‘No movement’ in MP’s legal action threat
A COUNCIL that was threatened with legal action by one of its local MPs over a disclosure it made under the Freedom of Information Act says the matter has not been taken further after more than two years.
Jamie Wallis said in December 2019, days after being elected the Conservative MP for Bridgend, that he disputed the accuracy of an FoI disclosure made by Bridgend County Borough Council (BCBC) which said there had been more than 800 complaints to its trading standards department about his group of businesses, and that legal action was under way.
Until his election as an MP, Mr Wallis ran a series of companies, including a data recovery firm based at nearby Pencoed called the Fields Group.
A Freedom of Information request received by BCBC from an unnamed member of the public asked: “I wish to know the exact number of complaints, trading standard site visits, investigation and trading standards interventions recorded against Fields Group Ltd and its many trading names and subsidiaries across Europe – most operated by Fields Associates Ltd. In particular: Fields Data Recovery Ltd, Rapid Data Recovery Ltd, Action Direct UK Ltd, Debt Survival UK Ltd, Quickie Divorce Ltd, UK Digital Solutions Ltd, Smart B2B Services Ltd, First Claims Direct Ltd, Fields Associates Ltd, Endeavour Law Ltd.”
The council responded: “For the time period indicated – January 1, 2008 to February 17, 2017 – this section has received 829 complaints, 64 service requests, 20 enforcement visits in relation to the trading entities identified. The authority does not hold information in relation to subsidiary [sic] across Europe.”
Mr Wallis said in December 2019: “The figures being quoted by Bridgend council are completely untrue. Contrary to the claims made, at no time in the last five years has anyone from trading standards visited my family business. My company has therefore commenced legal action against Bridgend council’s untrue claims.”
A spokesman for Bridgend County Borough Council said at the time: “The council can confirm that it has received a letter before action from Fields Group Ltd. This relates to FOI responses previously provided. As there may be ongoing proceedings, the council cannot comment further at this stage.”
The council says that after responding to the Fields Group’s solicitors, no writ had been issued against it and nothing further had been heard from them. It maintains that its FoI disclosure was accurate.
Asked why the threatened legal action had not materialised, Mr Wallis said: “I maintain that the council’s statement was inaccurate and that it amounted to a criminal offence under the Enterprise Act.
“But I stepped back from the companies when I was elected as an MP and you should contact the company. Politics and business do not mix.”
The director of the Fields Group Mr Wallis suggested we contact did not respond to our message. Companies House records show that on December 20, 2019, Mr Wallis quit as a director of at least seven companies including Fields Group Ltd.