Mansfield MP apologises for not declaring donation when praising Meden Vale company
Mansfield's MP has apologised and referred himself to Parliament's standards watchdog after praising a private company in the House of Commons without declaring that it had given him a £10,000 donation.
During a debate last month regarding construction standards, Steve Yemm, the Member of Parliament for Mansfield, praised the battery power company Power Saving Solutions, located in Meden Vale.
Mr Yemm described the company as “enabling reduced reliance on diesel-generated power at building sites”.
The MP referred to the Mansfield firm as a “prime example of private sector companies empowering themselves in our mission to establish Britain as a clean energy superpower.”
According to his register of interests, Mr Yemm accepted a £10,000 donation from this company on April 23 of last year; however, he did not disclose this information during his speech in the House of Commons.
The MPs' code of conduct specifies that ‘any relevant interest’ must be declared when speaking in the House of Commons.
Mr Yemm has since apologised and contacted the Parliament's standards watchdog to formally correct the record.
In a statement, first reported by the Guardian and then by the BBC, Mr Yemm said: “I fully apologise for not declaring this interest prior to referencing the work of this company located in my constituency.
“I have made contact with the parliamentary standards commissioner and will formally correct the record at the earliest opportunity.”
During a debate on March 25, Mansfield's MP, Mr Yemm said: “I am keen that councils and house builders look to British industry for solutions in construction.
“My constituency is home to Power Saving Solutions, a company that is enabling reduced reliance on diesel-generated power on building sites, and I learnt recently about [construction company] JCB's response, with its hydrogen-powered combustion unit, which will also reduce carbon emissions in the construction industry.
“Those are two great examples of private sector firms enfranchising themselves in our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower.”
Labour’s Mr Steve Yemm was first elected for Mansfield last year, defeating the seat's former Conservative MP Ben Bradley.