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Contents
Summary 2
Resolution letter: Ms Claudia Webbe MP 3 Letter from the Commissioner to the complainant, 11 February 2021 3
5 Written evidence 4 1. Email from the complainant to the Commissioner, 16 October 2020 4 2. Letter from the Commissioner to Ms Claudia Webbe MP, 23 October 2020 5 3. Letter from Ms Claudia Webbe MP to the Commissioner, 9 November 2020 8 4. Letter from the Commissioner to the Registrar of Members’ Financial Interests, 10 19 November 2020 10 5. Letter from the Commissioner to Ms Claudia Webbe MP, 19 November 2020 11 6. Letter from the Registrar of Members’ Financial Interests to the Commissioner, 25 November 2020 11 7. Letter from the Commissioner to Ms Claudia Webbe MP, 3 December 2020 12 15 8. Letter from Ms Claudia Webbe MP to the Commissioner, 23 December 2020 14 9. Letter from the Commissioner to Ms Claudia Webbe MP, 6 January 2021 15 10. Letter from the Commissioner to Ms Claudia Webbe MP, 21 January 2021 15 Appendix 1. Correspondence with Ms Claudia Webbe MP 16 Appendix 2. New Members’ Registration form, submitted by Ms Claudia Webbe 20 MP, 11 January 2020 24
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Summary
I opened an investigation after receiving an allegation that Ms Claudia Webbe MP had breached paragraph 14 of the Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament. The complainant alleged that Ms Webbe had registered late ongoing remuneration she 5 received for her role as a Councillor for Islington council.
My investigation concluded that eight payments had been registered outside of the 28-day deadline the House has set. In failing to register her interests within the specified time frame, I found the Member had acted in breach of paragraph 14 of the rules of conduct.
10 During my investigation Ms Webbe also notified me of a further financial interest she had received, payment of £1,068.73 from Tradewinds UK Ltd, which she should have registered sooner under Category 1, Employment and Earnings. This late registration resulted in a further breach of the rules.
Ms Webbe has acknowledged and apologised for her breaches of the rules. She has 15 met with the Registrar in order to improve her awareness of the rules on registration, and she has assured me she now understands what is required when registering her interests in the future.
I have asked the Registrar to arrange for all the relevant entries in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests to be placed in bold italics, so that it would be clear 20 they had been the subject of an inquiry 1.
I consider this to be a suitable outcome and have concluded the inquiry using the rectification procedure available to me under Standing Order no 150.
1 During the course of the inquiry, three unpaid directorships, two trustee positions and five positions as a member of a body such as a committee, an authority or a forum (all previously registered under Category 8) were identified as being updated later than the 28 days required. These will also be italicised in the Register RECTIFICATION 3
Resolution letter: Ms Claudia Webbe MP
Letter from the Commissioner to the complainant, 11 February 2021 I wrote to you on 26 October 2020, to tell you I had begun an inquiry into your allegation that Ms Claudia Webbe MP had acted in breach of the rules of conduct. I 5 write today to tell you the outcome of my inquiry.
During my investigation I found that Ms Webbe breached paragraph 14 of the Rules of Conduct for Members of Parliament, in relation to her entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. The full rationale for my decision can be found in my letter to Ms Webbe, dated 3 December 2020 (item 7 in the written evidence pack), 10
Mswhich Webbe you can has access acknowledged once the evidence and apologised pack has been for published. her breach of the rules, and committed to take appropriate steps to
I consider this breach to be at the less seriousavoid end ofa recurrence. the spectrum and have decided this inquiry should be concluded through the rectification procedure, available to 15 me through House of Commons’ Standing Order No 150.
I will publish my decision and the written evidence pack shortly on my webpages https://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/standards-and-financial- interests/parliamentary-commissioner-for-standards/complaints-and- investigations/allegations-the-commissioner-has-rectified/ and I will report the 20 outcome to the Standards Committee in due course.
Thank you for bringing this matter to my attention. I can confirm that the matter is now closed.
11 February 2021 RECTIFICATION 4
Written evidence
1. Email from the complainant to the Commissioner, 16 October 2020 I wish to raise an issue with regard to Claudia Webbe MP.
I have looked at the MP’s Register of Interests and believe there are issues with 5 regard to the recording of her payments from Islington Council.
Ms Webbe has been a Councillor at Islington since May 2010. In the first Register of this Parliament she put down a payment of £3,452.60 that was received from Islington Council on 19th December 2019.
There has been nothing put down since that first Register until the latest Register 10 that declared her payments for the previous months, which were all recorded as at 1st October 2020.
The latest Register showed that she received £876.59 per month on the following dates:
• 26 January 2020
15 • 26 February 2020
• 26 March 2020
• 26 April 2020
• 26 May 2020
• 26 June 2020
20 • 26 July 2020
• 26 August 2020
• 26 September 2020
The Register then went on to say that from 26 October 2020 until further notice she will receive £876.59 per month. The issues regarding the entries in the Register are 25 as follows:
1. As a Councillor for the last 10 years, she is fully aware that she is paid an allowance of £876.59 per month. This figure has been in force since 1st April RECTIFICATION 5
2019 from Islington Council. This ongoing monthly payment should have been noted at the time of the first Register for this Parliamentary session
2. She is fully aware that any payment received must be declared within 28 days of its receipt. Yet all of them, bar the September payment, breaches this 28 day rule
5 I feel these are in breach of the Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament and should be investigated
16 October 2020
2. Letter from the Commissioner to Ms Claudia Webbe MP, 23 October 2020 I would welcome your help with an inquiry into an allegation I received from [name 10 redacted], about your entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests and compliance with the House of Commons’ Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament. I enclose a copy of [name redacted] correspondence for information.
The scope of my inquiry My inquiry will focus on whether you have acted in breach of paragraph 14 of the 15 House of Commons’ Code of Conduct for Members.
The Code of Conduct The overarching rules are found in the House of Commons’ Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament.2 Paragraph 14 of the Code states:
“Members shall fulfil conscientiously the requirements of the House 20 in respect of the registration of interests in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. They shall always be open and frank in drawing attention to any relevant interest in any proceeding of the House or its Committees, and in any communications with Ministers, Members, public officials or public office holders.”
25 Further to the Code, the Guide to the Rules relating to the Conduct of Members states the following in Chapter 1: Registration of Members’ Financial Interests
Requirements of the House
2. The House requires new Members, within one month of their 30 election, to register all their current financial interests, and any registrable benefits (other than earnings) received in the 12 months before their election. After that, Members are required to register within 28 days any change in those registrable interests. Such a change includes both the acquisition of a new interest and the
2 https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmcode/1882/188201.htm RECTIFICATION 6
ceasing of any registered interest, for example because an employment has ceased or because a holding has reduced in value or been sold.
…
5 Category 1: Employment and earnings
Threshold for registration
6. Members must register, subject to the paragraphs below, individual payments of more than £100 which they receive for any employment outside the House. They must also register individual 10 payments of £100 or less once they have received a total of over £300 in payments of whatever size from the same source in a calendar year.
For ease of reference, I have attached a copy of your current entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests, which is also available via this link.3
15 Next steps In the first instance I would welcome your comments on the allegation that you have acted in breach of paragraph 14 of the Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament. I would also be grateful for your answers to the following questions:
1. Whether you were aware of the requirement to register all relevant financial 20 interests within the first month of a new Parliament and, thereafter, within 28 days of acquisition or change?
2. Whether you consider you should have registered sooner remuneration received between January and August 2020 in respect of your role as a Councillor with Islington Council?
25 a. If not, please explain to me your reasoning for this.
3. Whether you continue to receive ‘special responsibility’ payments as cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, in addition to your annual allowance as a councillor?
a. If you no longer receive this special responsibility payment, please 30 give the date and amount of the last payment you received.
3 https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmregmem/201012/webbe_claudia.htm RECTIFICATION 7
b. Whether you have received any other additional ‘special responsibility’ payments since your election to Parliament and if so, please provide details.
4. Whether you are satisfied that your current entry in the Register of Members’ 5 Financial Interests is now complete and accurate?
5. If, on reflection, you accept that some of your interests have been registered outside of the House’s deadline, please explain what steps you will now take to prevent any other late registrations?
It would be helpful to receive any evidence to support your responses when you 10 reply to this letter. Any other points you wish to make to help me with this inquiry would also be welcome.
Important information
on 19 July 2018, I will not publish the fact that I am conducting an inquiry into an 15 My inquiries are conducted in private. Following the decision taken by the House on any aspect of the inquiry to third parties. They will answer direct factual questionsallegation aboutof an allegedthe processes breach I offollow the Code and the of Conduct. standards My system office more will notgenerally comment but
will neither confirm nor deny that I have begun an inquiry. Procedure 20 I enclose a copy of the Commissioner’s Information Note, which sets out the procedure for inquiries. Please note that this has not yet been updated to reflect the changes flowing from the decision of 19 July 2018.
This letter and any subsequent correspondence between us in connection with this
25 inquiry is protected by parliamentary privilege. It should be kept confidential Whiuntil thele I do outcome not, at ofthis my stage, inquiry know is published. whether it will be necessary to interview you
I am, of course, very happy to meet with you at any stage if you would find that helpful.about this matter, it would be open to you to be accompanied at any such interview.
30 I should say now, as a matter of courtesy, that I may seek the advice of the House
authorities and others as part of this inquiry. Potential outcomes Inquiries are generally concluded in one of three ways. If the evidence does not substantiate the allegation, it will not be upheld. If the evidence demonstrates a 35 breach of the rules, I may – in certain circumstances – uphold the allegation and conclude the inquiry using the rectification procedure, without making a referral to the Committee on Standards. Where an allegation is not upheld or is rectified, the material is published on the Parliament website, on my webpages. RECTIFICATION 8
If I uphold the allegation and it is either unsuitable for the rectification procedure, or you do not accept my decision, I must make a referral to the Committee on Standards. My Memorandum to the Committee would be published, as an appendix to the Committee’s own Report.
5 I should make clear that all the relevant evidence, including our correspondence, will be published when this inquiry is concluded. I routinely redact the personal data of third parties unless it is relevant to my decision(s). If you provide sensitive material which you think I should consider redacting, please tell me. I would give careful consideration to any such request.
10 Action I would be grateful to have your response to this letter as soon as possible and no later than 9 November 2020.
If you would prefer me to communicate with you by a different email address, please give the details when you reply to this letter. It would also be helpful if you were 15 willing to provide a telephone number through which I might contact you. Please also keep a note of the password used for this letter. We will use the same password for any future correspondence sent by email.
Information provided to me during the course of my inquiry will be retained, and disposed of, in accordance with the House of Commons’ Authorised Records 20 Disposal Policy. You can also see a copy of our privacy statement by following this link.4
Thank you for your cooperation with this matter.
23 October 2020
3. Letter from Ms Claudia Webbe MP to the Commissioner, 9 November 2020 25 Thank you for your letter of 26th October 2020 bringing to my attention an inquiry into an allegation you received, about my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests and compliance with the House of Commons’ Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament.
I was unaware that I was in breach of paragraph 14 of the Code of Conduct for 30 Members of Parliament. As a new Member of Parliament, I failed to fully understand the requirement in respect of registering Members’ Financial Interests and had wrongly assumed this was an annual requirement and further had not understood that no exceptions exist.
4 https://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/standards-and-financial-interests/parliamentary- commissioner-for-standards/parliamentary-commissioner-for-standards/privacy-policy/ RECTIFICATION 9
In response to your specific questions:
1. Whether you were aware of the requirement to register all relevant financial interests within the first month of a new Parliament and, thereafter, within 28 days of acquisition or change?
5 At some point this would have been told to me or written information would have been provided to me, however, as a new member and without training I was unaware or misunderstood the requirement, in that, I was unaware there would be no exceptions not to do so. More specifically, I was unaware that the public health emergency caused by the coronavirus pandemic did not provide an exception.
10 2. Whether you consider you should have registered sooner remuneration received between January and August 2020 in respect of your role as a Councillor with Islington Council?
a) If not, please explain to me your reasoning for this.
Notwithstanding the public health emergency caused by the coronavirus pandemic 15 I accept that I should have registered sooner renumeration received between January and August 2020. In addition, I would make the following observations on 31st January 2020, the first COVID-19 cases were reported in the UK; on 5th March 2020, the first COVID-19 death was recorded in the UK; on the 12th March 2020, the risk posed by COVID-19 was increased from moderate to high; on 16th March 2020, 20 the Prime Minister advised all persons in the UK against non-essential travel and contact with others; on the 26th March 2020, the UK Government issued a legally enforceable stay at home order to all persons in the UK (otherwise known as a national lockdown); on the 18th June the Secretary of State for Health raised concerns about Leicester, with a focus on my Leicester East constituency; on the 25 17th July the Government ordered further, restrictive, legally enforceable measures covering the whole of the Leicester City area. As a new member of parliament, I gave my maiden speech on the 9th March 2020. Further, by the time of the national lockdown I had not yet appointed anything close to a full complement of staff consequently my own workload was huge and I was working 7 days a week with 30 less than 4hrs sleep a day and still learning all the rules and workings of parliament.
3. Whether you continue to receive ‘special responsibility’ payments as cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, in addition to your annual allowance as a councillor?
a) If you no longer receive this special responsibility payment, please 35 give the date and amount of the last payment you received.
b) Whether you have received any other additional ‘special responsibility’ payments since your election to Parliament and if so, please provide details. RECTIFICATION 10
I do not continue to receive ‘special responsibility’ payment as a cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, in addition to my annual allowance as a councillor. The date of the last payment I received was as per my register of interest, which was on the 19th December 2019 and incorporated into the £3,452.60 received before taxes. 5 I have not received any other additional ‘special responsibility’ payments since my election to Parliament.
4. Whether you are satisfied that your current entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests is now complete and accurate?
Having reviewed my current entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests, I 10 have noted that another entry has been missed by me. I understand a payment of £1,068.73 was made to me on 31st January from Tradewins UK Ltd (marketing) (now known as Inspire Field Marketing Ltd) 3 Elm Court, Meriden Business Park, Copse Drive, Coventry CV5 9RG. However, no hours were undertaken by me with them since my election to Parliament. The payment was made as a final payment, 15 including accrued holiday pay, upon my resignation from them and because payment is made approximately two months in arrears.
Apart from this missed entry I am satisfied that my current entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests is now complete and accurate.
5. If, on reflection, you accept that some of your interests have been 20 registered outside of the House’s deadline, please explain what steps you will now take to prevent any other late registrations?
I will undertake awareness and training to become more familiar with the requirement and undertake a monthly review of income received. I apologise for any failure on my part.
25 9 November 2020
4. Letter from the Commissioner to the Registrar of Members’ Financial Interests, 19 November 2020 I would like to ask your advice on a complaint I have received about Ms Claudia Webbe MP, and the registration of her financial interests.
30 The complaint is that Ms Webbe has acted in breach of paragraph 14 of the Code of Conduct for Members, by registering late her interests connected to her employment as a Councillor on Islington Council.
I enclose a copy of the correspondence, from [name redacted] which led to me beginning this inquiry. I also enclose my initiation letter to Ms Webbe, dated 23 35 October 2020, and her reply of 9 November 2020. RECTIFICATION 11
I am aware that you and a number of your colleagues met those Members who were newly elected in December 2019, to assist them with their entries in the first Register of Members’ Financial Interests of the new Parliament. I would be grateful for a copy of any relevant information you may hold, arising from any meeting that 5 took place with Ms Webbe. I would also be grateful for details of any subsequent contacts, including telephone calls and emails you and your team may have exchanged with Ms Webbe, and that you think may assist me with this inquiry.
Any other comments you would wish to make would be most welcome.
It would be very helpful to have your reply by 2 December 2020. If you require 10 further information from Ms Webbe before giving your advice, I would be happy for you to contact her directly.
Thank you for your assistance.
19 November 2020
5. Letter from the Commissioner to Ms Claudia Webbe MP, 19 November 2020 15 Thank you for your letter dated 9 November 2020, and for the information that it provided.
In my letter to you of 23 October 2020, I said that I may seek the advice of the House authorities as part of my investigation. Today I have written to the Registrar of Members’ Financial Interests and included for your 20 information a copy of that letter is Once I have (minusreceived the the enclosures Registrar’s previously reply, I will shared write with to youyou). again regarding the next In the meantime, this matter remains protected by Parliamentary Privilege and should continue to be kept confidential. steps. 19 November 2020
25 6. Letter from the Registrar of Members’ Financial Interests to the Commissioner, 25 November 2020 Thank you for your letter of 19 November in which you asked about our contacts with Ms Claudia Webbe MP.
As you know, Ms Webbe was first elected to Parliament on 12 December 2019. We 30 sent her and other new MPs a letter explaining the key rules of the House and their registration responsibilities, along with a ringbinder containing the House’s rules, and a registration form. We duplicated this information in an email, which included links to key documents. In addition, my team offered all new MPs an interview to explain the rules. I interviewed Ms Webbe on 8 January 2020, and I can see that I 35 followed the usual speaking note. I can see that I explained that MPs have to register RECTIFICATION 12
any changes in their interests within 28 days; and also that future employment payments would have to be registered. Ms Webbe brought her registration form (attached) to our office on Saturday 11 December. I sent her a draft Register entry on 29 January.
5 After 29 January we did not hear from Ms Webbe until 1 October, when she told us that she had continued to be paid as an Islington councillor and asked to register the monthly allowance payments she had received since January. She said that “I realised that my email response was still in my draft box and not sent”.
I am sorry to hear that Ms Webbe did not know that she needed to update the 10 Register within 28 days of any changes. As you will see from the enclosures to this letter5, we include a reminder about this in almost all our communications with MPs. The deadlines for registering donations are set out in law; and the others are determined by the House. Where donations are concerned, only Parliament itself could change the requirements. For other sections of the Register it would need a 15 decision by the House. I have no authority to make changes.
I attach copies of Ms Webbe’s original registration form6 and of our communications with her. (I have not included the emails sent to arrange the meeting on 8 January 2020 and the reminders which we sent on 11 January 2020.)
26 November 2020
20 7. Letter from the Commissioner to Ms Claudia Webbe MP, 3 December 2020 I wrote to you on 19 November 2020, to explain I had sought advice from the Registrar of Members’ Financial Interests. I received her advice on 25 November 2020, and a copy is enclosed for your information.
Having considered carefully your letter of 9 November 2020 and the Registrar’s 25 advice, I now have sufficient information to make a decision.
My decision As a result of the information you have provided and taking all the relevant facts into account, I find you have breached paragraph 14 of the Code of Conduct for Members.
When you submitted your initial registration form to the Registrar, on 11 January 30 2020, you included details about remuneration you had received for your role as Councillor with Islington Council under Category 1. Employment and Earnings. However, you did not tell the Registrar that remuneration for this role would be ongoing, with payments received on a monthly basis. This was a breach of paragraph 14 of the Code of Conduct.
5 See appendix 1 below 6 See appendix 2 below RECTIFICATION 13
Furthermore, in your letter to me of 9 November 2020, you said you had ‘missed’ a payment for £1,068.73, made to you on 31st January 2020, from Tradewins UK Ltd. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. However, the omission to register this payment under Category 1. Employment and Earnings, within 28 days, resulted in a 5 further breach of paragraph 14 of the Code. The rules are clear that, after the publication of the first Register of a Parliament, Members must notify the Registrar of changes in their registrable interests within 28 days.
In her advice the Registrar informed me that she met with you personally on 8 January 2020, and that she followed the usual speaking note for such meetings, 10 which included an explanation of the rules on registration. She also explained that reminders about the requirement to register interests within 28 days are routinely included in almost all of her team’s communications with Members. I can see in her email to you on 29 January 2020, this message was included along with a draft version of your register entry. You responded to that January email on 1 October 15 2020, and said, “I realised that my email response was still in my draft box and not sent.”
In your most recent letter to me you added, “As a new Member of Parliament, I failed to fully understand the requirement in respect of registering Members’ Financial Interests and had wrongly assumed this was an annual requirement and further had 20 not understood that no exceptions exist.”
I recognise that new Members of Parliament face challenges in their first few months in the role. This year Members have also had the added complication of working through the Covid-19 lockdown. However, I am satisfied that the requirement to register your interests on a rolling basis was properly explained in January, and 25 paragraph 14 of the rules is clear when it says, “Members shall fulfil conscientiously the requirements of the House in respect of the registration of interests in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests.”
Next steps Standing Order No 150 makes provision for me to conclude an inquiry without 30 making a referral to the Committee on Standards in certain circumstances. The Committee would generally expect the Member to have acknowledged and apologised for their breach of the rules, and to have taken any steps necessary to rectify their breach.
I note in your letter of 9 November 2020, you have expressed a willingness to 35 undertake training in order to become more familiar with registration requirements. You have also explained that you will undertake a monthly review of income received. I am pleased to hear that, and I would ask that you contact the Registrar, [name redacted], to arrange a refresher session. Her contact details are [details redacted].
40 I consider this breach to be at the less serious end of the spectrum. Subject to your acknowledgement and apology for your breach of the rules, and confirmation in writing that you have booked a training session with the Registrar, I would be RECTIFICATION 14
willing to conclude this matter by way of the rectification procedure, which is open to me under Standing Order No 150.
When a formal inquiry into late registration is concluded, it is also customary for me to ask the Registrar to italicise late entries in the next published edition of the 5 Register. This step indicates to the reader that the matter has been the subject of an inquiry and resolved by way of the rectification procedure. Assuming you are content to conclude this matter by rectification; I will ask the Registrar to update the Register of Members’ Financial Interests once I have received your acknowledgement and apology, and confirmation that you have arranged training.
10 If you agree to this proposal, I would share with you a draft of the written evidence pack, which includes all of our correspondence, ahead of publication of the pack on my webpages. I would also report the outcome to the Committee on Standards in due course. If you wish to proceed with the rectification process your apology might be made by way of your formal response to this letter.
15 I would be grateful if you would let me know by 11 December 2020, whether you are content to proceed as outlined above.
In the meantime, our correspondence remains protected by parliamentary privilege and I must ask that you continue to maintain the strict confidentiality of the inquiry.
3 December 2020
20 8. Letter from Ms Claudia Webbe MP to the Commissioner, 23 December 2020 Thank you for your further letter of 3rd December 2020 relating to your inquiry into an allegation you received, about my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests and compliance with the House of Commons’ Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament.
25 As previously stated, as a new Member of Parliament faced with the overwhelming and additional pressure of responding to the coronavirus pandemic and the added complication of its impact on Leicester, I was not aware that this global health and economic crisis would not be regarded as an exception and further that no consideration or leniency could be provided. Any meeting or training session held 30 in January 2020 with the registrar would not have anticipated this pandemic, its resulting impact and shock and the huge extra pressure it would have imposed on Members.
As a result of the significant increase in workload resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, I continue to work 7 days a week with only 4hrs sleep per day. Thus, it 35 has not been possible to keep abreast of everything, especially given the significant office upheaval and offsite working. I note that you did not refer in your reply to any update or advice received from the registrar following the onset of the coronavirus RECTIFICATION 15
pandemic and the alternative arrangements Members had to make when parliament was closed and the UK was in its first national lockdown.
Nonetheless, I acknowledge and apologise for the breach of rule 14 as set out in law and I have contacted the registrar to arrange refresher training. On the 17th 5 December 2020, I was notified by Islington Council that the monthly gross amount from 26th September 2020 is £900.67, I have updated and notified the registrar.
Thank you for taking the time to consider this matter.
23 December 2020
9. Letter from the Commissioner to Ms Claudia Webbe MP, 6 January 2021 10 Thank you for your letter of 23 December 2020.
It is clear from the points you have made that there still remains some confusion regarding a Member’s responsibility in relation to the registration of Members’ financial interests. I believe that before I can continue with the rectification process it would be helpful for us to meet virtually.
15 I would also invite the Registrar to that meeting, so that she might also provide further guidance regarding the registration process.
[details redacted], to arrange a mutually convenient to be arranged using Microsoft Teams. Please could you contact my PA, time for a meeting 20 In the meantime, our correspondence remains protected by parliamentary privilege 6and January I must 2020 ask that you continue to maintain the strict confidentiality of the inquiry.
10. Letter from the Commissioner to Ms Claudia Webbe MP, 21 January 2021 Thank you for taking the time to meet with me on 14 January 2021. I hope that our conversation, and your meeting with the Registrar earlier the same day, helped to 25 clarify any points you may have been unsure about.
In your letter of 23 December 2020, you agreed to my proposal to conclude my inquiry by way of the rectification procedure, and you acknowledged and apologised for your breach of paragraph 14 of the Code of Conduct for Members.
I enclose a copy of the written evidence pack, which includes the correspondence 30 exchanged during my investigation. In this pack you will find a draft copy of the letter I plan to send to the complainant; it is the first item in the pack, after the summary. While the content of the letter is a matter for me alone, I would welcome RECTIFICATION 16
any comments on the factual accuracy of this and the written evidence pack. The complainant's name will be redacted from the published pack; please let me know if there are any further redactions you think should be made, and I will consider your request.
5 I would be pleased to receive any comments you wish to make on these items as soon as possible, and no later than 4 February 2021.
Once I have any comments you wish to make, I will finalise the pack, which will then be published on my webpages. I will notify you of the publication of the pack. I will ask the Registrar to italicise your late entries in the next published edition of the 10 Register 7, and I will also notify the Committee on Standards of the outcome of my
Ininquiry the meantime, in due course. our correspondence continues to be protected by parliamentary privilege. Until I send you and the complainant letters concluding the inquiry, this matter should remain confidential.
15 21 January 2021
Appendix 1. Correspondence with Ms Claudia Webbe MP
1. Standard Letter sent in hard and soft copy to all new MPs on 13 December 2019
20 Dear new Member,
Response needed by 6pm on 11 January 2020: Standards in the House of Commons
Congratulations on your election to the House. I enclose a registration form and a ringbinder containing the Code of Conduct as approved by the House on 19 25 July 2018, and its supporting documents. I encourage you to read and absorb these.
Action needed now
Please contact my office to arrange an interview so that we can explain the Code and the rules to you, and check your form for the Register of Members’ Financial 30 Interests. You must submit that entry by 6pm on 11 January 2020. Use the attached form, even if you have no interests to declare.
Registering interests
7 During the course of the inquiry, three unpaid directorships, two trustee positions and five positions as a member of a body such as a committee, an authority or a forum (all previously registered under Category 8) were identified as being updated later than the 28 days required. These will also be italicised in the Register. RECTIFICATION 17
Among other interests, you must register;
• interests which you have already registered, or will register; • interests which do not have to be registered; • past interests (usually those from the last twelve months) 5 • present and future interests, • the interests of others, such as partners and family members
The detailed rules, and the financial thresholds, are in Chapter One of the Guide to the Rules (in your ringbinder).
10 You must register any donation (in money or in kind) and any loan received in the last 12 months, including while the House was dissolved, if
• It related to your candidacy or parliamentary or political activities; and
• The donation was given to you, or it was a “linked” donation to your party, as set out in paragraph 16 of Chapter One of the Guide to the Rules; and
15 • Its value was over £1,500 (or over £500 if the donor made other donations in the same calendar year, either direct to you or as “linked” donations, and the total value of all these donations was over £1,500).
Before accepting a donation over £500 you must check that it is from a permitted donor. 20 The Electoral Commission website can advise on this. If the donor is not permitted you must return the donation and tell the Electoral Commission.
Declaration (ad hoc disclosure) of interests (Chapter Two of the Guide to the Rules)
25 You must declare your interests on almost any occasion when someone else might consider them to influence your actions or words. That includes when you are approaching Ministers or public officials, in correspondence, and in most parliamentary proceedings. The interests you may need to declare are:
• interests which you have already registered, or will register;
30 • interests which do not have to be registered;
• past interests (usually those from the last twelve months)
• present and future interests,
• the interests of others, such as partners and family members
The advocacy rule (Chapter Three of the Guide to the Rules)
35 If you (or a family member) receive (or expect) a payment or benefit which you need to register or declare it is important to be aware of the advocacy rule. This means that if a financial or material benefit may be gained by the source of the payment, you must not initiate
• a parliamentary proceeding, or RECTIFICATION 18
• an approach to a Minister, another MP or public official
The rules are less strict if you will be supporting someone else’s proceeding or lobbying approach, rather than initiating it yourself.
The advocacy rule applies for six months after receiving a payment or benefit, 5 even if you leave the House.
Further information
We will update the Register online every fortnight when the House is sitting. You can find it, and the forms, via my Intranet pages, which can be found by 10 searching ‘Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards’. Advice and information is also available from Registry staff via [email protected]. 2. Standard Reminder letter sent to selected new MPs, including Ms Webbe, in late December 2020
IMPORTANT REMINDER: STANDARDS IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS 15 and REGISTERING INTERESTS Action needed as soon as possible
I am writing to you because you have not yet attended an individual briefing on the Code of Conduct and the rules of the House, and on your 20 first entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. The interview is an important step towards compiling your Register entry. Please be aware that you have a legal requirement to register certain donations by 11 January 2020
25 Action needed now
Please now contact us (email [email protected] or tel 020 7 219 3738) to arrange a date and time for your interview. After that please return your registration form, which was provided together with the 30 Code of Conduct, by 6pm on 11 January 2020. This is important, because unless we receive details of your interests by this deadline there will be a blank against your name in the first Register of this Parliament.
We will update the Register online every fortnight when the House is 35 sitting. If at any time you want further advice or information, please contact the Registry staff using the details at the beginning of this letter.
3. Email from the Registrar to Ms Webbe, 8 January 2020
40 Dear Claudia
I attach information about how to remove your address from the Companies House website.
With best wishes RECTIFICATION 19
[Name redacted]
Registrar of Members’ Financial Interests
4. Email from the Registrar of Members’ Financial Interests to Ms Webbe, 29 January 2020
5 From: Commons Registrar Sent: 29 January 2020 08:41 To: WEBBE, Claudia Subject: Your Register entry
10 Dear Ms Webbe Thank you for completing your registration form. I am not sure if we have sent you a Register entry to see, so here it is.
We would be grateful if you would kindly confirm that this is complete and 15 correct. I have included all your Miscellaneous interests, except the two committee memberships, which would not normally be registered. Please let us know asap if anything needs to be changed.
20 Please continue to register your interests within 28 days of any changes.
With best wishes
[Name redacted] 25 Registrar of Members’ Financial Interests See the Guide to the Rules for the rules on registering and declaring interests and paid advocacy. The registration forms and guidance are available on the parliamentary intranet. If you have a role in an All-Party Parliamentary Group, see also the Guide to the Rules 30 for All-Party Parliamentary Groups.
Webbe, Claudia (Leicester East)
1. Employment and earnings 19 December 2019, received £3,452.60 from Islington Council, Town 35 Hall, Upper St, London N1 2UD for duties as a Councillor and Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport. Hours: 10 hrs since my election to Parliament. (Registered 11 January 2020) 20 December 2019, received £720.30 from Tradewins UK Ltd (marketing) (now known as Inspire Field Marketing Ltd) 3 Elm Court, 40 Meriden Business Park, Copse Drive, Coventry CV5 9RG. Hours: none since my election to Parliament. (Registered 11 January 2020) 31 December 2019, received £236.75 from the Local Government Association, 18 Smith Square, London SW1P 3HZ, for duties as a member of the Safer and Stronger Communities Board. Hours: none RECTIFICATION 20
since my election to Parliament. (Registered 11 January 2020) 2. (a) Support linked to an MP but received by a local party organisation or indirectly via a central party organisation 5 Name of donor: Unite the Union Address of donor: 128 Theobalds Road, London Wc1X 8TN Amount of donation, or nature and value if donation in kind: £2,000, paid to my regional party organisation Donor status: trade union. 10 (Registered 11 January 2020) 8. Miscellaneous Unpaid director of Islington Ltd (iCO) (management and procurement services). (Registered 11 January 2020) Unpaid director of St Luke's Trustee Ltd (community charity). 15 (Registered 11 January 2020) Unpaid director of City YMCA Ltd. (Registered 11 January 2020) Trustee of Marx Memorial Library and Workers' School. (Registered 11 January 2020) In my capacity as Islington Councillor, I have been appointed as follows 20 Trustee of City YMCA Member of Crossrail High Level Forum Member of Groundwork, London's Local Authority Strategic Input Board 25 Member of the General Assembly of the Local Government Association Member of the London Road Safety Council Member of North London Waste Authority Trustee of St Sepulchre United Charities (Registered 11 January 2020) 30
5. Email from Ms Webbe to the Registrar, 1 October 2020
From: WEBBE, Claudia Sent: 01 October 2020 14:47 To: Commons Registrar 35 Subject: RE: Your Register entry
Hi, I realised that my email response was still in my draft box and not sent
40 Thank you for this update and clarification and can confirm the record as completed is correct.
In terms of additions, please note that I continue to be paid as a Councillor at Islington Council, which was originally due to end by March 2020 following the announcement of RECTIFICATION 21
local, regional and mayoral elections. However, these elections were delayed following the Coronavirus pandemic.
Consequently, I want to record for the register of interest under Employment and 5 Earnings that I receive an ongoing Councillor basic allowance of £10,519.04 paid monthly from Islington Council and this has been ongoing since my report on 11th January 2020. Thus, for January 2020 I received £876.59 before tax and monthly thereafter, which is paid on the 26th of each month. Could I record this in the register which is monthly until around May 2021 or sooner 10 should a by-election be called in line with the COVID-19 legislation. I can be contacted direct on 07973816885 Many thanks
Claudia Webbe MP 15 Member of Parliament for Leicester East
House of Commons London SW1A 0AA [Contact details redacted] 20
6. Email from Ms Webbe to the Registrar, 1 October 2020
From: WEBBE, Claudia Sent: 01 October 2020 15:02 25 To: Commons Registrar Subject: RE: Your Register entry
Hi
30 Just to confirm the average monthly hours as a Councillor is 15 hours
Many thanks
Claudia Webbe MP 35 Member of Parliament for Leicester East
House of Commons London SW1A 0AA [Contact details redacted] 40
7. Email from the Registrar to Ms Webbe, 5 October 2020
From: Commons Registrar Sent: Monday, October 5, 2020 9:29:34 PM RECTIFICATION 22
To: WEBBE, Claudia Subject: RE: Your Register entry
Dear Ms Webbe,
5 Thank you for this update. I have set out your draft Register entry below, in the form in which it will appear in the Register of 12 October 2020. We would be grateful if you would confirm that it is complete and correct.
If you have any future changes to register, please do so within the 28 days which the 10 House requires.
Yours sincerely [Name redacted] Registrar of Members’ Financial Interests 15 See the Guide to the Rules approved by the House on 17 March 2015 and 7 January 2019 for the rules on registering and declaring interests and paid advocacy. The registration forms and guidance are available on the parliamentary intranet. If you have a role in an All-Party Parliamentary Group, see also the Guide to the Rules for All-Party Parliamentary Groups. 20 Follow the link for the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Privacy Notice.
Webbe, Claudia (Leicester East)
1. Employment and earnings Payments from Islington Council, Town Hall, Upper St, London N1 2UD for 25 duties as a Councillor. Hours: an average of 15 hrs a month unless otherwise stated. 19 December 2019, received £3,452.60 for duties as a Councillor and Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport. Hours: 10 hrs since my election to Parliament. (Registered 11 January 2020) 30 26 January 2020, received £876.59. (Registered 01 October 2020) 26 February 2020, received £876.59. (Registered 01 October 2020) 26 March 2020, received £876.59. (Registered 01 October 2020) 26 April 2020, received £876.59. (Registered 01 October 2020) 26 May 2020, received £876.59. (Registered 01 October 2020) 35 26 June 2020, received £876.59. (Registered 01 October 2020) 26 July 2020, received £876.59. (Registered 01 October 2020) 26 August 2020, received £876.59. (Registered 01 October 2020) 26 September 2020, received £876.59. (Registered 01 October 2020) From 26 October 2020 until further notice I receive £876.59 a month 40 for an average commitment of 15 hrs. (Registered 01 October 2020) 20 December 2019, received £720.30 from Tradewins UK Ltd (marketing) (now known as Inspire Field Marketing Ltd) 3 Elm Court, Meriden Business Park, Copse Drive, Coventry CV5 9RG. Hours: none since my election to Parliament. (Registered 11 January 2020) RECTIFICATION 23
31 December 2019, received £236.75 from the Local Government Association, 18 Smith Square, London SW1P 3HZ, for duties as a member of the Safer and Stronger Communities Board. Hours: none since my election to Parliament. (Registered 11 January 2020) 5 2. (a) Support linked to an MP but received by a local party organisation or indirectly via a central party organisation Name of donor: Unite the Union Address of donor: 128 Theobalds Road, London Wc1X 8TN Amount of donation, or nature and value if donation in kind: £2,000, paid to 10 my regional party organisation Donor status: trade union (Registered 11 January 2020) 8. Miscellaneous Unpaid director of Islington Ltd (iCO) (management and procurement 15 services). (Registered 11 January 2020) Unpaid director of St Luke's Trustee Ltd (community charity). (Registered 11 January 2020) Unpaid director of City YMCA Ltd. (Registered 11 January 2020) Trustee of Marx Memorial Library and Workers' School. (Registered 11 20 January 2020) In my capacity as Islington Councillor, I have been appointed as follows
Trustee of City YMCA Member of Crossrail High Level Forum 25 Member of Groundwork, London's Local Authority Strategic Input Board Member of the General Assembly of the Local Government Association Member of the London Road Safety Council Member of North London Waste Authority Trustee of St Sepulchre United Charities 30 (Registered 11 January 2020)
8. Email from Ms Webbe to the Registrar, 8 October 2020
From: WEBBE, Claudia Sent: 08 October 2020 35 To: Commons Registrar
Hi,
I can confirm this entry is now complete and correct
Many thanks
Claudia Webbe MP
40 Member of Parliament for Leicester East House of Commons London SW1A 0AA RECTIFICATION 24
Appendix 2. New Members’ Registration form, submitted by Ms Claudia Webbe MP, 11 January 2020
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