Avocet claimed 'Review' was a Government publication

BILL CHISHOLM on his efforts to have misleading coverage of Avocet investigated

Proof has finally emerged that 'disruptive technology' business Avocet Infinite told shareholders and investors its innovations and initiatives had been highlighted by the UK Government in the shape of coverage in a glossy magazine.

But although the role of Parliamentary Review, a publication which charges companies thousands of pounds for inclusion on its pages, was drawn to the attention of two Borders MPs three months ago neither of them would look into the publicity given to Avocet's 'revolutionary' proposals. The Review has no link to the Westminster legislature although there has been confusion over its actual status in the past.

Now, a confidential document sent to me by Avocet Natural Capital chairman Martin Frost clearly shows how important those articles may have been in persuading potential investors to take a stake in Avocet.

The 2018 report - a detailed assessment of Avocet's intellectual property by IP Valuers Emerix IP Limited trading as Coller IP, of The Shard, 32 London Bridge Street, London - carries the following statement: "The Parliamentary Review Energy & Environmental 2017/2018, issued by the UK Government, has recently presented and highlighted the Avocet Infinite Plc business opportunities, its technical innovations and its associated Avocet Natural Capital initiatives."

As The Times reported in November 2019: "The self-styled Parliamentary Review charges schools, hospitals and businesses thousands of pounds to be featured on its pages as examples of “best practice” but fails to tell readers that the positive coverage is paid for. An investigation by The Times last year showed that some participants who paid to appear in the publication wrongly believed they had been handpicked for an honour by parliament".

After a number of people contacted Not Just Sheep & Rugby this spring to ask about the six separate articles featuring Avocet on the Parliamentary Review website I emailed John Lamont, my MP, on May 2nd this year in the following terms: "My main reason for contacting you is to ask you to investigate the role played in the shape of reams of generous and favourable coverage afforded Avocet Infinite by the Parliamentary Review over a relatively short period of time.

"As a constituent I would request that you investigate the role of the Parliamentary Review in this sad affair, and attempt to find out the background to Omega Infinite’s spectacular collapse.

"The series of glowing articles appear to have been assembled without any attempt to check on the claims being made by the company’s directors. Even when Avocet became Omega in October 2019 the Parliamentary Review continued calling it Avocet. As you’ll be aware Parliamentary Review is jointly chaired by Lord Blunkett and Lord Pickles."

It should be pointed out that both members of the House of Lords have now given up their respective roles with the magazine.

I also drew Mr Lamont's attention to the plight of the many creditors of Orrdone Farms PLC, an Avocet subsidiary now in administration with substantial debts, and of concerns of shareholders in Avocet Infinite (now Omega Infinite in liquidation).

In his reply to me less than 40 minutes later on a Saturday afternoon Mr Lamont, Conservative MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk, told me: "MPs have no oversight of the Parliamentary Review. The Parliamentary Review is owned by Westminster Publications Limited and is not affiliated to Parliament or the UK Government.

"Any concerns you have about the articles which have appeared in the Parliamentary Review should be directed to their Chief Editor. The other matters to which you refer should be directed to the police and Companies House."

I indicated my dismay in a follow up message to Mr Lamont, adding: " Members of the public and businesses are clearly being misled into thinking this Review is directly linked to Parliament. I find it disappointing that you will not pursue this issue on behalf of your constituent[s]. 

"After all it’s not that long ago that Conservative councillor Mark Rowley was singing the praises of Avocet Infinite (as it then was) claiming it was a ‘revolutionary’ cutting edge business which was set to bring jobs and prosperity to the eastern Borders."

Over the next few weeks Mr Frost issued warnings to a number of his former employees together with other individuals, including myself. He claimed we faced legal action for unspecified "possible criminal activity" including breaches of the Data Protection Act. The warnings were contained in letters he distributed to 650 Avocet shareholders.

In one missive on June 28th which named me Mr Frost also referred to Mr Lamont and one of his relatives in connection with the alleged 'selling on' of Avocet property for personal gain.

So on June 29th I contacted Mr Lamont a second time, providing him with a copy of the offending shareholders' letter.

I wrote: "I am now aware that the Lamont family has shares/an interest in Avocet Natural Capital PLC [Avocet Infinite's successor as parent company]. You will see from Mr. Frost’s ‘rant’ (his word) that you are named in the text and I am named as a possible target for litigation following my investigations and articles I’ve published about Avocet. I believe I am entitled to ask you to intervene in light of his attempt to cajole others into taking action against me.

"In light of recent developments I would ask you again to investigate this disturbing affair which has seen former employees of Avocet left without wages and has left trade creditors (many of them local) hundreds of thousands of pounds out of pocket. Even the administrators of the farm business and the procurator fiscal’s representative are the targets for Mr. Frost’s outlandish wrath." 

I also suggested that if his family's involvement with Avocet as shareholders in the business left Mr Lamont open to accusations of a ‘conflict of interest’ then he could pass my request to another MP for attention.

But Mr Lamont's second response - also on June 29th - was worthless from my point of view. He told me: "As I have previously stated, MPs have no oversight of the Parliamentary Review. The Parliamentary Review is owned by Westminster Publications Limited and is not affiliated to Parliament or the UK Government. 

"Any concerns you have about the articles which have appeared in the Parliamentary Review should be directed to their Chief Editor. The other matters to which you refer should be directed to the police and Companies House. I have attached a list of local MSPs."

After Mr Lamont's first 'refusal' to get involved I asked Berwick-on-Tweed Conservative MP Anne-Marie Trevelyan to intervene as the large collection of Avocet companies were registered in her constituency while a number of creditors of Orrdone Farms were her constituents.

I received no reply to my first two messages. When I wrote a third time I was quickly told Mrs Trevelyan could not get involved as I had cited a home address outwith her constituency.

This morning, following the confirmation that Parliamentary Review had been passed off as a UK Government production I asked Mr Lamont to provide a comment by 4 pm. An automatic reply was received from the MP stating "I receive a large number of emails, letters and phone calls each day. I will try to reply to you as quickly as possible."

There had been no further contact from Mr Lamont or his staff by 4.30 pm today.