Select Committee on Standards and Privileges Second Report


Annex P

Letter to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards from Mr Roy Beggs MP

Reference Annex L and my letter of 22.8.01.[26]

As I made a mistake at Para. 30 page 10 which should read
1989-90£560.00
 90-912080.00
 91-921297.00
 92-932080.00

my subsequent calculations were incorrect.

I request that the enclosed letter should be accepted in place of letter dated 22.8.01.

Reference Annex B there is a typing error in para. 3 1998 should read 1988.

Reference Annex O.[27] 14. there is a typing error at 89-90 £1,400 should read £1,460.

Reference Draft Memorandum page 21 para. 46 £560 is the answer to question 3 of your letter and was for 16 weeks rent claimed 1989-90 for 41 Station Road, Larne.

Reference para. 49 page 23.

I note that "substantial value" has not yet been defined. The Fifteenth Report of session 1999-2000 recommended "Substantial Value" should be defined as 50% of current parliamentary salary and "substantial income" as 10% of current parliamentary salary. It would appear that 41 Station Road did not require rental income to be registered.

Ref. p. 50. I accepted the Committee decision but in the light of para 49 the decision seemed unfair.

Ref. p. 51. I refer you again to your para 49 and consider that neither the property which cost £10,000 nor the rental income required to be registered.

Ref. p. 52 as for p. 51
Ref. p. 53 as for p. 51
Ref. p. 54 as for p. 51

Ref. p. 55 The valuation at £28,000 was only established when I obtain a value for transfer and tax purposes. It should be noted in your para. 55 that the purchase price was £10,000 in 1988 and valuation was only established after our decision to gift the property to our daughters and when it was no longer in my shared ownership.

Ref. para. 56. I again refer you to para. 49. I did not believe the property was of substantial value.

I regret that you appear to be determined to conclude that I have misled you and the Committee.

It was because I answered press questions that further complaints were forwarded to you.

I still do not consider that Glynn Road property purchased in 1983 for £2,000 which required extensive refurbishment was of "substantial value" and required to be registered, nor did I consider that 41, Station Road which cost £10,000 was of "Substantial value" and required registration. The property at 8 Glynn Road had been purchased through a Vesting order by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive for approx. £10,000.

The Station Road property was purchased in 1988 when vesting of Glynn Road properties was going to be implemented.

No claim for rent allowance was made in respect of 41, Station Road for August 88-December 89 although the rental valuation of Valuation and Lands Agency for the period was £2,340 per annum. No rental allowance has ever been claimed in respect of 9, Carnduff Road, Larne which is my home address.

It is my opinion that the new Standards and Privileges Committee could help all members by clearly defining "Substantial Value" and "Substantial Income".

Received 9 October 2001


26  See Annex K. Back

27  See Annex N. Back


 
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