Blair and Beckett face expense claims probe
Jon Ungoed-Thomas
TONY BLAIR and Margaret Beckett, the foreign secretary, are to be forced to disclose how they each claim up to £19,000 a year in accommodation expenses from parliament while living in grace-and-favour homes.
Richard Thomas, the information commissioner, took legal action over the summer to force the Commons to let him see Blair’s and Beckett’s expenses after a request from The Sunday Times.
Officials acting for Thomas have now written to parliament, warning that they intend to order the release of the information.
The decision comes after criticism of the “black holes” in many MPs’ expenses in which large sums of money are not publicly accounted for. Figures to be released this week will show that MPs’ accommodation expenses have increased by over 10% in the past year to more than £50m.
Blair has claimed nearly £60,000 over the past four years for his constituency home in Co Durham. Downing Street has said that the money is not being used to pay off a new mortgage on the house, but refuses to explain how Blair can claim more than £1,000 a month on other costs.
Beckett has also claimed more than £65,000 in accommodation expenses over the past four years, even though she enjoys the use of a grace-and-favour property and does not have a mortgage on her constituency home.
When The Sunday Times first requested a breakdown of Blair’s and Beckett’s accommodation expenses, it was refused on the grounds that it would be a breach of their privacy. Thomas’s officials are understood to have rejected this and believe that the information should be made public.
The accommodation expenses for MPs, known as the additional costs allowances, are viewed as one of the most lucrative perks of being in the Commons. Many MPs have made profits of tens of thousands by using the funds to buy London properties.
MPs can claim up to £22,110 a year to pay for rent or the interest on a mortgage on a London or constituency home. The allowances can also be used for home refurbishments, providing they do not significantly increase the home’s value.
Blair’s constituency home, Myrobella, is used as an office for constituency staff, but Downing Street has refused to detail whether that has affected Blair’s housing allowances. The house has also undergone extensive security upgrades, largely paid for out of central government funds.
Beckett has paid off her mortgage on her constituency home in Derby, but has been able to claim £69,264 in housing allowances over the past four years. She now has the use of Chevening, a stately home in Kent.
In October 2004 the Commons published for the first time the total sum that each MP claims but has refused to reveal any details.
The preliminary decision notice sent to the Commons over Blair’s and Beckett’s expenses says that the information commissioner’s office intends to order the release of the information or some of the information requested. The final decision notice is expected to be sent within the next few weeks.
There is no suggestion that Blair or Beckett has broken any rules, but there has been criticism of the amount of expenses enjoyed by MPs. Sir Alistair Graham, chairman of the committee on standards in public life, has said that there should be regular reviews to ensure that MPs’ expenses are in line with those of other public bodies. MPs are likely to face scrutiny over their use of graduate “interns” to work up to five days a week without pay. Daniel Barnett, a barrister who specialises in employment law, said: “These unpaid internships appear to be in breach of the minimum wage legislation.”
A Revenue & Customs source confirmed that the interns may be working in breach of minimum wage laws. It is understood that enforcement teams are “looking at the issue”.
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Jon Ungoed-Thomas
TONY BLAIR and Margaret Beckett, the foreign secretary, are to be forced to disclose how they each claim up to £19,000 a year in accommodation expenses from parliament while living in grace-and-favour homes.
Richard Thomas, the information commissioner, took legal action over the summer to force the Commons to let him see Blair’s and Beckett’s expenses after a request from The Sunday Times.
Officials acting for Thomas have now written to parliament, warning that they intend to order the release of the information.
The decision comes after criticism of the “black holes” in many MPs’ expenses in which large sums of money are not publicly accounted for. Figures to be released this week will show that MPs’ accommodation expenses have increased by over 10% in the past year to more than £50m.
Blair has claimed nearly £60,000 over the past four years for his constituency home in Co Durham. Downing Street has said that the money is not being used to pay off a new mortgage on the house, but refuses to explain how Blair can claim more than £1,000 a month on other costs.
Beckett has also claimed more than £65,000 in accommodation expenses over the past four years, even though she enjoys the use of a grace-and-favour property and does not have a mortgage on her constituency home.
When The Sunday Times first requested a breakdown of Blair’s and Beckett’s accommodation expenses, it was refused on the grounds that it would be a breach of their privacy. Thomas’s officials are understood to have rejected this and believe that the information should be made public.
The accommodation expenses for MPs, known as the additional costs allowances, are viewed as one of the most lucrative perks of being in the Commons. Many MPs have made profits of tens of thousands by using the funds to buy London properties.
MPs can claim up to £22,110 a year to pay for rent or the interest on a mortgage on a London or constituency home. The allowances can also be used for home refurbishments, providing they do not significantly increase the home’s value.
Blair’s constituency home, Myrobella, is used as an office for constituency staff, but Downing Street has refused to detail whether that has affected Blair’s housing allowances. The house has also undergone extensive security upgrades, largely paid for out of central government funds.
Beckett has paid off her mortgage on her constituency home in Derby, but has been able to claim £69,264 in housing allowances over the past four years. She now has the use of Chevening, a stately home in Kent.
In October 2004 the Commons published for the first time the total sum that each MP claims but has refused to reveal any details.
The preliminary decision notice sent to the Commons over Blair’s and Beckett’s expenses says that the information commissioner’s office intends to order the release of the information or some of the information requested. The final decision notice is expected to be sent within the next few weeks.
There is no suggestion that Blair or Beckett has broken any rules, but there has been criticism of the amount of expenses enjoyed by MPs. Sir Alistair Graham, chairman of the committee on standards in public life, has said that there should be regular reviews to ensure that MPs’ expenses are in line with those of other public bodies. MPs are likely to face scrutiny over their use of graduate “interns” to work up to five days a week without pay. Daniel Barnett, a barrister who specialises in employment law, said: “These unpaid internships appear to be in breach of the minimum wage legislation.”
A Revenue & Customs source confirmed that the interns may be working in breach of minimum wage laws. It is understood that enforcement teams are “looking at the issue”.
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