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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Minister apologises over expenses | Minister apologises over expenses |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Chief Treasury Secretary David Laws has apologised for claiming MPs' expenses to rent rooms in homes owned by his partner. | |
| Mr Laws said he would immediately pay back the money the Daily Telegraph said totalled more than £40,000. | |
| Mr Laws said he had been trying to keep his relationship with his male partner "private". | Mr Laws said he had been trying to keep his relationship with his male partner "private". |
| David Cameron said he agreed with Mr Laws' decision to refer himself to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner. | |
| Since 2006 parliamentary rules have banned MPs from "leasing accommodation from a partner". | Since 2006 parliamentary rules have banned MPs from "leasing accommodation from a partner". |
| The Daily Telegraph said Mr Laws claimed up to £950 a month for five years to rent a room in two properties owned by his partner, James Lundie. | |
| In a statement, Mr Laws said: "I've been involved in a relationship with James Lundie since around 2001 - about two years after first moving in with him. | |
| "Our relationship has been unknown to both family and friends throughout that time. | |
| "At no point did I consider myself to be in breach of the rules which in 2009 defined partner as 'one of a couple who although not married to each other or civil partners are living together and treat each other as spouses'. | |
| "Although we were living together we did not treat each other as spouses - for example we do not share bank accounts and indeed have separate social lives. | |
| "However, I now accept that this was open to interpretation and will immediately pay back the costs of the rent and other housing costs I claimed from the time the rules changed until August 2009." | |
| He added: "I regret this situation deeply, accept that I should not have claimed my expenses in this way and apologise fully." | |
| A spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron said: "The prime minister has been made aware of this situation and he agrees with David Laws' decision to self refer to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner." |