Prescott facing Dome inquiry
John Prescott is facing an inquiry from the parliamentary watchdog over his failure to declare a stay at the home of an American billionaire.
The deputy prime minister spent two days at the home of Philip Anschutz, whose company Anschutz Entertainment Group is hoping to turn the Millennium Dome into Britain’s first super-casino.
The government is set to give the go-ahead to the UK’s first super casino on a trial basis later this year.
On Tuesday, Mr Prescott disclosed in a letter to shadow culture secretary Hugo Swire that he had met Mr Anschutz on seven occasions, but said they had not discussed the sale of the Dome.
Sir Philip Mawer, Parliamentary commissioner for standards, has opened “preliminary inquiries” into why Mr Prescott did not declare the visit to Mr Anschutz’s Colorado ranch in July 2005.
Ministerial rules state that ministers must not accept “gifts, hospitality or services” from people where a conflict of interest could be inferred.
Mr Prescott claims that his stay, along with several members of his staff, took place on a day off during a nine-day official trip.
A donation was later made to charity – by the taxpayer – to cover the cost of the stay.
In his letter to Mr Swire, Mr Prescott says: “I can categorically confirm that no discussion took place about the sale of the Dome (indeed contracts had been signed three years earlier), nor about the awarding of regional casino licences.”
The government says Mr Prescott has had nothing to do with plans for super casinos. DCMS minister Richard Caborn told the House of Commons: “The deputy prime minister had no role in planning, had not role in negotiation and has not role in the siting of casinos.”
But Mr Swire has subsequently obtained information under the Freedom of Information Act showing that Mr Prescott visited the Sydney Star City Casino in Australia on “official business”.
He also pointed out that in March 2006, Mr Prescott’s department issued planning guidance on casinos, which directly affected the planned casino at the Dome.
Mr Swire said: “The government must make a full statement to Parliament on the precise role of John Prescott over casinos. It is clear that Mr Prescott has a direct and personal involvement, but despite his stay at the 32,000-acre home of an American billionaire, he did not declare his interests to the Commons.”
At the weekend Mr Prescott released a statement saying: “My contact with Philip Anschutz relates solely to the use of the Dome, post-sale, in terms of regeneration of the area, and Mr Anschutz’s interest in William Wilberforce, former Hull MP and abolitionist, about whom Mr Anschutz is making a film, as I am personally involved in the 2007 Abolition Bicentenary.”
