Caroline Spelman MP to pay back £9,600 over expenses breach

Mar 4 2009 By Jonathan Walker

The MP has insisted that Tina Haynes was only paid with public funds for secretarial work between 1997 and 1998, and her nannying duties were rewarded separately with free board and lodging. But, asked by the BBC last year about the extent of her admin duties, Ms Haynes said she had only posted letters, “took the odd phone call” and passed on messages “once or twice a week”.

Standards Commissioner John Lyon has been examining the case for nine months and the final verdict was issued by the Committee on Standards and Privileges.

It concluded: “For two years from June 1997 Mrs Spelman paid Mrs Haynes from her parliamentary allowances a salary as her part-time administration assistant that enabled Mrs Haynes to work also as her nanny without additional or separate financial reward. This had the effect of misapplying part of Mrs Spelman’s Parliamentary allowances. We accept that this breach, which occurred at a time when both the rules were less stringent than they are now, was unintentional.”

Mrs Spelman had agreed to repay £9,600, the report said. She said: “I fully accept the findings of this inquiry which I sought because I wanted the opportunity to clear my name.”