Wareing: "Concealment not his intention"

Wareing Issues Statement

"I have received the committee's report, together with that of Sir Gordon Downey.

"I find no difficulty in apologising to the House for an oversight which the committee points out should have been declared. It has never been my intention to circumvent the rules, and Sir Gordon himself concludes: `He (Robert Wareing) apologises for the oversight and hopes it will be accepted that concealment was not his intention'.

"On the question of the retainer Sir Gordon continues: `I believe that the guidance was not so clear cut on this point and, in practice, after several months, Mr Wareing had apparently obtained no financial reward in either capacity.

"Since I drew no money from the company, it never occurred to me that this was an interest that was registerable. I accept that it was an oversight.

"There is no question of my intending to withhold this registration and the entry concerned relates to a period before the rules were revised, a point Sir Gordon highlights.

"The conduct and the manner in which the matter had been handled by the Chief Whip is something that I will now refer to the Standards and Privileges Committee. His evidence in total lacked credibility and was intemperate, as I believe the overall finding of the report clearly demonstrate (sic).

"I am grateful to the many colleagues, constituents and friends who have shown their confidence in me, in the face of this range of scurrilous accusations, all but one of which have been rejected.

"I propose to make no further comment on this matter at this stage."