Recently I wrote to constituents about the new mental health facilities at Cromer Hospital and the reimbursement of expenses for our Community First Responders that I helped deliver.
These health services were the purport of the letter, and in passing I also expressed thanks for all the support shown to me when I raised over £40,000 for local charities in the London marathon and well wishes my constituents expressed for the Ukrainian refugees my family is hosting. I did not realise this would be deemed a general newsletter.
Unbeknown to me, if you write about more than one matter in a Parliamentary letter, this automatically constitutes a general newsletter and cannot be paid for out of the office stationery budget.
Not everyone reads the newspaper or is on social media, so writing to my residents to inform them of vital health services I thought was important. None of my correspondence was political in nature and I have not personally gained in any way.
The Commissioner has explained that I should have written separate letters for each individual matter. I have apologised to the Commissioner and fully repaid the postage cost of the letters.
I am heartened to know she considers this a ‘less serious end of the spectrum’ matter. I now have a better understanding and I’m grateful my apology has been accepted.
Have a very Happy Christmas.
