I write to ask you to make a further investigation into the affairs of the Paymaster-General, Geoffrey Robinson. I enclose copies of documents which indicate two breaches of the House rules on registration of outside interests.[7] Both relate to events in the last few years.

The first complaint relates to Lock Inspection Systems Ltd. This was a company that had been part of the Robert Maxwell empire. It was a subsidiary of Hollis Industries plc, of which Mr Robinson was Chairman, a post for which he denies receiving the £200,000 fee stated in its accounts. Mr Robinson's company TransTec plc had bought Lock from the Maxwell empire in May 1991, just six months before Mr Maxwell's death and disgrace.

This company's close link with Robert Maxwell meant that the involvement of any Member of the House in it was bound to be a matter of considerable public interest. It was thus of key importance that the Register should be maintained with meticulous accuracy. The 1995 edition of the Register, published on 31 January 1995, shows that the entry recording Mr Robinson's directorship of Lock International plc had been deleted. Given the time for printing the Register, this deletion must have been made some time before. Yet the accounts of Lock International plc show clearly that Mr Robinson did not resign this directorship until 16 February. This seems to be a clear breach of the rules.

The second complaint relates to Stenbell Ltd. This company was created on 16 January 1996. Mr Robinson was one of two directors, and owned one of the two shares in this private company, which is clearly a declarable shareholding. Your own first investigation into Mr Robinson's affairs makes several references to the existence of this company; and indeed Mr Robinson describes in one of his letters to you how he sold his rights to nearly 10 million shares in TransTec PLC to Stenbell Ltd, which then sold them on to Orion Trust, Mr Robinson's offshore trust. In that letter he describes Stenbell Ltd as "a company owned by me".

This shareholding and directorship should have been registered in the Register both for 1996 and for 1997. It appears in neither. This also appears on the face of it to be an absolutely clear breach of the rules.

If you need any assistance with further documentation, please let me know.

27 July 1998