33. E-mail to the Commissioner from
Rt Hon Andrew Mackay, 6 July 2010
Thank you for your letter of 23 June enclosing your
correspondence with [the former Head of the Fees Office].
Let me first deal with my telephone conversation
with [the former Head of the Fees Office] which took place early
on the morning in May 2009 when I resigned as Senior Political
and Parliamentary Adviser to the Leader of the Opposition and
ahead of a series of media interviews. I rang him not to obtain
"authority (retrospectively)"
but to have him confirm my very clear recollection of our conversation
in September 1997. He told me that following evidence he had provided
in other cases involving Members and the Parliamentary Commissioner
he had been told by the "House
Authorities" not to speak to Members.
He added that anyway as he dealt with so many Members he could
no longer recall the details of our case but would have left instructions
to be followed on file.
As this exchange did not throw any further light
on my case it never occurred to me to mention it to you. Perhaps
I should have done so as it does clearly illustrate how I rightly
relied on advice from the then Head of the Fees Office.
Turning to [the former Head of the Fees Office's]
response to you I can confirm that we moved into [the Bromsgrove
property] immediately on completion and lived there in some discomfort
whilst refurbishment was carried out. I can again also confirm
that throughout the period in question we were both on the electoral
rolls in Bromsgrove and Westminster.
Please let me know if you require any further information.
6 July 2010
| 
