Castle Point MP Bob Spink has been cleared of any wrongdoing over a fundraising dinner at the House of Commons.

The Tory MP was caught up in a row over whether he had breached rules on using Commons facilities for political fundraising after he booked a room for a fundraising dinner for Basildon Conservatives.

Sir Philip Mawer, Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, launched an inquiry after receiving complaints, but has ruled no Parliamentary laws have been broken.

The investigation was launched after a Christmas dinner of the Basildon House of Commons Dining Club. The club is registered with the Electoral Commission as a donor to the Conservative party.

It contributed £5,000 to Basildon Conservative Association in the 2001 general election.

Dr Spink booked Dining Room A, an intimate wood-panelled venue inside the House of Commons, specifically excluded from fundraising activities under parliamentary rules.

The move incurred the wrath of Angela Smith, Labour MP for Basildon and local government minister, who will be fighting the redrawn marginal Basildon and East Thurrock seat at the next election.

She claimed there had been unethical use of House of Commons facilities to raise money to fight a marginal seat.

In a letter to Dr Spink this week, the commissioner said he confirmed the event "was not a fundraising event for the Conservative Party and no question of a breach of the House's rules therefore arises".

Dr Spink said: "I am delighted, but not surprised. I do not use the House's facilities for political fundraising, but only for ethical, charitable purposes, which is entirely approved by the House authorities.

"This is the third complaint against me Sir Philip Mawer has received, and he has dismissed each of them."