Downing Street to present its list of presents
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Your support makes all the difference.Downing Street said yesterday that a list of gifts given to Tony Blair and cabinet colleagues by wealthy businessmen and foreign governments would be released in the "next few weeks".
A draft report by the Parliamentary Ombudsman, Ann Abraham, recommends that the gifts be put in the public domain. Number 10 denied yesterday that it was trying to "suppress" publication of the list. But questions remained about whether it would reveal the full list of presents received by ministers since 1998.
The benefactors are believed to include the US Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush, arms companies and the Hinduja brothers. There was speculation at Westminster that some gifts may not be revealed to spare the Government and businessmen embarrassment.
The House of Commons Public Administration Committee is expected to ask Ms Abraham this week whether pressure was put on her by Downing Street to remove the suggestion in her report that gifts should be published.
It was reported yesterday that Downing Street asked David Omand, permanent secretary at the Cabinet Office, and Sir Hayden Phillips, permanent secretary for the Lord Chancellor, to persuade Ms Abraham to change her recommendations.
MPs on the committee are also expected to question Sir Andrew Turnbull, the Cabinet Secretary, about alleged government interference next week when he gives evidence. He is expected to be asked specifically whether Mr Blair's chief of staff, Jonathan Powell, was involved.
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