02 February 2010

The Legg Review

In common with many other MPs – including the three party leaders – I have agreed to make repayments to the House of Commons, realising how important it is to move forward and establish a system of expenses which has public confidence.

Apart from the repayment relating to miscalculated mortgage interest – which I was rectifying well before Sir Thomas Legg’s report – the other repayments are the direct result of the rules being changed years after the claims were authorised. No indication of any ‘limits’ were given at the time and the claims were authorised in full by the Fees Office.

Sir Thomas has not requested any other repayments.

UPDATE:

The money requested has been repaid in full.

FURTHER NOTES:

1. Mortgage interest claims are paid monthly. However, interest rates are charged daily. As a result, and also because of interest rates changing constantly, accurate figures cannot be obtained until well after the end of the parliamentary financial year. It is therefore very common for readjustments to be made, upwards or downwards, retrospectively. This is what has happened in my case.

2. Written authorisation for my claim for a wardrobe was given in June 2005.

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