Ottaway accepts Legg Committee Final Report
Richard Ottaway, Conservative MP for Croydon South, has welcomed the official publication today of his Parliamentary expense claims for 2008 -9 and the first quarter of 2009-10. These have been available on his website since October and are updated monthly. These expenses have been audited and approved by the independent Legg Committee without comment.
The Legg Committee will be publishing its final report on the outcome of the intensive audit of all MPs’ allowances, for the five years from 2004-09, in January 2010.
Richard Ottaway said:
“Publication of these figures gives much greater clarity which is to be welcomed.
“After an exhaustive review of all the paperwork over this five year period, a net discrepancy of £34.20 over claimed against the allowance for mortgage interest on my second home has come to light. This figure reflects underpayments and overpayments. However, only the highest over claim will be published by the Legg Committee, which is an amount of £102.47 over the entire 5 year period.
“The error arose in a calculation for the election year 2005 when allowances were suspended for a number of days running up to the election and mortgage interest rates changed. I very much regret the error and have reimbursed the House of Commons.
“Every single claim I have made, against the allowances for maintaining a second home as the base for constituency work since 2004, has now been independently scrutinized by two separate Committees.
“I hope that the new rules, currently in the process of formulation by the independent Kelly Committee, will meet with public support and that we can all move on.”
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