Quentin is told to repay £658 he claimed for cleaning bills
Thursday, 2.50pm - MP for Grantham Quentin Davies has been ordered to pay back £658 of expenses he claimed for cleaning his Lincolnshire mansion.
Thursday, 2.50pm - MP for Grantham Quentin Davies has been ordered to pay back 658 of expenses he claimed for cleaning his Lincolnshire mansion.
Mr Davies , a junior minister with the Ministry of Defence, has designated his London home as his main residence.
His 18th century mansion house near Boston is designated as his second home, entitling him to bill the taxpayer for cleaning.
But a review of MPs' expenses conducted by Sir Thomas Legg concluded cleaning claims should have been capped at 2,000 - and anything claimed over that amount should be paid back.
Mr Davies has agreed to pay, but wrote to Sir Thomas to protest at the decision, arguing that it is unfair to impose retrospective limits.
He told the Journal: "It's an extraordinary situation in which members of Parliament are being treated in a way in which you would never accept anybody else being treated."
This week, in a separate review of MPs' expenses by Sir Christopher Kelly, a number of new recommendations were made.
Sir Christopher proposed a ban on MPs appointing family members to their staff and paying them from public funds.
Those currently employing family members should be allowed to do so for five years.
Mr Davies, who employs his wife Chantal, said: "Chantal has been working for me for many years. It's heartbreaking to have to fire anybody who has been doing a good job."
There has been speculation that MPs will get around the rules by employing each other's family members, but Mr Davies told the Journal he has no plans to do so.
He said: "I myself am not interested in going for any artificial arrangement."
Is it right that Quentin has to pay back 658? Should he pay more back, or nothing at all?
Send us an e-mail: comment@granthamjournal.co.uk there have been serious abuses of the Parliamentary Allowances Scheme.
You are attempting by catharsis to purge Parliament of the stain of these scandals.
It may be that you conclude that fairness and rationality must both be sacrificed to achieve this aim.
If that is so, though I am very reluctant to act in breach of such fundamental and constant principals, I shall not stand in your way.
Accordingly, if you deem it necessary, I will pay (but not "pay back", since the money was never improperly received) the sum of 658 to the Fees Office.
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Thursday 18 March 2010
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