West Suffolk MP and Business Minister Matt Hancock has apologised and repaid more than £1,600 after admitting misusing House of Commons stationery for party political purposes, breaching House rules.
The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Kathryn Hughes, upheld a complaint that the West Suffolk MP used pre-paid envelopes and House of Commons notepaper to circulate a letter to his constituents trumpeting the Government’s achievements, along with a questionnaire seeking their views on a range of issues.
She said that Mr Hancock has now agreed to repay £1,674 to the House of Commons for the 3,100 envelopes and 6,200 sheets of notepaper used in the mailshot.
In a letter to the commissioner, Mr Hancock apologised for what he said was an “unintentional” breach of the rules.
“I am very sorry that I have been found to have breached the rules and I fully respect your judgment in coming to that conclusion,” he said.
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