The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) has found that pension minister Paul Maynard used his Ipsa-funded constituency office and equipment for non-parliamentary activities, with the MP agreeing to repay £1,367.28.
An investigation into Maynard’s use of his constituency office and Ipsa-funded equipment for non-parliamentary activities was launched in January, following a referral by the CEO of the Ipsa. The CEO asked the compliance officer to investigate claims against the MP in two Sunday Times articles.
These claims included the MP’s use of his constituency office for party political activities prior to formal subletting arrangements, as well as the withdrawal of party-political printing and communication costs from his Ipsa budget.
In response to allegations in the Sunday Times, the MP confirmed that the £106,000 claims made over 14 years covered various office and printing expenditures, with the local party subsidising office bills.
He said that a formal subletting agreement with Ipsa was established beginning in June 2022, preceded by a written agreement for ad hoc non-parliamentary use of the office.
The MP admitted that the printer was occasionally used outside of parliament, with the local Conservative Association covering paper and ink costs.
Furthermore, the office was utilised for non-parliamentary purposes in December 2022 and January 2023, which was remedied with a payment to Ipsa.
The compliance officer determined that, while Maynard’s occasional non-parliamentary use of his constituency office was permitted, his regular use of Ipsa-funded equipment, such as the ‘Riso’ printer, exceeded the scope of this agreement.
Ipsa said: “The root cause of this complaint is the use by the MP of his Ipsa funded constituency office for party-political activity. Although allowed by the Scheme and despite the MP putting an ad-hoc agreement in place with the Ipsa for this purpose, it has clearly been a difficult arrangement for the MP and his staff to manage.
“A clear separation of physical space, assets and resources for party-political activity is preferable and would significantly reduce the risk of these types of compliance issues occurring in the future.”
