Annex vii1
File note by the Parliamentary Commissioner
for Standards
KEITH
VAZ
29 JANUARY
2001
TELEPHONE
CALL
FROM
ANDREW
PARKER
OF
THE
FINANCIAL
TIMES
...
He asked me a question which he said was a theoretical
question about rules. I said I could not answer a question about
any individual Member of Parliament. Mr Parker said he understood
that. He asked me whether a Member of Parliament would be required
to register a non-executive directorship if it was unremunerated.
I replied that he would not, but that the Rules urged a concept
wider than receipt of payment and it included benefits. So if
a Member had received benefits in any way from a company where
they were a non-executive director, they were required to register
it.
He then informed me that Mr Vaz had been a director,
briefly before becoming a Minister, of a company, General Mediterranean
Holding UK. A European conglomerate with headquarters in Switzerland.
He said Mr Vaz had been a director, he believed in April and/or
May 1999. Mr Vaz's office had informed the Financial Times that
he had resigned the directorship and, as he had not been paid
for it, he had had advice from my office that he did not need
to register it. I said I could not provide any information about
any confidential advice given to Members. But, as I had said,
if a Member had had a directorship which was not remunerated,
he would not be required to register it.
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