Thank you for your reply to my letter about Geoffrey Robinson's offshore trust. I would like formally to complain about the failure to register the Orion Trust in the Register of Members' Interests.

  In evidence I would cite the statements issued by Geoffrey Robinson and his solicitors on 29th November and the 8th December, supplemented by the interviews given by Mr Robinson to the Observer, Sunday Telegraph and Express. Mr Robinson reveals that he and his family are the discretionary beneficiaries of the Orion Trust; that the Trust owns 13 million shares in his company TransTec; and that he suggested to the Trust that they buy from him the rights to 10 million TransTec shares. Also in the Sunday Times of 14th December, Mr Robinson confirms that he prompted the Orion Trust to buy shares in Coventry City Football Club. All this indicates a close involvement with the Trust and, through it, with his commercial interests.

  I understand that not all Trusts have such a close link with their beneficiaries. But where they do they surely fall within the rule requiring disclosure?

  I appreciate that consideration of the apparent conflict of interest between the Paymaster's links with the Orion Trust and his ministerial responsibility for policy towards the taxation of such trusts goes beyond a strict interpretation of your remit. However, would it be possible for you to advise on this issue if the Paymaster General himself felt this would be helpful?

  It would be possible for the Minister to let you see, in confidence, copies of the Orion Trust's deed and letter of wishes, and for you to advise on whether the Minister's relationship with the Trust gives rise to a conflict of interest. I quite appreciate that there may be some details that you are unable to place in the public domain. In this case, the simple fact that you were able to conduct an investigation would go a long way to answering some of the many questions that have yet to be answered.

16 December 1997