Paul Keetch MP: Foreign trips and rule breaches

Paul Keetch is MP for Hereford

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 Paul Keetch and his relevant parliamentary activities are listed below. In response to the investigation Mr Keetch told the BBC: "Thank you for bringing this information to my attention. I will contact the relevant authorities to see if I need to alter my declaration."

Gibraltar

Mr Keetch, the Liberal Democrat MP for Hereford, visited Gibraltar twice in 2005, first in March courtesy of the Liberal Party of Gibraltar and secondly in September, paid for by the government of Gibraltar.

In February 2006 Mr Keetch asked two questions relating to Gibraltar without declaring an interest.

Mr Keetch also signed the following early day motions relating to Gibraltar, again without declaring an interest:

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. GIBRALTAR AND THE EU CONSTITUTION REFERENDUM / 17.05.2005 / EDM 25

2. MAJOR COLIN RISSO AND MAJOR JOHN PEREZ / 18.10.2005 / EDM 789

3. GIBRALTAR NATIONAL DAY / 24.07.2006 / EDM 2640

Korea

Mr Keetch visited Korea in September 2006, on a trip paid for by the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and by the Korean National Assembly.

On 27 March 2007 Mr Keetch also signed the following early day motion relating to Korea, without declaring an interest:

1. HUMAN RIGHTS IN NORTH KOREA 27.03.2007 EDM 1232

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