Private debate on Robinson

STANDARDS INQUIRY

MPs WILL debate Geoffrey Robinson's business interests in private next week after Sir Gordon Downey presents an interim report into a much- delayed investigation.

They have been pressing Sir Gordon, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, for an interim report to the Committee on Standards and Privileges after the Paymaster General did not respond to his questions. The inquiry was first launched in February, four months ago.

The investigation is one of three by Sir Gordon into Mr Robinson's interests. It involves several companies including Hollis Industries and Swiss EDM, which later became Agie UK.

Mr Robinson was chairman of Swiss EDM, a British subsidiary of a machine tools group, between 1983 and 1985. It is understood that he received a salary for this. Although company records of Hollis Industries show that its chairman's remuneration was pounds 200,000, Mr Robinson's aides have said he was not paid for that position.

The commissioner is already looking into Mr Robinson's involvement with an offshore trust and into dealings in Coventry City Football Club shares. Last week Mr Maude made a further complaint about Mr Robinson's Italian estate, which is run by two businesses and is believed to be worth around pounds 1.5m.

Conservatives had demanded an early end to the inquiry, and last week the Shadow Chancellor, Francis Maude, raised the issue with the Speaker of the House of Commons, Betty Boothroyd. Some members of the Committee on Standards and Privileges are also believed to be angry about the delay.

Last night a spokesman for Mr Robinson said he should have declared an interest in Hollis Industries.

"He said that at the time. He didn't get any remuneration. He neglected to declare it. End of story."

Sir Gordon said last night that his inquiries were continuing.

"I am considering these complaints and my inquiries are not complete. I shall be reporting to the Committee on Standards and Privileges, but it will be a little while yet," he said.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister said: "Geoffrey Robinson is continuing to do an excellent job for the Government. Any talk about this inquiry is speculation."

Mr Robinson has already been criticised by Sir Gordon for failing to register two offshore trusts of which he was a discretionary beneficiary.

Sir Gordon found that while the Paymaster General had not broken the letter of the rules "it would have been better" if he had registered his interest.