26. Letter to Mr Jim Fitzpatrick MP
from the Commissioner, 6 April 2010
Thank you for your letter of 31 March, in which you
decide not to accept the rectification of this complaint against
you.
I will, therefore, submit a memorandum to the Committee
on Standards and Privileges when Parliament resumes, and once
the Committee is appointed.
There are two points, however, on which I would welcome
your help:
1. Could you let me know why you accepted rectification
in your letter of 23 February, but, despite reminders, did not
respond to the draft of the rectification letter, which I sent
you on 25 February to check its factual accuracy, until you emailed
my office on 29 March to say that you did not wish to accept this
decision? In particular, could you let me know whether you were
in any way influenced in this decision by the imminence of the
forthcoming general election?
2. Could you let me have a statement of how you consider
that your actions were within the rules of the House, contrary
to the advice given in the Department of Resources' letter of
7 January?
I will resume this inquiry as soon as Parliament
has itself resumed. It would be very helpful, therefore, if you
could let me have a response to this letter by the end of the
first week after Parliament has resumed. I look forward to hearing
from you.
6 April 2010
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