Boris Johnson has been cleared of breaking the MPs' code of conduct over the financing of a luxury Caribbean holiday.
But the Commons Committee on Standards said today it was "regrettable" that a full explanation of the funding of the Mustique trip by a Conservative Party donor had not been provided long ago.
Mr Johnson went on the 10-day holiday with his now-wife Carrie Johnson shortly after his election win in 2019.
The committee concluded Carphone Warehouse founder David Ross was the donor for £15,000 of accommodation, so the prime minister's "register entry is accurate and complete".
It added: "By Mr Johnson's and Mr Ross's own admission, the arrangements for funding Mr Johnson's holiday accommodation were ad hoc and informal, and do not appear to have been fully explained to Mr Johnson at the outset.
"This matter could have been concluded many months ago if more strenuous efforts had been made to dispel the uncertainty.
"Given that Mr Johnson was twice reprimanded by our predecessor committee in the last Parliament in the space of four months for 'an over-casual attitude towards obeying the rules of the House', we would have expected him to have gone the extra mile to ensure there was no uncertainty about the arrangements.
"It is regrettable that a full account and explanation of the funding arrangements for Mr Johnson's holiday accommodation has only come to light as a result of our own inquiries rather than at an earlier stage.
"If greater clarity had been made available to the Commissioner at the first instance, this matter could have been cleared up many months ago."
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