow Health Secretary regarding
tobacco. The substance of the intervention called for better enforcement
of action against cigarette smuggling. Bearing in mind that this
was a brief intervention, in the heat of the debate I did not
consider that declaration would be appropriate. May I also add
that the hospitality that I received from the Tobacco Manufacturers
Association took place on the 13th October 1999. Therefore well
over a year had elapsed before my intervention. I wonder therefore
whether a declaration is required under the rules?
May I again say, with humility, that if interventions
are to be so carefully scrutinised in future, that the whole House
should be made more widely aware of this fact and the Speaker
will need to take this into account in calling for short interventions.
c. On the 8th December I made an entire speech
on Education and Industry. This was a wide-ranging speech raising
problems in my Constituency relating to health, education and
police. There was one short paragraph requesting help for farmers.
I have a particular problem in that I represent a very large rural
constituency in which (mainly stock) farming is the second largest
industry. I have declared my farming interests in Norfolk. However
I discussed with the Registrar yesterday that greater clarity
in potential conflict of interests could be provided by redefining
my interest to include the word arable.
However, I fully accept that I should have declared
this interest before making my statement and I apologise to you
and the Committee for not doing so.
I have enclosed as an appendix the references to
ten speeches that I have made where I have declared an interest.
This illustrates that it is my normal practice to make a declaration
when it is necessary to do so.
I hope that this full explanation has answered all
the complaints against me, if you require any further information
I would be happy to supply it.
4 April 2001
Attachment
Commons Hansard (27
Mar 1998)
House of Commons Hansard Debates for 27 Mar 1998
(pt 12)
New clause 2
Mr Clifton-Brown: First, I declare an interest: I
am a farmer and user of licensed pesticides. It is a good idea
to place on the record the fact that pesticide use in the United
Kingdom is probably ...
Speaker: Mr Clifton-Brown
Commons Hansard (28
Apr 1999)
House of Commons Hansard Debates for 28 Apr 1999
(pt 46)
Clause 99
Mr Clifton-Brown: Many points have already been made,
so, in view of the hour, I shall keep my remarks brief. Before
I begin, I should declare that I have property interests that
could possibly be ...
Speaker: Mr Clifton-Brown
Commons Hansard (28
Jul 1998)
House of Commons Hansard Debates for 28 Jul 1998
(pt 31)
Clause 13
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold): Perhaps the
Minister would clarify one point. I declare an interest, as recorded
in the Register of Members' Interests, in agriculture. It is increasingly
likely ...
Speaker: Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown
Commons Hansard (10
Feb 2000)
House of Commons Hansard Debates for 10 Feb 2000
(pt 1)
Badgers and Bovine Tuberculosis
Mr Clifton-Brown: On a point of order, Mr Deputy
Speaker. I inadvertently forgot to declare my interest as a farmer.
It is in the Register of Members' Interests, although I should
stress that I own ...
Speaker: Mr Clifton-Brown
Commons Hansard (30
Jun 1998)
House of Commons Hansard Debates for 30 Jun 1998
(pt 27)
New clause 8
Mr Clifton-Brown: This measure is expected to yield
? million in 1998-99, ? million in 1999-2000 and more than ? million
in 2001. This is no longer a minor tax: it is a severe tax. ...
Speaker: Mr Clifton-Brown
Commons Hansard (26
Jan 2001)
House of Commons Hansard Debates for 26 Jan 2001
(pt 16)
Rural and Urban White Papers
Mr Clifton-Brown: My hon. Friend has made her point.
The hon. Member for Denton and Reddish (Mr Bennett) and I were
on the Environment Sub-Committee even before he became Chairman,
and for some ...
Commons Hansard (28
Jun 2000)
House of Commons Hansard Debates for 28 June (pt
31)
Clause 5
Mr Clifton-Brown: My right hon. and learned Friend
makes an interesting point, and if time permits, I may get on
to the subject of the negative and affirmative resolution procedures.
Let me return ...
Speaker: Mr Clifton-Brown
Commons Hansard (6
Feb 1995)
House of Commons Hansard Debates for 6 Feb 1995
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cirencester and Tewkesbury):
First, I declare my interest. I am connected with the Royal Institution
of Chartered Surveyors, the Country Landowners Association, the
National ...
Speaker: Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown
Commons Hansard (7
May 1993)
House of Commons Hansard Debates for 7 May 1993
PRIME MINISTER
Mr Clifton-Brown: I am in error. I should have declared
the fact that I am a farmer. Over the past 20 years, I have had
a net gain on my farm of more than one mile of hedgerows. I would
not like anyone ...
Speaker: Mr Clifton-Brown
March 1997: Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown
(Cirencester and Tewkesbury): Madam Deputy Speaker, I am grateful
to catch your eye in this short debate; I will be extremely brief,
as I know that my rt hon. Friend the Leader of the House wishes
to get on to other business. Before I say anything further, I
declare my interest as a farmer and as a member of the National
Farmers Union, the Country Landowners Association and other associated
countryside bodies.
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