Prescott cleared by Commons committee

John Prescott: Cleared of a conflict of interests

A mild reprimand has been issued to the Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott after he failed to declare his tenancy of a flat owned by the RMT rail union.

But the parliamentary watchdog, the Commons Standards and Privileges Committee rejected complaints against Mr Prescott that he was guilty of a conflict of interests.

On Wednesday the committee issued a report saying that in the current climate the tenancy should have been included in the register of MPs interests.

Three Tory MPs first raised the complaints against Mr Prescott saying that in his position as secretary of state for transport the tenancy, a flat in Clapham, south London, could create a conflict of interests.

The report stated: "The tenancy has never been included in the register. In the current climate it would be better if it were registered.

"We invite Mr Prescott now to add it to his register entry."

Flat a 'material benefit'

The Labour-dominated committee also turned down a recommendation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Elizabeth Filkin to uphold one complaint.

Ms Filkin noted that Mr Prescott should have registered the flat in 1997, after his sponsorship as an MP by the RMT ended.

Mr Prescott had registered his sponsorship by the RMT in the register of members interests but as he kept the flat on at only £220 a month Ms Filkin said he should have made this public, as it was an arrangement not available to the average tenant.

However the committee did not accept this argument, and rejected the complaint over non-registration.

Tory MPs David Heathcoat-Amory and Andrew Robathan also complained that the rent was below market value and therefore represented a "material benefit" to Mr Prescott.