Colin Breed MP: Foreign trips and rule breaches

Colin Breed is the MP for South East Cornwall

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 Colin Breed, his relevant parliamentary activities and his reply to the BBC are below.

Gibraltar

Liberal Democrat MP for South East Cornwall Colin Breed visited Gibraltar in September 2007 and October 2008. Both visits were to mark the National Day celebrations, and on each he was accompanied by his spouse and went at the expense of the Gibraltarian Government.

Following these trips, which were registered, Mr Breed signed three early day motions (EDMs) that related to Gibraltar where no interest was declared:

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

1. 'BORDER BETWEEN SPAIN AND GIBRALTAR' / 08.05.2008 / EDM 1522

2. 'GIBRALTAR SERVICES POLICE' / 14.07.2008 / EDM 2026

3. 'BRITISH OVERSEAS TERRITORIES AND REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY' / 10.11.2008 / EDM 2468

Taiwan

Colin Breed visited Taiwan between July and August 2007 at the expense of the Taiwanese government.

Following these trips, which were registered, Mr Breed signed two early day motions that related to Taiwan where no interest was declared:

1. 'YOUTUBE AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY' / 08.11.2007 / EDM 159

2. 'TAIWAN'S PARTICIPATION IN THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION' / 23.04.2008 / EDM 1415

Reply

In response Mr Breed told the BBC: "I can confirm the details of the visits to Gibraltar and Taiwan and clearly I inadvertently breached the rules concerning the declaration of the interests on some EDMs, which I regret. Thank you for drawing this to my attention."

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Other MPs who have breached the rules:

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

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