Disclosures of interest
Members' interests:
Professor Mahendra Raj, a member of the inquiry group investigating
the GWR franchise bids, also holds the Chair in International
Finance at the Robert Gordon University. Aberdeen Asset Management
partly funded this position at the University between 1st
August 1996 and 31st July 2004. Mr Martin Gilbert, the Chairman
of FirstGroup, which is a party to this inquiry, is also Chief
Executive of Aberdeen Asset Management. The funding from Aberdeen
Asset Management was made directly to the University and has
now ended such that Professor Raj's position at the university
is no longer sponsored by Aberdeen Asset Management.
Professor Raj's contact with Aberdeen Asset Management during
the period of funding for the post was limited to providing
it with a yearly report of his contribution to the University.
Further, Professor Raj is unaware of the extent to which Mr
Gilbert may have been involved in Aberdeen Asset Management's
decision to sponsor the Chair in International Finance or
in appointing Professor Raj to that position.
Professor Raj believes that Aberdeen Asset Management is unlikely
to fund any project he undertakes or fund the position he
holds in the future and he does not intend to ask for funding
from it in the future.
Neither Professor Raj, nor the CC, believes that this matter
will prejudice the ability of the Group to discharge its functions
in an independent and impartial manner.
Staff interests:
The wife of David Peel, Inquiry Secretary working on this
inquiry, is a part-time legal proof reader with Ashurst, the
legal advisers to National Express Group.
Neither the Commission nor Mr Peel believe that the matter
disclosed above in relation to him will affect his ability
to advise the Group.
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