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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Spelman facing expenses inquiry | Spelman facing expenses inquiry |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Conservative chairman Caroline Spelman is to be investigated by Parliament's standards watchdog over her use of expenses to pay her nanny. | Conservative chairman Caroline Spelman is to be investigated by Parliament's standards watchdog over her use of expenses to pay her nanny. |
| Standards Commissioner John Lyon, had previously said it would be exceptional to carry out an inquiry into matters dating back more than seven years. | |
| Mrs Spelman, MP for Meriden, says her nanny, who she employed in 1997 and 1998, was paid for secretarial work. | Mrs Spelman, MP for Meriden, says her nanny, who she employed in 1997 and 1998, was paid for secretarial work. |
| MPs' allowances are only for activities directly related to their jobs. | MPs' allowances are only for activities directly related to their jobs. |
| Conservative Central Office has said that Tina Haynes - who was Mrs Spelman's nanny from 1997 to 2002 - also worked as her constituency secretary for six hours a day between 1997 and 1998. | |
| In a statement, Ms Haynes said between 1997 and 1998 she "had two roles, one helping Mrs Spelman with childcare and another providing secretarial help to her as a MP". | |
| The arrangement ended when the Conservative Party's chief whip told Mrs Spelman it could be "open to misinterpretation", and she appointed a separate constituency secretary. | |
| Mrs Spelman has said that she believed she had acted "entirely within the rules" but referred the matter to the commissioner's office. | |
| Mr Lyon's office said in a statement that Mrs Spelman had requested last week he begin an inquiry, "despite having received no formal complaint about her conduct and that the events complained of were more than seven years ago". | |
| It added: "Such an inquiry would be exceptional and would require the agreement of the committee (on standards and privileges)." | |
| It said Mr Lyon had recommended that "exceptionally" he should begin an inquiry into whether Mrs Spelman had broken Commons rules "in force at the time" - the committee had accepted his recommendation. |