The environment secretary has refused to say whether he abused his position when he tried to stop an incinerator being built in his constituency.
But Steve Barclay apologised for not properly declaring his interest and recusing himself, when questioned about it on Tuesday.
Barclay has been furiously opposing a waste-to-energy incinerator in Wisbech, in his North East Cambridgeshire constituency, which would burn non-recyclable waste in order to generate energy for local industrial use.
The incinerator was signed off by the energy department last month after a recommendation from the Planning Inspectorate.
According to reports Barclay made Number 10 aware that he was furious about this decision. Civil servants, the BBC reported, raised concerns about Barclay’s relationship to the case, which prompted discussions with Whitehall’s propriety and ethics unit, with the secretary of state agreeing to delegate that decision to another minister, Mark Spencer.
When asked about this at the environment, food and rural affairs committee on Tuesday, Barclay did not disclose whether he had discussed the matter with the energy department or Number 10. However, he said he had not spoken to the Environment Agency about it and apologised for not declaring his interest.
He said: “All ministers need to balance their constituency role and their ministerial role and I want to take this opportunity apologise to the committee for not formally recusing myself sooner and updating the registry of interests regarding what was well known in public but updated on the actual record regarding my opposition for the incinerator.
“I have been clear throughout that I have to step back from any decision as secretary of state, which is why I flagged my constituency interest.
“I wasn’t made aware until later that I required a formal recusal, but as soon as I was notified by the permanent secretary of the need to formally recuse, I did. I have never made representations as secretary of state to the Environment Agency regarding the incinerator.”
Tamara Finkelstein, permanent secretary to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, told the committee that the department would not be disclosing any internal communications Barclay may have had about the incinerator.
Steve Reed, the shadow environment secretary, said: “It is unlawful for senior ministers to abuse their position to prop up their constituency vote. Yet there are now serious concerns this is exactly what Steve Barclay has done.
“The British public deserve answers. Who did Barclay try to persuade, when, and which other ministers were involved?
“The Conservatives are only interested in saving their own skins. Labour will act to save our rivers, countryside, and farming communities.”
