Expenses 'must be repaid in full'

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Any MPs who made expenses claims in breach of parliamentary rules must repay the money in full, Commons Leader Harriet Harman has said.

The move was necessary to rebuild public confidence in Parliament and democracy in wake of the recent damaging disclosures, she argued.

MPs from all parties have repaid large sums even though most argue they were acting within the rules at the time.

An independent committee will report on planned expenses reform this autumn.

'Dealing with the past'

Many MPs have called for Parliament to accept the recommendations of the Committee on Standards in Public Life in full although the government has not yet committed to do this.

Interim reforms passed by MPs in July will see regulation of their expenses handed over to an external body.

Ms Harman said it was "not enough" for the future oversight of expenses to be tough and transparent but that action was needed to correct past mistakes.

She said MPs must be bound by the same rules as anyone else, comparing them to benefits claimants who are over-paid and required to return the money.

"We have to deal with the past in a way that commands public confidence," she said in a speech in London.

"It is not enough for over-claims to be identified and exposed to public scrutiny. They need to be paid back.

"If they were not fully within the rules as they obtained at the time, allowance payments must be paid back."

All expenses claims made by MPs since 2004 have been scrutinised by a former senior Parliamentary official, which is expected to report its findings soon.