Rishi Sunak is under investigation over a possible failure to declare the shares his wife holds in a childcare agency, Metro UK reports.
According to the report on Monday, Nanny and childminder firm Koru Kids, whose shareholders include Akshata Murty, is allegedly set to benefit from some of the policies announced in the Budget.
The prime minister Rishi Sunak faced demands to ‘come clean’ about the 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 Murthy’s shares in the firm.
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,’ he said.
Koru Kids, which is one of six childminder agencies listed on the Government’s website, welcomed the new Budget incentives as ‘great’
At the time the possible conflict emerged, Mr Sunak’s press secretary said the interest would be included in the updated statement of ministers’ interests, due out in May.
Parliament’s standards commissioner Daniel Greenberg opened the inquiry into the PM under rules demanding MPs are ‘open and frank’ when declaring their interests.
Downing Street said Mr Sunak will clarify how it was declared as a ministerial interest, rather than to the Commons.
‘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 standards watchdog wrote.
A No 10 spokeswoman responded: ‘We are happy to assist the commissioner to clarify how this has been transparently declared as a ministerial interest.’