It was revealed on Monday that ministers want to remove Beijing’s state-owned energy company China General Nuclear (CGN) from future UK power projects. In light of this, Steerpike thought he would look into those MPs and peers who have declared enjoying hospitality from CGN in the past.
Neil Coyle, Trudy Harrison, Sue Hayman and Lord Broers all visited China in November 2018 and had their travel and accommodation costs paid by CGN as part of a trip by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Nuclear Energy. Various total costs are listed but they will have exceeded £50,000, according to an entry on the APPG’s website. An awkward declaration in light of the government’s hardening stance on China perhaps – but at least they registered their visit in line with parliamentary rules.
By contrast, Tory backbencher Ian Liddell-Grainger has made no such declaration in his register of members’ interests, more than two and a half years on.
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