Secretary Fox discloses Werritty meetings

UK Defence Secretary Liam Fox disclosed this evening that he had met his friend and former flat-mate Adam Werritty during around 18 overseas visits. In a House of Commons statement, Dr. Fox also disclosed that Werritty had visited him 22 times at the Ministry of Defence in the past 16 months - more than previously acknowledged. He said he was now putting in place measures to ensure Werritty did not make private visits to the MoD in future, will not attend international conferences where he is present and they will not meet socially abroad when Dr Fox is on official business. Dr. Fox said he had first met Werritty in 1998 and that he had worked as a paid intern in his House of Commons office while the Conservatives were in opposition. In addition he said that he had paid Werritty 5,800 pounds for research work that he did for him in opposition. He said that the majority of his meetings with Werritty in the MoD had been "short social meetings" and that in only four instances were other people present. It was at one of those meetings in June that Dr Fox said he first learned that Werritty was using a business card stating that he was his advisor - a practice he told him to stop. "Werritty was never present at regular departmental meetings, during private meetings we did not discuss either commercial or defence matters, he had no access to classified documents, nor was he briefed on classified matters," Dr. Fox said. "I accept with the benefit of hindsight that I should have taken greater care to ensure a more transparent separation of government, party political, and private business and that meetings were properly recorded to protect myself and government from any suggestion of wrongdoing. I accept my personal responsibility for this," he went on. It had previously been reported that Werritty, the best man at Dr Fox's wedding who styled himself as an adviser to the Defence Secretary, had visited the MoD on 14 occasions. Dr. Fox repeated the comments he made yesterday that "it was a mistake to allow distinctions to be blurred between my professional responsibilities and my loyalties to a friend". He added: "I am sorry for this, I have apologised to the Prime Minister, to the public and, at the first opportunity available, to the House." Dr Fox was given a loud chorus of support by Conservative MPs as he rose to address the Commons following a series of revelations about his contacts with Werritty. Giving details of the pair's contacts, Dr Fox said he first met Werritty in 1998. "In opposition he worked as a paid intern in my House of Commons office, and at this time he had a parliamentary pass. "He has not received any payment from me while in Government. He has a very wide range of long-standing business, international relations and political links of his own." Werritty did not receive any payment over a meeting between Dr Fox and the chief executive of a private equity firm with links to the MoD, the Defence Secretary said. Nor has Werritty been involved in any defence procurement issues, Dr Fox added. While Dr Fox was addressing MPs, the interim findings of MoD permanent secretary Ursula Brennan's investigation into his links with Werritty were published. For his part, David Cameron has said Defence Secretary Liam Fox should be given time to answer questions about his working relationship with Adam Werritty. Cameron said "rushing" would lead to "trial by the media", adding that he believed Fox would "come through all of this". Fox has denied wrongdoing, but has admitted mistakes and apologised. Fox set up a Ministry of Defence inquiry into his conduct, and is now answering questions from MPs.