Annex 37
Letter to Mr John Maxton MP from the Parliamentary
Commissioner for Standards
Thank you for your letter of 14 February 2000. I
am grateful to you for preparing a response and gathering materials
in respect of the allegations made by Mr Dean Nelson. I look forward
to receiving that information to assist me in deciding whether
there are matters I should investigate further.
As I explained when we discussed these matters on
the telephone, my task is to investigate complaints and at any
point I may decide that no further enquiry is necessary. I always
put complaints to Members as soon as possible to allow them every
opportunity to respond to allegations and to any evidence provided.
In this case the complainant said that the other
people mentioned in the letter which you have seen would be able
to give me an account of these events and, as is my usual practice,
I am asking them to assist my enquiry by setting out the facts
as they know them.
I am in the process of following up the information
I have been given and assure you that if I receive any new evidence
I will put it before you so that you can comment on it. I am sure
you will understand that I do not provide either side, or any
other party, with details of my contacts during an investigation.
May I stress again that any enquiry I make in no way implies that
there has been anything untoward.
I look forward to hearing from you.
16 February 2000
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