THIRD REPORT
The Committee on Standards and Privileges has
agreed to the following Report:—
COMPLAINT AGAINST MR JOHN MAXTON
1. We have considered a memorandum by the Parliamentary
Commissioner for Standards relating to the complaint from Mr Dean
Nelson, a journalist, against Mr John Maxton, formerly Member
for Glasgow, Cathcart. The Commissioner's memorandum is appended
to this Report.
2. We have considered the further information which
the Commissioner has placed before us, which includes a letter
which Mr Maxton wrote to the General Secretary of the Scottish
Labour Party on 10 November 1999.[2]
After a thorough examination of this information, and after careful
consideration of the Commissioner's recommendation that we take
oral evidence on oath from Mr Maxton and several other possible
witnesses, we have concluded that the evidential value of that
which is now available to us, and which was not available to the
former Committee, is not sufficient to justify a review of the
conclusions which our predecessors reached in the Report[3]
on the original complaint against Mr Maxton, which was extensively
investigated by the Commissioner and where our predecessors rightly
criticised the role of the press. We also felt that little purpose
would be served by calling witnesses before us. Accordingly we
have decided not to take this matter any further.
3. Mr Maxton has written to our Chairman to give
his reasons for not responding to the letters he received from
the Commissioner.[4] Our
predecessors called attention to the conduct of Mr Maxton during
the previous inquiry and expressed the view that, under the Code
of Conduct, he should willingly have submitted himself to the
scrutiny appropriate to his office.[5]
We similarly expect a former Member of the House to co-operate
with the Commissioner's inquiries. We regret his failure to do
so.
2 Appendix, Annex B. Back
3 Second
Report, Session 2000-01, Complaint against Mr John Maxton and
Dr John Reid, HC 89 (2000-01). Back
4 Appendix,
Annex P. Back
5 Second
Report (2000-01), paras. 59-61. Back
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