The House of Lords Commissioner for Standards has issued his report on the conduct of Lord Oxburgh, the latter having been the subject of a complaint from BH regular Don Keiller. Although several allegations were made, the commissioner decided that only one was part of his remit, namely Oxburgh's failure to disclose the fact that he was an advisor to a renewable energy investment fund called the Real Energy Asset Company. Here are the findings:
I am satisfied that Lord Oxburgh's role as an adviser to the RAEF would be thought by a reasonable member of the public to be a relevant interest for the purposes of the Code of Conduct. The responsibilities of the advisory board quoted above make membership of it akin to the offices and bodies required to be registered under category 10 of the Guide to the Code of Conduct (paragraph 79). Accordingly, I am of the view that he should have registered his membership of the advisory board in the Register of Lords' Interests and that he breached the Code of Conduct by not doing so.
Lord Oxburgh has been candid and cooperative throughout my investigation. I am satisfied that the relationship between him and the RAEF was imprecise. Lord Oxburgh was surprised to learn that his association with the RAEF had been publicised on the organisation's website. Lord Oxburgh took prompt action to disassociate himself from the RAEF (see appendix E) and has demonstrated a clear desire to uphold the standards of the House and to avoid any embarrassment. Thus, I was content to agree remedial action with him. Lord Oxburgh has "put the record straight" by ending his connection with the RAEF and has written to the chairman of the Sub-Committee on Lords' Conduct (appendix F) apologising unreservedly for not being more careful and for giving rise to the complaint. I suggest that no further action need be taken.