MPs rake in thousands as directors of private companies

The Commons Register of Members' Interests, published today, reveals six of the county's MPs - mostly Tories - are doing significant extra work on the side.

There is nothing in the Parliamentary rule book forbidding such extra-curricular activities.

But one Sussex MP yesterday criticised those trying to juggle private work with their main job of representing their constituents.

MPs are obliged to give details about all outside work paying more than £600 per year in an attempt to encourage transparency and prevent conflicts of interest.

Yesterday's report, which covers everything declared since November 2005, shows that five Tory MPs and one Labour MP have received cash from at least one company on top of their £60,675 annual salary.

Leading the pack was Francis Maude, Tory MP for Horsham, who declared paid directorships with eight companies.

Mr Maude, who is the Conservative Party's chairman, also received payment as a member of Barclays' Asia-Pacific Advisory Committee.

Nicholas Soames, Tory MP for Mid-Sussex, declared one directorship, with Aegis Defence Services.

But he was also paid in his role as senior vice president of insurance brokers MMC Group and for his work as a "business development and strategic adviser" to four companies - including motorway service station operator Welcome Break.

Tory MPs Gregory Barker, Bexhill and Battle, and Andrew Tyrie, Chichester, were paid for two directorships each.

Conservative MP Nigel Waterson, Eastbourne, and Labour MP Michael Foster, Hastings and Rye, were both paid as consultants for separate firms of solicitors.

Norman Baker, Liberal Democrat MP for Lewes, yesterday suggested his colleagues' business activities risked "compromising" their Parliamentary work.

The MP, who made a pledge on his election not to take on outside paid directorships or consultancies, said: "Being an MP is a full-time job. I know I have trouble cramming everything I have to do into a week and I am still very pushed for time.

"If that's the case I don't really know how there's time for MPs to do a huge number of extra-curricular activities without compromising their work."

Mr Baker himself earned up to £10,000 for lecturing civil servants on the work of an MP and writing political articles for the Mail on Sunday. But he said this was "ancillary" to his Parliamentary duties.

Most MPs - including Mr Baker - declared freebie flights, usually for 'fact-finding' trips.

Destinations included Australia, Sweden, Mozambique, United Arab Emirates, India, Dubai, Norway, Ireland, Spain, Kenya, Cyprus, Yemen, Pakistan and the United States.

Just two Sussex MPs had nothing at all to declare. They were Nick Gibb, Tory MP for Bognor and Littlehampton and Des Turner, Labour MP for Brighton Kemptown.

Arundel and South Downs - Nick Herbert (C)
Sponsorship or financial or material support 2 January - 5 April 2007, secondment of an employee to my office by Hedra plc, a management consultancy. (Registered 30 January 2007) Overseas visits
4-9 September 2005, to Kenya, with an all-party delegation, to look at the incidence and effect of TB in Kenya. Travel to and from Kenya and within the country, accommodation and expenses paid for by RESULTS, an international lobbying charity organisation. (Registered 14 December 2005)

Bexhill and Battle - Greg Barker (C)
Remunerated directorships
Director, Flare View Ltd.; property investment company holding freehold property let to commercial tenants. Maybush Telecom Limited; distribution of mobile and related equipment (from 28 November 2005 - 3 July 2006). Remunerated employment, office, profession etc Director-designate of Spinel Holdings, whose activities include commercial and property interests in the Russian Federation. Overseas visits
2-4 September 2006, to Mozambique, to view sustainable forestry conservation project. Return business class flight and two nights' tented accommodation provided by Envirotrade Ltd. (Registered 14 November 2006) 16-21 March 2007, to the United Arab Emirates with all-party delegation to meet Government representatives, as guest of the Government of the UAE. The cost of flights and accommodation was met by the Government of the UAE. (Registered 23 March 2007) Land and Property
Freehold commercial business park property in East Anglia, from which I receive rental income. Rental income from residential property in London. Registrable shareholdings
Flare View Ltd. Great Portland Estates PLC Electra Kingsway VCT PLC Quester VCT 5 PLC Close Technology and General VCT PLC New Star European Growth Fund PLC New Star UK Growth Fund PLC Henderson High Income Trust PLC. New European Property Holdings Ltd. (NEPH) Igroland Ltd; owns and operates children's entertainment centres in Kiev, in partnership with IKEA. Maybush Telecom Limited (from 28 November 2005-3 July 2006)Penna plc

Brighton Kemptown - Des Turner (Lab)
Nil.

Brighton Pavilion - David Lepper (Lab/Co-op)
Overseas visits
6-9 October 2006, to the Republic of Cyprus, to attend the Morphou Rally and meetings associated with it. Return air fare from Heathrow to Larnaca and three nights' hotel accommodation in Nicosia were paid for by the Municipality of Morphou. (Registered 10 October 2006)

Bognor Regis and Littlehampton - Nick Gibb (C)
Nil.

Chichester - Andrew Tyrie (C)
Remunerated directorships
Independent director of Rensburg Sheppards plc, a publicly quoted investment management company. Independent director of Rugby Estates, a publicly quoted property company. Gifts, benefits and hospitality (UK) Honorary membership of Goodwood Country Club. Overseas visits
7-11 February 2007, to India, to visit outsourced operations in Bangalore and the UK Consular Entry Clearance Section in Mumbai. Travel and accommodation costs met by Norwich Union. (Registered 12 February 2007) Registrable shareholdings Falconland Limited; property investment company. Veritas Asian Fund.

Crawley - Laura Moffatt (Lab)
Overseas visits
7-14 February 2007, to Pakistan on a fact-finding visit to investigate UK-Pakistan relations; women's rights and development, education and the spending of development aid in Pakistan (especially Kashmir). Return flight to Islamabad paid for by Mr Javid Majid (Chair, Tall Trees Hotel, Yarm); Mr Nas Khan (Managing Director, Jennings Ford Middlesbrough) and Mr Nasser Din(Managing Director, Supreme Property Developments, Stockton on Tees). Accommodation, car transportation and expenses in Pakistan paid for by Mr Javid Majid and Mr M Akram Farid (Chief Executive, Hotel Crown Plaza, Islamabad). (Registered 28 February 2007)

East Worthing and Shoreham - Tim Loughton (C)
Land and Property
A flat in London, from which rental income is occasionally received. Overseas visits
26-30 August 2006, to Yemen, as a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Yemen, for meetings in Sana'a and Aden. I was the guest of the Yemeni Government who paid costs of the visit. (Registered 28 September 2006) Registrable shareholdings
JP Morgan Chase; US investment bank. JP Morgan Elect Managed Income Investment Trust. JP Morgan Elect Managed Growth Investment Trust.

Eastbourne - Nigel Waterson (C)
Remunerated employment, office, profession, etc. Consultant to firm of Solicitors, Messrs. Watson, Farley and Williams, London. Gifts, benefits and hospitality (UK) Honorary membership of the Baltic Exchange. Overseas visits
14-15 May 2006, to Washington, USA, as guest speaker at a conference organised by the American Association of Retired People (AARP). Flights and hotel paid for by the AARP. (Registered 24 May 2006)

Hastings and Rye - Michael Foster (Lab)
Remunerated employment, office, profession etc Consultant to a firm of solicitors, Messrs. Fynmores of Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex.

Horsham - Francis Maude (C)
Remunerated directorships
Benfield Group Limited, from 2 May 2002 (non-executive deputy chairman from March 2003); reinsurance brokerage. Benfield Limited (non-executive) from 4 November 2004), wholly-owned subsidiary of Benfield Group Ltd. Prestbury Holdings PLC (chairman) from 1 August 2002; non-investment financial services. Jubilee Investment Trust PLC (non-executive chairman), from October 2002; an investment trust. Globalink International Ltd. (non-executive chairman from January 2004); provider of telecommunications services. Mediasurface (non-executive director from 26 August 2004); a web management software provider. The Mission Marketing Group (non-executive chairman from 1 February 2006); an advertising group. UTEK Corporation Inc (non-executive); a technology transfer company based in the US and listed on the Alternative Investment Market in London. Remunerated employment, office, profession etc Member of Barclays' Asia-Pacific Advisory Committee. Gifts, benefits and hospitality (UK) 13 December 2005, helicopter flight from Birmingham to Warwick, provided by JCB Research. (Registered 9 January 2006) In my capacity as Chairman of the Conservative party I received helicopter travel from JCB Ltd to enable me to attend the Scottish and Welsh Party Conferences on 4 March 2006. (Registered 6 March 2006) Registrable shareholdings Prestbury Holdings PLC.

Hove - Celia Barlow (Lab)
Overseas visits
1-9 April 2006, to India with Labour Friends of India. International travel provided by the Confederation of Indian Industry and all accommodation, domestic travel and hospitality provided by the Government of India. (Registered 25 April 2006) Land and Property
Freehold maisonette and one bed flat in London, from which rental income is received. Freehold house in Witterings from which rental income has been received from January 2007.

Lewes - Norman Baker (LD)
Remunerated employment, office, profession etc Fees from the Centre for Management and Policy Studies for lectures given to civil servants. Articles for the Mail on Sunday. (£5,001-£10,000) (Registered 12 March 2007) Sponsorship or financial or material support January-February 2006, researcher provided for my House of Commons office by Forum for the Future, an organisation that organises placements for students studying sustainable development. (Registered 13 February 2006) 17-25 February 2006, to Australia, to visit Tasmania in my then capacity as Shadow Environment Secretary. My transport, accommodation and living expenses in Australia were provided by The Wilderness Society and the Australian Greens. (My return flight to Australia was financed by parliamentary funds.) (Registered 13 March 2006) 29-31 May 2006, to Sweden, to give the annual Iwan Bolin Lecture on education, at the invitation of the Folkuniversitetet in Stockholm. My flights, other transport, accommodation and living expenses during my stay were financed by the Folkuniversitetet. (Registered 12 June 2006)

Mid Sussex - Nicholas Soames (C)
Remunerated directorships
Aegis Defence Services Limited (non-executive). Remunerated employment, office, profession etc Senior Vice-President, MMC Group; insurance brokers. Business development and strategic adviser to: Investcorp; fund management company. Welcome Break; operator of motorway service stations. GSC Partners; an investment company. Scythian; a management consultancy.

Wealden - Charles Hendry (C)
Gifts, benefits and hospitality (UK) 6 June 2006, upgrades for my wife and myself on a flight from London to New York provided by Virgin Atlantic. (Registered 1 November 2006) Upgrade of flights, from Premium Economy to Upper Class, for my wife and myself by Virgin Atlantic from Washington to London on 26 February 2007 and for my wife from London to Washington on 22 February 2007. The visit itself was non-registrable. (Registered 1 March 2007) Overseas visits
26-27 April 2006, to Oskarshamn, Sweden, to visit the OKG nuclear power and nuclear waste facility, accompanied by two members of my staff. Our flights and accommodation were paid for by E.On. (Registered 11 May 2006) 22-26 August 2006, to Stavanger, Norway, to visit the Offshore Northern Seas (ONS) conference and exhibition, with the British Offshore Oil and Gas Industry All-Party Parliamentary Group. Overseas flights, hotel accommodation, local transport and hospitality sponsored by the UK Offshore Operators Association (UKOOA), Shell, BP, Exxon Mobil, Statoil and Chevron. (Registered 1 November 2006) 11 September 2006, to Ireland, to visit the Arklow Bay offshore wind-farm facility. Flights for two members of staff supporting the Shadow DTI team and me paid for by Airtricity. (Registered 1 November 2006) 18-21 September 2006, to Santiago de Compostela, to view onshore wind-farm and manufacturing facilities in Galicia owned by Gamesa SA. Flights, accommodation and hospitality for my wife and me provided by Gamesa SA. (Registered 1 November 2006)

Worthing West - Peter Bottomley (Cons)
Sponsorship or financial or material support I am president of the Westminster Circle, a business group who choose to give surplus funds to Conservative associations, including Worthing West, and to charity. Overseas visits
25-27 February 2006, to Dubai, to speak at Press Freedom Forum. Flights and accommodation costs paid by Khaleej Times. (Registered 28 February 2006)

For a full list of the register log onto www.publications.parliament.uk

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