LONDON (BLOOMBERG) - Britain's governing Conservative Party is investigating a report of a senior minister watching pornography on his cellphone while sitting in the House of Commons.

The party's whips are looking into the matter and will take action once they have their findings, according to Prime Minister Boris Johnson's press secretary, who said that such behaviour is unacceptable.

The Daily Mirror reported earlier on Wednesday (April 27) that the minister was sitting next to a female member while watching the video during a meeting in the last few months.

The probe comes amid a wave of controversy about sexual harassment and misogyny in Westminster.

Three of Mr Johnson's Cabinet members are among 56 MPs who are facing allegations of sexual misconduct and have been reported to Parliament's Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme, according to the Sunday Times newspaper.

Mr Johnson's party has also faced a backlash over a report in the Mail on Sunday newspaper where anonymous Conservative MPs made misogynistic remarks about the Labour Party's deputy leader Angela Rayner.

"Of course sexual harassment is intolerable and it's quite right that members should now have a procedure by which they can bring that to the House authorities," Mr Johnson said in the Commons on Wednesday, when asked about the issue.

"Of course it's grounds for dismissal."

Mr Johnson also said on Wednesday that there was "absolutely no place for such behavior or expression" concerning the remarks about Ms Rayner and that MPs should treat each other with more respect.

A renewed focus on misconduct by Conservatives is fresh setback for Mr Johnson, who became the first serving prime minister found to have broken the law when he was fined over lockdown rules.

The negative coverage is also a blow for the Tories ahead of local elections on May 5, where a poor showing may renew calls from Conservative backbenchers for Mr Johnson to resign.