To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2006, Official Report, column 301W, on EU fraud, what information is held on allegations by diplomats; to which cases the allegations refer; and if she will make a statement. (81943)

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not hold a comprehensive record of EU fraud allegations. Such allegations are addressed to the EU Commission. The Government fully support the Commission’s work on this issue.

However, I can confirm that the FCO Europe Directorate does hold the following information compiled when there was public interest in two cases on 9 December 2005:

The European Commission (EC) Staff Regulations require EC staff to raise any concerns they have with either the Director-General of their institution, the Secretary-General, “persons in equivalent positions”, or the independent European Anti-Fraud Office.

Porte Schmidt-Brown

Ms Schmidt-Brown recently took a case to the European Court of Justice’s Court of First Instance. The Court ruled against her. It would not be appropriate to comment on the Court’s judgement.

Hans-Martin Tillack

Mr. Tillack filed a complaint against the European Anti-Fraud Office at the European Court of Justice’s Court of First Instance. The Court rejected his case. It would not be appropriate to comment on the Court’s judgement.