Early day motion tabled by primary sponsor Ken Livingstone (Labour), on Thursday, 18 March 1999, in the House of Commons. It is signed by 19 members in total.

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CAPE PLC

That this House condemns the activities of Cape plc, a UK-based multinational company which engaged lobbyists, GJW Government Relations Ltd and Media Strategy Ltd, to derail claims brought against Cape plc in England on behalf of hundreds of fatally and seriously injured South African asbestos miners; notes that the lobbyists' written media political and communication audit reports for Cape plc in January 1999 recommended action on behalf of Cape plc, to launch a campaign targeted at the ambulance chasing activities of Leigh Day, the claimants' lawyers, and to encourage the Daily Mail to embarrass the Lord Chancellor by making him have to 'choose between black workers and multinationals (such that) the detail of the claims are likely to be of secondary interest'; and further notes that to achieve these objectives the lobbyists communicated with a variety of senior government sources including the Lord Chancellor's advisers, Gary Hart and Victor Benjamin, advisers to the Minister of State, officials at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Department of Trade and Industry, HM Treasury and Lord Falconer of the Cabinet Office on the grounds that he has 'a very close relationship with both the Prime Minister and the Lord Chancellor.

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Secondary information

Type

Early day motion

Reference

449 

Session

1998-99

Subjects

Compensation Asbestos Mining Lobbying South Africa Cape

Link

View this Early day motion on www.parliament.uk