Tory chairman Spelman faces further questions on nanny's pay

Doubts have been cast over Caroline Spelman's account of why she paid her nanny with taxpayers' money.

The Tory chairman is facing a full-scale inquiry after she admitted paying her from publicly-funded expenses.

She claims childminder Tina Haynes doubled as a constituency secretary at her home in Meriden, West Midlands, when she was elected as an MP.

Mrs Spelman defended this by saying she lacked an office in the seat which she won against the odds in the 1997 General Election.

But yesterday it was alleged that Meriden Conservative Association did have an office  -  although it was based at a Tory headquarters in nearby Solihull.

A former politics student, Janet Parry, 29, came forward to claim she had done work experience there in July 1997 after writing to Mrs Spelman.

Miss Parry, who now lives in Australia, said: 'I was specifically instructed to report to the office in Solihull. There was never any mention-of constituency work taking place at the Spelman family home.

'At that time there were at least two people doing secretarial work there. I am certain that much of the work being done at that office was for the MP herself.'

The address in Solihull is given as Mrs Spelman's current constituency base, as it was in a directory published months after her election to Parliament.

It raises further questions over why the Tory MP employed Miss Haynes from her home and the extent of the work she carried out.

Parliamentary standards commissioner John Lyon has opened an inquiry into the matter after being prompted by Mrs Spelman.

He said this was 'exceptional' because no formal complaint had been made about her conduct and the events involved took place 11 years ago.

A Tory spokesman said: 'Caroline Spelman has made it clear she will co-operate fully with the inquiry and will be very pleased to supply all the necessary information.'