Boris Johnson “takes responsibility” for breaking lockdown rules for Downing Street parties, the Deputy Prime Minister has said.
Police have issued 20 fines to staff so far, but Dominic Raab told the BBC the Prime Minister has yet to receive any.
He also said there was no indication Mr Johnson had previously lied to Parliament about breaking Covid rules.
But Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the SNP are calling on the Prime Minister to quit over the parties being held during the pandemic.
The Metropolitan Police have investigated 12 events, including at least three in which Mr Johnson took part.
The force has sent out more than 100 questionnaires asking about people’s attendance at the events and 20 firm penalty notices for breaking Covid rules have been mailed, with more expected to follow.
- Twenty fines for lockdown parties #10
- A timeline of lockdown parties
- The Covid rules if Downing Street parties have been held
Mr Johnson previously told the House of Commons that Downing Street’s Covid guidelines had been followed “at all times”.
Asked whether his boss had broken the Code of Ministers – which says ministers who intentionally mislead the House of Commons should resign – Mr Raab said the Prime Minister had updated Parliament “to the best of his knowledge and belief”.
He added: “I think it’s different to say he lied, which suggests he intentionally misled.
“Of course we had the investigation [into parties] because of the allegations – the allegations made and rightly investigated – and it is clear that there were violations of the law.
“But to jump off and say the Prime Minister deliberately misled Parliament instead of answering to the best of his knowledge is just not right.”
Mr Raab also said the Prime Minister had apologized for the Downing Street gatherings and overhauled the operation of No 10.
An interim report by senior official Sue Gray concluded that there had been “faults of leadership and judgment” in government over the parties.
Their full findings are scheduled to be released when the Met completes its investigation.
No 10 has said any penal order addressed to the Prime Minister would be made public.
Earlier this year, several Conservative MPs joined opposition parties in urging Mr Johnson to resign over his alleged attendance at the gathering, but some have withdrawn their calls after war broke out in Ukraine.
However, it has not stopped opposition parties from repeating their calls for the Prime Minister to resign.
Labor Deputy Leader Angela Rayner said: “Culture is set from the top down.
And Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: “We all know who is to blame. The Prime Minister must resign or Conservative MPs must sack him.”
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