Laws backs expenses shake-up (From Chard & Ilminster News)

Laws backs expenses shake-up

2:06pm Thursday 5th November 2009

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SOUTH Somerset MP David Laws has urged colleagues to support plans for a crackdown on parliamentary expenses.

The LibDem MP has given his backing to a controversial report released by Sir Christopher Kelly, chairman of Committee on Standards in Public Life, designed to shake-up the allowances system.

Under the proposed reforms, made public yesterday, MPs will be banned from claiming towards mortgages on second homes and instead will have to rent or stay in hotels when working in Parliament.

Those living near London will not be able to claim expenses for a second home and MPs will be barred from employing family members, although both changes would be delayed for five years.

Mr Laws said the recommendations must be adopted swiftly and in full - and MPs must not tamper with it or undermine it.

He said: “Sir Christopher Kelly has designed the type of system which should have been in place for a long time, and which would have prevented the abuses exposed over the last year.

“It is now essential that the new parliamentary regulator should implement these proposals immediately.”

The expenses scandal hit the headlines earlier this year after the Daily Telegraph published detailed descriptions of various claims submitted by MPs.

A newly-created watchdog, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, has been set up to decide whether to accept the report's proposals.

They are expected to come into effect after the next general election.

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