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'Half of Lords' clock in to claim expenses 'Half of Lords' clock in to claim expenses
(about 5 hours later)
Half the members of the House of Lords clock in and out of Parliament for a few minutes a day in order to claim a £300 daily attendance allowance, a former Conservative peer has said.Half the members of the House of Lords clock in and out of Parliament for a few minutes a day in order to claim a £300 daily attendance allowance, a former Conservative peer has said.
Lord Hanningfield made the claim when challenged to explain his own attendance record.Lord Hanningfield made the claim when challenged to explain his own attendance record.
The Daily Mirror alleges on 11 of 19 occasions he attended the Lords in July he spent less than 40 minutes there.The Daily Mirror alleges on 11 of 19 occasions he attended the Lords in July he spent less than 40 minutes there.
There is no suggestion the peer broke any rules.There is no suggestion the peer broke any rules.
Members of the House of Lords are not paid a salary but can claim a daily allowance of £300 if they attend a sitting.Members of the House of Lords are not paid a salary but can claim a daily allowance of £300 if they attend a sitting.
Lord Hanningfield claimed £5,700 in total for his 19 days of attendance during July. 'Preparing myself'
The Mirror claims his shortest attendance at Parliament during July was 21 minutes. Lord Hanningfield, a former leader of Essex County Council, claimed £5,700 in total for his 19 days of attendance during July and the Mirror reports his shortest attendance that month was 21 minutes.
During the month Lord Hanningfield did not speak in any debates or attend any committee hearings. During July, Lord Hanningfield did not speak in any debates or attend any committee hearings.
When confronted by the Mirror about the claims, Lord Hanningfield said "at least half" the Lords check in to claim expenses. When confronted by the Mirror about the claims, Lord Hanningfield said "at least half" the members of the Lords checked in to claim expenses.
"Being a lord is not just going in the House of Lords," he said. He said he spent half of the £300 daily fee on expenses and so did not really make any profit. He was a full-time peer who needed the money to pay his electricity bills and buy food, he said.
"Lots of peers go in and check in for their expenses, but they are using their expenses for a lot of things - entertaining, meeting people, employing people."
He said he spent half of the £300 daily fee on expenses and so did not really make any profit.
He was a full-time peer who needed the money to pay his electricity bills and buy food, he said.
Since October Lord Hanningfield has spoken twice and submitted four written questions.Since October Lord Hanningfield has spoken twice and submitted four written questions.
The former leader of Essex County Council joined the Lords in 1998. He told BBC Essex's Tom Barton: "Doing work in the Lords is not just working in the chamber, unless you are going to speak.
"During July I was preparing myself for what I'm doing now and during this term I've been speaking and asking questions. I'm really back to an active life in politics and I don't appreciate the Mirror following me around in July."
'Traumatised'
In 2011, Lord Hanningfield served nine weeks of a nine-month sentence for parliamentary expenses fraud totalling nearly £14,000.
During his trial, a court was told he had submitted false claims for hotel bills including one when he was actually on board a flight to India at the time, and that he had fraudulently claimed for train fares and car mileage.
But Lord Hanningfield, who entered the Lords in 1998, told BBC Essex he had "drawn the short straw" during the expenses scandal and that "most" MPs and peers had been allowed "to pay the money back without any problem".
He added: "I got treated rather badly, I think. I didn't do anything more than anyone else and most peers know that."
Lord Hanningfield, who had the Conservative whip withdrawn in 2010, said he might "hopefully" return to the party one day, adding: "I still do a lot of work and I still tend to support the coalition government's politics.
"The effects of the last four years traumatised me. I had virtually a nervous breakdown."
He added: "I don't think I should have been convicted... I think it was a travesty of justice."