Theresa Villiers: MP did not declare she owned Shell shares price £70,000 whereas working as atmosphere secretary

A former Conservative minister did not declare she held greater than £70,000 in Shell shares whereas she was atmosphere secretary.

Theresa Villiers admitted her shareholding within the oil and gasoline firm in her newest replace to the register of members’ monetary pursuits.

Under the part “other shareholdings, valued at more than £70,000”, Ms Villiers’ entry says: “From 23 February 2018, Shell PLC; energy. (Registered 17 July 2023).”

Ms Villiers served in Boris Johnson’s cupboard as atmosphere secretary from July 2019 till February 2020.

MPs are required to register any change to their registrable pursuits inside 28 days.

An inventory of ministers’ pursuits from November 2019 didn’t embody a point out of the shares for Ms Villiers.

The MP for Chipping Barnet’s newest entry additionally included newly declared shares above the edge in Diageo from February 23 2018 and Experian PLC from July 29 2019.

A spokesman for Ms Villiers informed the Daily Mirror: “Ms Villiers deeply regrets her failure to monitor the value of shareholdings and has offered her sincere apologies.

“These shares are a part of portfolio which is professionally managed for Ms Villiers and for which she has by no means taken day-to-day funding selections.

“It did not occur to her that any single shareholding would reach the threshold for declaration, but a legacy received in 2018 caused that to happen.

“As quickly as she realised this, she alerted the registrar of members’ pursuits and the requirements commissioner. She takes full accountability for the error.

“She accepts that it should never have happened, and that she should have kept track of the additions to her investment portfolio. She is taking steps to ensure that this never happens again.”

Sky News has approached Ms Villiers for a remark.