CYPRUS has found itself at the centre of a new parliamentary scandal in the UK as British MP Andrew Dismore came under fire this week for not disclosing Cypriot hospitality on official visits.
Dismore, MP for Hendon and Vice Chair of Friends of Cyprus, asked 90 questions in parliament about Cyprus without declaring an interest or visits, and 112 where he did declare interests according to the BBC, which conducted an investigation into 20 MPs.
According to the BBC, he has tabled over 200 questions about Cyprus during the current parliament, at an estimated cost to the taxpayer of £30,000 sterling. He has also signed motions and led debates relating to the country.
Dismore denies breaking parliamentary rules, which ban MPs from lobbying for places where they have received hospitality. The rules also require visits to be declared when contributing to debates, tabling questions or supporting motions.
He told the BBC: “There is no question of my having broken any rule in relation to lobbying, as overseas visits are excluded and I did not lobby for funding for the Cyprus government or Cyprus parliament.”
He added that his hosts were the House of Representatives and Morphou Municipality during his visits, and not the Government of Cyprus. He denies that requesting increased financial assistance to the United Nations Committee for Missing Persons in Cyprus could be perceived as lobbying or amount to a breach of the rules.
In a later statement, he said that the BBC misunderstood the rules and the complexity of the Cyprus problem.
“The Cyprus problem is complex and the various administrations and interests on the island are very separate from each other, as demonstrated by the protracted negotiations between the leaders of the two communities to attempt a reunification settlement,” he said.
“The BBC has confused visits undertaken with one Cypriot administration, the Republic of Cyprus parliament in the south, with points raised about others such as the UN administration in the buffer zone or the Turkish administration in the north.”
Former Foreign Minister of Cyprus, Nicos Rolandis, said yesterday: “If someone is invited to visit a country and intends to speak in their favour, then that person should disclose any benefits or hospitality that he has received.
He added: “If it is only a meal then it is not necessary to declare it, but beyond this it is important, because that person could start to receive more and greater benefits.”
Rolandis also praised the work of Andrew Dismore and the Friends of Cyprus, saying “They have been very useful, and although they do not have a determining role in the outcome of the Cyprus problem, as permanent (UN) Security Council members and trading partners with a close relationship, they do have an important role.
Two MPs for Barnet, which is twinned with Morphou are also in the limelight for visits to the island.
One, Theresa Villiers MP said: “The purpose of my two night stay in Cyprus was to attend a series of meetings and a rally in support of the displaced residents of Morphou, which is one of Barnet’s twin towns. I recognise that when tabling a question, I should have noted an interest. This was an error on my part”
Finchley and Golders Green MP Rudi Vis sponsored a Motion about Cyprus a year after receiving hospitality from Morphou Municipality. The BBC claims he also failed to declare the interest.
