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Ken Clarke gets expenses apology | Ken Clarke gets expenses apology |
(about 3 hours later) | |
MPs' expenses auditor Sir Thomas Legg has apologised to Ken Clarke for asking him to pay back too much. | MPs' expenses auditor Sir Thomas Legg has apologised to Ken Clarke for asking him to pay back too much. |
In a letter to the Tory frontbencher Sir Thomas suggested he should repay £4,733 of expenses claimed since 2004. | |
But on Wednesday he said it should have been £1,345. Two Labour MPs have been told they do not have to repay sums. | |
Sir Thomas has written to about 600 MPs after reviewing claims following the expenses scandal. Many have been asked to repay sums approved at the time. | Sir Thomas has written to about 600 MPs after reviewing claims following the expenses scandal. Many have been asked to repay sums approved at the time. |
Many MPs are furious that Sir Thomas has applied his own, retrospective limits, for claims for gardening and cleaning made under the second homes allowance. | Many MPs are furious that Sir Thomas has applied his own, retrospective limits, for claims for gardening and cleaning made under the second homes allowance. |
Duplicated forms | Duplicated forms |
Although there was no limit at the time, he said there should have been one to prevent "disproportionate" claims and has asked many MPs to repay money. | |
The Conservative frontbench published what they had been asked to repay last week and Mr Clarke had been asked for the most - nearly £5,000. | The Conservative frontbench published what they had been asked to repay last week and Mr Clarke had been asked for the most - nearly £5,000. |
All MPs have three weeks to respond to the requests and Mr Clarke had already said he would "make representations" to Sir Thomas. | All MPs have three weeks to respond to the requests and Mr Clarke had already said he would "make representations" to Sir Thomas. |
This should not have happened and I want to lose no time in offering an unreserved apology Sir Thomas Legg | |
On Wednesday, Sir Thomas wrote back and admitted he had got it wrong by nearly £3,400. | On Wednesday, Sir Thomas wrote back and admitted he had got it wrong by nearly £3,400. |
He said there had been a "mistake in the original calculation" and the "excess claim" revised to £1,345. | He said there had been a "mistake in the original calculation" and the "excess claim" revised to £1,345. |
"The error arose because some of your claim forms are duplicated in your file and the amount claimed for cleaning was included in calculations twice," Sir Thomas wrote. | "The error arose because some of your claim forms are duplicated in your file and the amount claimed for cleaning was included in calculations twice," Sir Thomas wrote. |
"This should not have happened and I want to lose no time in offering an unreserved apology." | "This should not have happened and I want to lose no time in offering an unreserved apology." |
Meanwhile two Labour MPs have been told mistakes were made in requests to them to repay money. | |
John Mann had queried a repayment request of £110 and has now been told he owes nothing, Michael Clapham was asked to repay £540 and has been told he will not have to do so. | |
When Sir Thomas's letters went out last week, several MPs said mistakes had been made and they had been asked to repay money they had never claimed. | When Sir Thomas's letters went out last week, several MPs said mistakes had been made and they had been asked to repay money they had never claimed. |
A spokeswoman for the Legg review said: "In a small number of cases where there have been errors we have apologised." | |
There were newspaper reports on Wednesday that MPs may be offered a £3,000 pay rise - paid for by a cut in ministers' salaries - to offset a backbench rebellion over an expected cut in expenses, once an independent inquiry into the whole system reports back next month. | |
Asked about the suggestion, Gordon Brown's spokesman said: "The prime minister has not expressed that view." | |
He said people should "wait and see" what the review proposes when it is published on 4 November. |
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