Friday 23 October 2009

Plaskitt ordered to pay back £112

LEAMINGTON and Warwick MP James Plaskitt has been ordered to pay back £112 – following an independent review of MPs’ expenses claims.

An inquiry was carried out by Sir Thomas Legg, appointed by the House of Commons to review all expenses made by MPs over the last five years.

As well as looking at second home allowances, Mr Legg said all expenses claims should only be made for the performance of Parliamentary duties, should not be excessive and should be “value for money.”

The £112 Mr Plaskitt has been asked to pay back is for a payment the fees office inadvertently made twice in 2004.

He has also been asked to supply mortgage statements to Sir Thomas, so the auditor can double check claims for mortgage interest.

Mr Plaskitt said: “I welcome this process, which should help close the debate on our old discredited allowances system. I will fully comply with the auditor’s requests.

“The double payment of one amount in 2004 was, in the auditor’s view, an error by the Common’s administration, not me. But I will, of course, repay it anyway, without question.

“I already knew my mortgage claim was wrong in 2004/05. It was corrected at the time, and I repaid £900. I will let the auditor have the documents he is requesting as quickly as I can. If there was any more over-claim, then, of course, I will repay the amount without question.”

All of his other expenses claims have been cleared.

Jeremy Wright, Rugby and Kenilworth MP, has not revealed Sir Thomas Legg’s recommendations, but said: “I am happy to co-operate with Sir Thomas Legg’s review.

“It is clear that his provisional conclusions have been reached without sight of some significant information, which I will supply to him as soon as I can.

“My constituents have been able to see what I have claimed and they can see that I have done nothing extravagant or dishonest.”

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