Conduct Of Nadine Dorries

This Report arises from a memorandum from the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards dealing with the conduct of Nadine Dorries in respect of the registration of fees relating to her appearance in "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!", an ITV television programme. Ms Dorries contended that such payments (if any) were made to a company, Averbrook Ltd, of which she is a director, and that she was not required to register income received by the company, but only any remuneration she drew from it. Ms Dorries further contends that as she was not required to register the company's income, she did not have to respond to the Commissioner's requests for information about payments for her media work. The Committee concluded that Ms Dorries must register the details required by the rules. That leaves her initial failure to abide by the Registrar's advice, and her attitude toward the Commissioner's inquiry. It was recommended that Ms Dorries: register all payments in respect of her employment, whether or not they have been channelled through Averbrook Ltd or any other third party; and apologise to the House by way of a Personal Statement. The Committee expects Ms Dorries to consult the Registrar in person about the detail of her Register entry within 21 days of publication of this Report. They will monitor Ms Dorries's compliance and will recommend further action if necessary

About a complaint against Mrs Nadine Dorries, MP for Mid Bedfordshire.

Conduct of Mr Gregory Campbell : Seventh report of session 2006-07, report and appendices, together with formal Minutes

A report that examines a complaint on the conduct of Mr Norman Baker (MP for Lewes), the Rt Hon Malcolm Bruce (MP for Gordon), Mr Sadiq Khan (MP for Tooting).

The Committee's report examines the memorandum produced by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards on the outcome of his investigation of complaints against the conduct of Mr George Galloway MP; the text of the memorandum is included as an appendix to the report. The Commissioner's investigation focused on allegations published in a series of articles in the Daily Telegraph in April 2003 that Mr Galloway had received substantial undeclared personal financial benefits from the former Iraqi regime ran by Saddam Hussein by way of the UN Oil for Food programme, and that in doing so he had breached the Commons' rules on registration of interests and the Commons' Code of Conduct. The Commissioner's inquiry has been one of the most complex undertaken and of unparalleled duration, having been delayed by legal proceedings. The Committee's report finds that Mr Galloway's use of parliamentary facilities in connection with the Mariam Appeal went beyond what is reasonable and that he should have registered his interests in the Mariam Appeal and all donations it received above the specified threshold. It also finds that there is strong circumstantial evidence that the former Iraqi Government funded the campaigning activities of the Mariam Appeal, with the connivance of Mr Galloway, through the Oil for Food programme. In doing so, Mr Galloway breached the advocacy rule of the Code. However, the Committee finds that there is no evidence that shows whether Mr Galloway has 'directly and personally, unlawfully received money from the former Iraqi regime'. The Committee finds that, in light of Mr Galloway's conduct in the course of the investigation, including questioning the integrity of the Commissioner and the Committee, he has damaged the reputation of the House. It recommends that he apologise to the House and that he should be suspended from the House for 18 sittings days, starting after the Summer Recess.

The complaint against the three Members, relating to adverts placed in newspapers prior to the Welsh Assembly elections, had four components: whether the advertisements contained inappropriate material; whether the use of party logos breached the Communication Allowance rules; whether the extent and method of circulation was appropriate as a method of reporting back to a constituency the activities of its Member of Parliament; and whether the week before the Welsh Assembly elections was appropriate timing for such a communication. The Committee find that the advertisements were a form of campaigning and should not have been paid for by the Communication Allowance and that this money should be repayed. In addition the Committee welcomes the fact that the Parliamentary Commissioner will in future consider what should be funded from Parliamentary allowances during the period of an election.

This report considers a complaint that the office of Mr Cameron, in the House, was being used as part of a party fund raising strategy. The complaint was upheld. Although there is no reason why Mr Cameron cannot meet, in his office or elsewhere on the Parliamentary Estate, those who donate to his party, what he cannot do is use his Parliamentary office as part of a fund-raising stratagem. In the Commissioner's view this is what happened in this case.

The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards submitted a memorandum on his investigation of a complaint that Mr George Osborne failed to register certain donations in the Register of Members' Interests. These donations were made to the Conservative Party and used by the Party to support the cost of running his office as Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer. It became clear that many other members of the Shadow Cabinet used funds in this way, so this complaint has ramifications well beyond one entry in the Register. Mr Osborne believes that financial support received through a party to support work as a Shadow Minister does not constitute 'financial or material support as a Member of Parliament'. The Commissioner finds that there is no logical reason to differentiate between the different capacities in which MPs receive financial support, and upholds the complaint, but does not believe Mr Osborne should be criticised as the area was in need of clarification. He makes five recommendations which should regularise the position, and members of the Shadow Cabinet are given four weeks from publication of this report to amend their Register entries. The Committee agrees with the Commissioner's findings and recommendations.