| Synopsis: |
This is the second report ("Committee on Standards and Privileges, HCP 207, session 2008-09"), on Mr Derek Conway MP, the first was published January 2008 ("HCP 280, session 2007-08", ISBN 9780215038449). In the first report, the Committee accepted the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards investigation, that Mr Derek Conway had overpaid his son Freddie Conway, whom he had employed as his Parliamentary research assistant and had awarded him excessive bonuses. The Committee concluded that a serious breach of the rules had taken place. A further complaint was made against Mr Conway in employing his elder son, Henry Conway. The Committee has established that Henry Conway was employed from 1 July 2001 to 1 October 2004. At the time he was a full-time student. His duties as a research assistant were set out in his contract of employment and were wide-ranging, including dealing with constituents. In practice, according to Henry Conway and Mr Conway, half his time was spent on research-related work, and about half on administrative and office tasks. No documentary or other hard evidence of the work carried out by Henry Conway has survived.The Commissioner concludes, on the basis of the evidence seen, that Henry Conway did undertake work for Mr Conway during the period of his employment and that there is insufficient evidence to substantiate the allegation that Henry Conway failed to work the 18 hours a week for which he was contracted. The Committee has accepted the Commissioner's conclusion. The Committee further accepted the Commissioner's conclusions that Henry Conway's basic research and administrative skills were consistent with Mr Conway's requirements as his employer, and that the starting salary, at GBP 800 above the minimum, was not unreasonably high in the circumstances at the time and the decisions to award bonus and overtime payments were not unreasonable. The Committee though agrees with the Commissioner that for the last two and a half years of his employment, Henry Conway's salary was unnecessarily high and that by paying this amount, Mr Conway had breached the rules of the House.The Committee expects Mr Conway to apologise to the House for his breach by writing to the Chairman of the Committee, and further recommends he reimburse the House in full for the cost of the overpayments to Henry Conway, totalling GBP 3,757.83. |