MPs to Decide on Prescott

A committee of MPs meets Friday to mull over whether Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has breached Parliamentary rules over his visit to a super casino bidder.

The assessment will be based on the report of standards watchdog Sir Philip Mawer. Mawer had been tasked to launch a full probe on Prescott's relationship with the owner of the Millennium Dome Philip Anschutz.

The investigation also widened its berth to include allegations that Prescott had accepted elaborate gifts from the casino mogul. The report was submitted by Sir Mawer to the Committee on Standards and Privileges Thursday.

The MP's decision may take days to be reached, as it is common practice for them to publish their decisions on a formal report. However, many speculate that Prescott will very likely be given only a "slap on the wrist" for failing to declare the visit and the gifts.

Prescott quickly declared the visit after it has been made public. He however said he was given the impression that it did not need to be registered at the time because it was an official visit.

Many believe that this may be the reason that Prescott will only be getting a "mild rebuke" over the whole fiasco.