David Lepper MP: Foreign trips and rule breaches

David Lepper is the MP for Brighton Pavilion

A BBC investigation has revealed that more than 20 MPs have breached rules in relation to registering and declaring overseas trips paid for by foreign governments.

The trips taken by David Lepper, his relevant parliamentary activities and his reply to the BBC are below.

Cyprus

Labour MP for Brighton Pavilion David Lepper visited Cyprus in October 2004 and October 2005, October 2006, August and October 2007, and both October 2008 and 2009.

These visits were paid for by the Municipality of Morphou, the Municipality of Famagusta and the Association of Cypriot Municipalities. On some occasions Mr Lepper was accompanied by his wife, who paid her own airfares.

DECLARING FOREIGN TRIPS Any MP who has an overseas trip paid for by a foreign government must register it within four weeks They must declare a financial interest if it "might reasonably be thought by others to influence the speech, representation or communication in question" This includes when tabling questions, motions, bills or amendments, and when speaking out during Commons proceedings Members may not, for example, call for increased UK financial assistance to the government which provided the hospitality Q&A - MPs' foreign trips rules

On 13 January 2009, Mr Lepper tabled a parliamentary question, without declaring an interest.

On other occasions, Mr Lepper did declare an interest when tabling or asking questions relating to Cyprus.

During this Parliament Mr Lepper has signed 29 early day motions relating to Cyprus. In the case of the following four, he did not declare an interest:

1. 'MR GEORGE IACOVOU' / 12.12.2006 / EDM 474

2. 'SOTERIS GEORGALLIS' / 16.04.2007 / EDM 1273

3. 'RELIGIOUS HERITAGE IN CYPRUS' / 11.07.2007 / EDM 1895

4. 'ELECTION VICTORY OF PASOK AND GEORGE PAPANDREOU' / 12.10.2009 / EDM 1990

Reply

In response, Mr Lepper told the BBC: "If there have been occasions when I should have mentioned a registered interest and by oversight omitted to do so, I apologise for that."

Other MPs who have breached the rules:

David Amess Norman Baker Crispin Blunt Graham Brady Colin Breed David Burrowes Andrew Dismore Jim Dobbin Alan Duncan Liam Fox Mike Hancock

Lindsay Hoyle Paul Keetch Bob Laxton Andrew Love Madeleine Moon Mike Penning Andrew Rosindell Richard Spring Theresa Villiers Rudi Vis

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