Annex D
Letter to the Parliamentary Commissioner
for Standards from Mr Roy Beggs MP
The Assignment date of the Memorial to the Register
of Deeds was 23-1-1998 and arose frm instruction to O'Rorke, McDonald
& Tweed Solicitors, 29 The Roddens, Larne, Co. Antrim in 1997
to transfer the property to my daughters.
Office rent was claimed from 1990-1991 and tax paid
up to 31-3-1997 by myself and Mrs Beggs. Reference Office rent
claimed for the years 1997-1998 to date. Half has been paid to
* * * lodged in her business account and submitted along with
earned income to accountant W S Miscampbell & Co, 6 Annadale
Avenue, Belfast, BT7 3JH for assessment of total tax due.
Half has been paid to * * * who is employed as *
* *. Her National Ins. No. is * * * and Tax Ref. * * * Belfast
1 Tax District and income has been declared for tax purposes.
I have not been paying tax or claiming allowances
against the tax on the rental allowance and to the best of my
knowledge my daughters have paid tax and claimed no allowances
on the rent paid.
The Rent level is set after consultation with a local
property letting company, taking account of Rent levels approved
by the District Valuer determining the level of Housing Benefit
contributed towards rent by the Housing Executive. Eg. Two bedroom
flat/house rent charged £85- £95 per week approved contribution
by District Valuer is £75 per week and additional cost is
met by the tenant for rent above £75 weekly.
The property at 41, Station Road, Larne is equivalent
to a four bedroom house, providing two offices, waiting area,
interviewing area and storage rooms.
I will invite rent assessment by the Valuation and
Lands Agency confident that value for money is being provided.
The property is and has been solely used as my constituency
office and advice centre and no part has been let for any purpose.
The property was not deemed by me to be of "substantial
value" and as it was no longer in my ownership when asked
I confirmed that my register of interests was complete. I do not
recollect the specific wording used in the last paragraph of your
letter. If your question was in relation to past failure to register
then I did not pick that up in the question put which I believe
was addressing the accuracy of my current register of interests.
When I contacted Valuation and Lands Agency previously
about Rent assessment they advised that a local valuer would advise.
It may take a few more days to persuade Valuation & Lands
Agency to carry out assessment to satisfactorily answer question
3.
20 June 2001
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