GORDON BROWN will paint an optimistic picture of Britain’s economic prospects in his Budget next week, insisting the country is on course to avoid a recession. Last year Mr Robinson was criticised by the committee for failing to disclose his interest in the pounds 12m Orion Trust, based in Jersey.Last night Mr Robinson declined to comment.. “We would regard it as a serious matter if further instances of non-registration on Mr Robinson’s part were subsequently to come to light as a result of a complaint,” the committee said. It found Mr Robinson should have registered directorships of Roll Center Inc, a US engineering firm, and RJ Engineering, a small hi-tech company in the Midlands.The committee imposed no penalty but hinted it would not be so lenient again. Nothing in the company’s accounts suggest that the former minister received any payment. However, Commons rules show that any beneficial interest in shares greater than 1 per cent of a company or worth more than pounds 25,000 should be registered.Yesterday the committee upheld complaints by two Tory MPs, David Heathcoat- Amory and Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, which followed earlier reports in The Independent. Mr Robinson was forced to make a statement to MPs last November after other undeclared directorships came to light.The MPs said they were “surprised” that the former minister had not reviewed his entry after earlier complaints.

There have already been rumours that Mr Robinson might be planning to leave politics, and further humiliation could prove the final blow.Research by the Channel 4programme, Mark Thomas Comedy Product found that in April 1997 Mr Robinson became a shareholder in the JCT Property Company, which owned property and unit trusts worth more than pounds 800,000.Company House records show he and his step-mother, Pauline Robinson, jointly held one third of the shares in the company – listed as “Geoffrey Robinson and Pauline Robinson – PW Robinson Settlement”.Mr Robinson ceased to hold the shares on 3 November, 1997, three months after the post-election deadline for MPs to register their holdings. Possible sanctions include suspension from the House or a demand for a second apology. Questions will also be asked about whether Mr Robinson, who became paymaster-general in May 1997, should have put the shares in a blind trust under ministerial rules.
The Committee on Standards and Privileges said yesterday that Mr Robinson had broken the rules by failing to register two directorships.In its report, it delivered an unprecedented warning that one more breach would be “a serious matter”. The revelation is bound to spark a further official complaint from the Conservatives which could end Mr Robinson’s Parliamentary career.

Oftel’s primary aim is to ensure that there is sufficient capacity on the network.”. GEOFFREY ROBINSON, the former paymaster-general, who received his third official rebuke in a year yesterday for failing to register financial interests, held a further undeclared shareholding in a property investment company, The Independent can reveal. Oftel says at least 21 other towns and cities are close to running out of numbers and are expected to have new codes phased in by 2012 The new capacity is expected to last until 2015. Parallel running for new numbers for mobiles, pagers and other numbers begins in September.
Oftel said the changes, which come just four years after an extra number one was inserted in all area codes, were required because of the huge growth in telecommunications prompted by fax machines and Internet connections.Last month, the Commons Trade and Industry Select Committee accused Oftel of failing to adequately consult users and said that it was “totally unconvinced” by its arguments.However, Oftel said yesterday the changeover process would begin in June, with complete changeover coming into force from April 2000.The director-general of Oftel, David Edmonds, said: “The Trade and Industry Committee asked us to review the proposed changes to the nationalnumbering scheme and Oftel will submit a full response to the committee in the near future.”However, it is clear that the scheduled changes to the numbering system must go ahead and it is important for an early decision to remove uncertainty.

London numbers will be changed from 0171 and 0181 to 0207 and 0208 – the third time they have been revamped in 10 years. Other areas affected from June are Cardiff, Coventry, Portsmouth and Southampton. PLANS TO change phone numbers of at least 10 million homes and businesses will go ahead in three months because of the shortage of new lines, the telephone regulator, Oftel, said yesterday. You’re making a sequence of movements from one region to another,” he said.. Dr Fink, 27, a New Yorker, was yesterday wearing one of his own creations, a “seven over two”- about half as wide as the full Windsor knot “Tying a knot is like a random walk with your hands.