PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
CONDUCT OF THE RIGHT HONOURABLE MEMBER FOR NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE EAST AND WALLSEND (15 December 1998)

That this House notes that the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has received and paid a bill for ú11,000 in respect of computers taken from the Government Whips' Office by the Right honourable Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne East and Wallsend; is concerned that taxpayers' money should be used in this way; calls upon the Government to issue guidelines on the authorisation by Ministers of payments in these circumstances and to order a full inquiry into all aspects of the affair, including whether or not data protection and Government guidelines permit the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to use its computer equipment to maintain records originally compiled in the Government Whips Office about Labour honourable Members which are not relevant to the work of the Ministry or to prove the relevance of these records by making them public.

Sponsored by:
Mr Richard Page (Conservative)