Compliance Officer for IPSA publishes report following investigation into Paul Maynard MP

Date published: 16 May 2024

Today, the independent Compliance Officer for IPSA published his report following the investigation into the alleged use by Mr Paul Maynard MP of his constituency office and IPSA-funded office equipment for non-parliamentary purposes.

Under IPSA’s Scheme, MPs are only allowed to claim for costs they incur to fulfil their parliamentary duties. IPSA allowed Mr Paul Maynard to make occasional use of IPSA-funded equipment and his constituency office for non-parliamentary purposes under a repayment arrangement. Having an agreement such as this in place is a practice taken up by a small minority of MPs and enables them to make regular payments, out of their personal funds, to IPSA to use IPSA-funded equipment and offices. This means they do not use taxpayer money for non-parliamentary work.

The arrangement was in place during the period investigated, and regular payments were made by Mr Maynard to IPSA to cover the use of the office and equipment for party political activities.

Following his investigation, the Compliance Officer found that the MP had breached the Scheme in that the use of the IPSA-funded equipment went beyond the bounds of his agreement with IPSA. There were a number of mitigating factors that were taken into account, including the existence of an agreement in place with IPSA.

The Compliance Officer requested a repayment of £1,367, which the MP has paid on 2 May 2024. The matter has been rectified and the MP’s claims have been brought back into compliance.

Ends

For more information contact the IPSA press office on 07792 242736 or email communications@theipsa.org.uk.

Notes to editors

  1. The Compliance Officer for IPSA is an independent office holder established as a separate public authority from IPSA under the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009, as amended by the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010.

  2. The Compliance Officer is responsible for investigating complaints over how MPs spend the budget given to them by IPSA to carry out their parliamentary duties. The Compliance Officer can also conduct reviews into IPSA following requests from an MP.

  3. The Compliance Officer follows the procedures for investigations, which set out the remit of an investigation and how it should be conducted. The Procedures for Investigations of the Compliance Officer for IPSA (Fourth Edition) can be found on the Compliance Officer’s website.

  4. When deciding on penalties and any other actions to take following an investigation, the Compliance Officer will consider fairness, proportionality and public interest.

  5. The MPs' Scheme of Business Costs and Expenses can be found on IPSA's website.