A minister insisted on Tuesday that there is “nothing sinister” in how Rishi Sunak declared shares his wife holds in a childcare agency that was boosted by the Budget.
Policing minister Chris Philp stressed that the Prime Minister had followed the correct procedure for highlighting ministerial interests.
However, Parliament’s standards watchdog has opened an inquiry into the issue under rules demanding MPs are “open and frank” when declaring their interests.
The investigation relates to the shares Akshata Murty holds in Koru Kids, according to a Downing Street source.
No 10 said the Prime Minister will clarify how it was declared as a ministerial interest, rather than to the Commons.
As MPs returned from their Easter break, an update from Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Daniel Greenberg showed he had opened the investigation under the Commons code of conduct on Thursday.
“Members must always be open and frank in declaring any relevant interest in any proceeding of the House or its committees, and in any communications with ministers, members, public officials or public office holders,” the relevant section reads.
Mr Philp told GB News: “I don’t think there is anything sinister here.
“He has made his ministerial declaration.”
The minister was pressed on whether there was a trend with Mr Sunak being fined for attending a Covid rules-breaching birthday party for Boris Johnson in No10, being filmed in a car without a seat belt and his family being “reminded of the rules” by police after their dog was filmed without a lead on in Hyde Park.
He denied there was any complacency, adding: “As I say, he has declared his interests as a minister in his Cabinet Office return and he will be working with the commissioner to clear up any outstanding questions.”
Downing Street declined to set out when Mr Sunak registered the interest, but a No 10 spokeswoman said: “We are happy to assist the commissioner to clarify how this has been transparently declared as a ministerial interest.”
Mr Sunak faced demands to “come clean” about his family shares last month after being questioned by MPs over why the childcare policy favoured private firms.
Appearing before the Liaison Committee, he did not mention Ms Murty’s shares in the firm, in which she has been listed as a shareholder on Companies House.
A fortnight earlier, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced a pilot of incentive payments of £600 for childminders joining the profession.
Questioning why the sum doubles to £1,200 if workers sign up through an agency, Labour MP Catherine McKinnell asked if Mr Sunak had any interests to declare.
“No, all my disclosures are declared in the normal way,” Mr Sunak said.
Koru Kids, which is one of six childminder agencies listed on the Government’s website, welcomed the new incentives in the Budget as “great”.
At the time the possible conflict of interest emerged, Mr Sunak’s press secretary said the interest would be included in the updated statement of ministers’ interests, due out in May.
But it seems Mr Greenberg’s investigation appears to centre on whether the Prime Minister should have declared the interest to MPs.
Mr Sunak wrote to the Liaison Committee earlier this month to say he would like to “clarify for the Parliamentary record that this interest has rightly been declared to the Cabinet Office”.
He said the new list of ministerial interests, which has not been updated for nearly a year, would be published “shortly”.
Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said delay has “left a transparency black hole which is enabling the Prime Minister and those he has appointed to dodge proper scrutiny of their affairs”.
“If Rishi Sunak has got nothing to hide, he should commit to publishing the register before May’s elections so the public can see for themselves,” she added.
It was last compiled by Lord Geidt, who resigned as Mr Johnson’s ethics adviser after a tumultuous period under the then-prime minister.
Mr Sunak did not appoint a successor as ministerial interests adviser until December, when Sir Laurie Magnus took on the role.
The Prime Minister entered No 10 in October promising “integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level”.
Liberal Democrat chief whip Wendy Chamberlain said: “Another day and another accusation of a Conservative Prime Minister bending the rules.”
