gambling virtual casino

Blair Urged to be Stricter on Ministers Conduct

Tony Blair is being urged to pull a tighter noose on ministers' conduct following a not-so-pleasant report on John Prescott by Parliamentary standards watchdog Sir Philip Mawer.

Blair was criticized by the watchdog for his refusal to conduct an independent investigation that will establish whether his second in command had breached ministerial codes.

According to the report, the deputy prime minister broke ministerial rules by failing to declare his visit to the Colorado ranch of super casino bidder Philip Anschutz.

Anschutz is the owner of the Millennium Dome, and is bidding to transform it into Britain's first super casino.

The critical report contradicted the assertions of Prescott that he relied on the advise of his civil servant that the trip needed not be registered as it was an official trip. He was also berated for likewise not registering the gifts he received from the casino tycoon.

The committee on its report said that Prescott had "failed . . . to address, as the ministerial code requires, whether the proposed hospitality was on a scale, or from a source, which might reasonably be thought likely to influence ministerial action. Therein lay the root cause of his failure to recognise the need to record this visit in a timely fashion in the register of members' interests".