32. Letter to Rt Hon Andrew Mackay
from the Commissioner, 23 June 2010
When I wrote to you on 10 June, I said that in the
light of what you had said at our interview on 9 June, I was writing
to the official who was head of the Fees Office in 1997 to check
with him your recollection of your discussion with him in September
1997.
I enclose a copy of my letter of 10 June to the then
Head of the Fees Office (who as you know retired in 1998) and
a copy of his signed response of 18 June.
As you will see, his recollection of the advice he
gave you and Ms Kirkbride does not concur with your evidence to
me, as it was set out in my letter of the then head of the Fees
Office of 10 June.
The witness has said that he could not have advised
you to claim ACA for your London home because, at that stage,
he believed you had not yet set up your home in Bromsgrove. And
he says that he "cannot
imagine" you and your wife would
have had different main homes.
I would welcome your comments on this conflicting
evidence. It would be helpful also to know when you started to
live in your Bromsgrove property and whether, as the then Head
of the Fees Office suggests, that was not until 1998.
Finally, you will see the reference in his evidence
to a telephone call in early May 2009 in which the then Head of
the Fees Office says you asked him to provide "authority
(retrospectively)" to a statement
that he had advised you on your parliamentary allowances and that
you had agreed with all his actions having been within the rules.
The then Head of the Fees Office says that he advised you that
he was unable to do this. I would be grateful if you could let
me have your recollection of the conversation. Could you also
confirm the date when it took place? And could you let me know
why you have not previously mentioned this telephone call and
the response of the then Head of the Fees Office which would appear
to be relevant to your evidence that you and your wife acted solely
on the recommendations of that official?
If you could let me have a response to this letter
within the next two weeks, I would be most grateful. I may need
then to consult further the then Head of the Fees Office. Thank
you for your continued help with this.
22 June 2010
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