Lib Dems at odds on home profits

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The Scottish Liberal Democrats have put themselves at odds with their UK party leader Nick Clegg in the row over second homes for MPs.

Mr Clegg has vowed that his MPs will hand back any gains made through the sale of taxpayer-funded homes.

That led to calls for Lib Dem MSPs at Holyrood to follow suit over the sale of second homes in Edinburgh.

But Scottish Lib Dems said their leader Tavish Scott will act after an official report on the Westminster system.

A controversial allowance which enabled MSPs from far-flung constituencies to buy homes in Edinburgh has being scrapped, but this will not take full effect before the end of the current Holyrood parliament in 2011.

We have already had an independent review of parliamentary allowances, which recommended major changes and was accepted in full Scottish Lib Dem statement

And a statement released by the Scottish Lib Dems pointed to the independent review which led to this decision by the Scottish Parliament last year.

The statement said: "The Scottish Parliament is way ahead of Westminster - we have already had an independent review of parliamentary allowances, which recommended major changes and was accepted in full.

"This report recommended stopping mortgage interest repayments. It also examined MSPs repaying potential profits and rejected it. However, MSPs pay capital gains tax like any other taxpayer.

"If the Westminster report recommends that MPs pay back potential profits, then Mr Scott will push for further independent scrutiny of MSP parliamentary allowances. If that independent study recommended repaying potential profits, Mr Scott would accept that proposal."

The Scottish National Party announced on Wednesday that its seven MPs - including Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond - will submit their expense claims to independent audit and abide by the outcome.

'Widespread abuse'

Mr Salmond said the SNP MPs will also publish details on the party website - within three months - of additional-cost allowance claims for the last year.

The Daily Telegraph newspaper has published details of expenses claims it said were made by SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson showing he successfully appealed when Commons authorities turned down his claim for a £400 home cinema system.

Other purchases included a coffee maker, £100 on Sabatier knives and £20 for a corkscrew, according to the newspaper.

Responding to the reports, Mr Salmond said: "I apologise for two things. I apologise for us being caught up and being party, by our presence, to an expenses system which is clearly open to widespread abuse.

"I think that was entirely wrong - we should have campaigned harder to change that system."