HL 78 - The conduct of Lord Redsesdale

Book excerpt: The complaint alleged that Lord Redesdale breached the Code of Conduct by not registering certain interests in the Register of Lords' Interests (in breach of paragraph 10(a) of the Code) and by registering certain other interests more than one month after those interests came about (in breach of paragraph 13). The Commissioner considered nine allegations of non-registration and eight allegations of late registration. He upheld seven of the allegations of nonregistration and six of the allegations of late registration. In respect of those findings Lord Redesdale admitted to the Commissioner that he had been in breach; he has corrected the Register so far as it can be. In addition, Lord Redesdale drew the Commissioner's attention to a further interest which he had discovered he had neglected to register. It seems to us clear from the Commissioner's report that he found no evidence of a deliberate attempt by Lord Redesdale to avoid registering interests; that at least some of the breaches appeared to the Commissioner "minor and fairly technical". In these circumstances, the Committee are disposed to accept Lord Redesdale's offer to the Commissioner to apologise to the House.