Our MP's family doing well out of EU Farm payouts, Huge sums doled out to Benyon's Englefield Trust Options

[Richard Garvie]

But he hasn't "severed his involvement with the business". He continues to receive the profits he is entitled to, through a ministerial "blind trust" as published in February.

Details are here and here.

And this is why he leaves himself open to criticism. All he has to do is say he will publish payments that are mde to his personal interests. For him, it would kill this story dead and other ministers in DEFRA may follow his lead.

[blackdog]

And this is why he leaves himself open to criticism. All he has to do is say he will publish payments that are mde to his personal interests. For him, it would kill this story dead and other ministers in DEFRA may follow his lead.

I'm afraid I can't get worked up about this issue - Englefield Estates are getting EU subsidies, big deal, so are all other farmers. Richard Benyon has a financial interest in the family assets - hardly a surprise. Until he becomes involved in negotiating a raise (or preventing a fall) in the EU subsidies the story is dead and buried as far as I am concerned.

[NWNREADER]

But he hasn't "severed his involvement with the business". He continues to receive the profits he is entitled to, through a ministerial "blind trust" as published in February.

Details are here and here.

Having read both articles I do not see that Mr B is mentioned as benfitting from the Trust at the moment, or that the established family Trust is a 'blind' one (whatever that is).

I am not defending him, but still do not see any grounds to find against him.

[Richard Garvie]

Having read both articles I do not see that Mr B is mentioned as benfitting from the Trust at the moment, or that the established family Trust is a 'blind' one (whatever that is).

I am not defending him, but still do not see any grounds to find against him.

The only potential issue is DEFRA deciding not to publish what minister recieves what. Just publish it on his website and it kills the story dead. There will always be people sniping about things like this, and he could easily prevent it.

[Criddleback]

Having read both articles I do not see that Mr B is mentioned as benfitting from the Trust at the moment, or that the established family Trust is a 'blind' one (whatever that is).

I am not defending him, but still do not see any grounds to find against him.

You're right - it refers to children, parents and siblings. Unfortunately the full list is unavailable due to an error at the Cabinet Office website.

A "blind trust" is what ministers' investments are put into while they are ministers. They still get money from them - they just don't make decisions about those investments or attend or vote at board meetings, as described in the Guardian article:

"The number of ministers setting up blind trusts in order to continue profiting from financial interests that could present a conflict with their government responsibilities has increased threefold under the coalition, official documents revealed today
Ministers are allowed to keep financial interests that could conflict with their ministerial briefs if they hand over their management to a trustee of a blind trust. They are allowed no further information about what investments are bought and sold through the trust and only receive updates of their profits and losses. The system is entirely legal. A cabinet office spokesman said: "If ministers have got financial assets and shares this is the fairest way for them to be handled so there is no perception of personal interest playing a part in their decisions in office.""

In the PoliticsHome article you will that Richard Benyon is listed on the ministerial blind trust list recently published by the cabinet office:

"The register of ministers’ interests was released this afternoon by the Cabinet Office....
...A few other salient points from the list:

...Richard Benyon, Parliamentary under-secretary at Defra, records that his ‘parents, children and siblings are beneficiaries of family trusts with residential, agricultural and commercial properties including a landfill and an inert waste recycling site. Mr Benyon’s brother is employed by one of the trusts’. Read our full profile of Richard Benyon here."

[Criddleback]

The Cabinet Office list of ministerial interests is now up here:

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/sites/defa...s-interests.pdf

I stand corrected - Richard Benyon doesn't have anything in category 1 - blind trusts. Apologies. What it says is:

"Mr Benyon’s parents, children and siblings are beneficiaries of family trusts with residential, agricultural and commercial properties including a landfill and an inert waste recycling site. Mr Benyon’s brother is employed by one of the trusts."

Also in the MP's register of interests as at 28th Feb 2011 is this:

"1. Remunerated directorships
Payment of £3000 as director’s salary from the Englefield Estate Trust Corporation Limited,
the trustee of various family trusts (see Category 8), in all of which either I or members of my
wider family have beneficial interests. I have resigned as chairman and director of this
company. Address: The Englefield Estate Trust Corporation, Englefield Road, Theale,
Reading RG7 5DU. Hours: 10 hrs. (Registered 4 June 2010)"

"8. Land and Property
Landholdings in Hampshire and Berkshire (some in my constituency) comprising farmland,
residential and commercial property, some potential development land, woodlands and gravel
workings, for some of which rent is received.
Residential and commercial property in Hackney, for which rent is received.
Rural land and property in Inverness-shire.
The majority of property in these estates is held in family trusts in the trusteeship of
Englefield Estate Trust Corporation Limited (see Category 1)."