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Tim Yeo facing committee coaching claim Tim Yeo facing committee coaching claim
(about 1 hour later)
Conservative MP Tim Yeo is facing allegations that he used his position as chair of the Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee to help a private company influence Parliament. Conservative MP Tim Yeo is facing allegations that he used his position as chairman of the Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee to help a private company influence Parliament.
Sunday Times investigators secretly filmed the former environment minister.Sunday Times investigators secretly filmed the former environment minister.
He told them he coached the boss of a firm - owned by a company that was paying the MP - on how to give evidence to the committee, the paper alleges. He told them he had coached the boss of a firm owned by a company paying the MP on how to give evidence to the committee, the paper alleges.
Mr Yeo denies this and says he intends to contest all the allegations.Mr Yeo denies this and says he intends to contest all the allegations.
The BBC understands Mr Yeo has referred himself to the Parliamentary standards commissioner.The BBC understands Mr Yeo has referred himself to the Parliamentary standards commissioner.
"Lobbying - attempting to influence politicians - goes on all the time and is perfectly legitimate," says BBC political correspondent Chris Mason.
But he adds: "It's when allegations of money getting involved, or apparent conflicts of interest emerge, that it can get awkward."
The Sunday Times is claiming its undercover reporters posed as representatives of a green energy company offering to hire Mr Yeo.The Sunday Times is claiming its undercover reporters posed as representatives of a green energy company offering to hire Mr Yeo.
He appears to tell them - in a conversation the paper videoed - that he had coached a representative of a firm that is a subsidiary of a company he is paid to work for, on what that representative should say when appearing in front of his committee.He appears to tell them - in a conversation the paper videoed - that he had coached a representative of a firm that is a subsidiary of a company he is paid to work for, on what that representative should say when appearing in front of his committee.
Mr Yeo has since said he had not tutored this representative, the managing director of GB Railfreight, about giving evidence. In the committee hearing last month, Mr Yeo publicly excused himself from questioning GB Railfreight managing director John Smith because of his acknowledged conflict of interest as a non-executive director and shareholder in its parent firm Eurotunnel.
There is no suggestion GB Railfreight did anything wrong. It has said in a statement that its managing director made the same arguments the company has made regularly. But in the recording, the MP claims what he did for GB Railfreight "in private was another matter altogether obviously".
In the committee hearing, Mr Yeo publicly excused himself from the questioning because of his acknowledged conflict of interest. Asked what this meant, he said he "was able to tell him (Mr Smith) in advance what he should say" before the committee during its ongoing inquiry into the bio-energy industry.
'Contesting allegations' Mr Yeo has since said he had not tutored the businessman about giving evidence.
The BBC's Ross Hawkins said there was no suggestion GB Railfreight did anything wrong.
The firm, a leading haulier which transports coal, biomass, steel and other materials by rail around the country, said in a statement that its managing director made the same arguments the company has made regularly.
The MP cancelled a number of planned broadcast interviews on Sunday.The MP cancelled a number of planned broadcast interviews on Sunday.
But in a text message to our correspondent on Saturday evening, Mr Yeo said: "I intend to contest these allegations very vigorously indeed."But in a text message to our correspondent on Saturday evening, Mr Yeo said: "I intend to contest these allegations very vigorously indeed."
He denied "absolutely" to the Sunday Times that he had breached the MPs' Code of Conduct.He denied "absolutely" to the Sunday Times that he had breached the MPs' Code of Conduct.
He also told the paper's undercover journalists, after they withdrew their offer to work with him, that he was relieved because he'd come to the view that the work was not compatible with his position as an MP and committee chair. He also told the paper's undercover journalists, after they had withdrawn their offer to work with him, that he was relieved because he had come to the view that the work was not compatible with his position as an MP and committee chairman.
Asked about the issue, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said he could not comment on the allegations but told the Murnaghan programme on Sky News that "if you're obeying the rules, you've got nothing much to fear".Asked about the issue, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said he could not comment on the allegations but told the Murnaghan programme on Sky News that "if you're obeying the rules, you've got nothing much to fear".