By the end of 2019, the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life had received 29 complaints, according to an annual report which was tabled in Parliament on Tuesday.

The report tabled by commissioner George Hyzler covers his first full year in the post, which was introduced in late 2018. 

Seven could not be investigated for various reasons, including because they were anonymous or time-barred. 

Three of those complaints are under preliminary review. Of the 19 complaints investigated, eight cases remain open. 

Eleven of those 19 investigations were concluded.

The commissioner upheld three complaints and turned down six - three concerning the Prime Ministers, the other three relating to ministers.

In one of those cases, the minister in question had reversed a dubious practice even though the complaint could not be upheld. 

The case concerned the selective invitations to the media for ministerial press events. Although the complaint was not upheld, the minister in question accepted the Commissioner’s recommendation to invite all media to major press events in future.

In one other case the commissioner's investigation proved inconclusive, while in another the commissioner focused his investigation on a general practice rather than misconduct on the part of any particular individual.

This case concerned backbench MPs who were given government appointments. 

During the period under review, the Commissioner also started one investigation on his own initiative. It was still in progress on December 31.

Hyzler is the first person to serve as Standards Commissioner. He is tasked with examining alleged breaches of the law or ethics by ministers, parliamentary secretaries, MPs or persons of trust.