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| McNulty defends expenses claims | McNulty defends expenses claims |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Employment minister Tony McNulty has said he did nothing wrong by claiming second-home expenses on a London house where his parents live. | Employment minister Tony McNulty has said he did nothing wrong by claiming second-home expenses on a London house where his parents live. |
| He received allowances worth thousands of pounds for the property in his Harrow East constituency, which is eight miles from his main home. | |
| Details of the expenses have appeared in the Mail on Sunday newspaper. | Details of the expenses have appeared in the Mail on Sunday newspaper. |
| Mr McNulty's spokesman said the MP had been claiming money for the home where he works two or three days a week. | Mr McNulty's spokesman said the MP had been claiming money for the home where he works two or three days a week. |
| He added that Mr McNulty had complied with the rules on second homes for MPs from outside inner London. | He added that Mr McNulty had complied with the rules on second homes for MPs from outside inner London. |
| Mr McNulty stopped claiming the allowance in January because interest rates had fallen so much that he could afford to pay the mortgage from his MP's salary. | Mr McNulty stopped claiming the allowance in January because interest rates had fallen so much that he could afford to pay the mortgage from his MP's salary. |
| New home | New home |
| The MP lived in the house in Harrow with his parents before he got married to his second wife, Christine, in 2002. | The MP lived in the house in Harrow with his parents before he got married to his second wife, Christine, in 2002. |
| Mr McNulty then moved into her home about eight miles away in Hammersmith, west London. | Mr McNulty then moved into her home about eight miles away in Hammersmith, west London. |
| Under parliamentary rules Mr McNulty can claim an allowance for a second home in his constituency even though it is only 11 miles from Westminster. | Under parliamentary rules Mr McNulty can claim an allowance for a second home in his constituency even though it is only 11 miles from Westminster. |
| Mr McNulty's spokesman told the Press Association: "Tony is completely compliant with all the regulations around the allowances for second homes. | Mr McNulty's spokesman told the Press Association: "Tony is completely compliant with all the regulations around the allowances for second homes. |
| "There is absolutely nothing irregular in Tony's situation. Tony is entitled, like all MPs, to an allowance allowing him to maintain a property in central London. | "There is absolutely nothing irregular in Tony's situation. Tony is entitled, like all MPs, to an allowance allowing him to maintain a property in central London. |
| "He chose to claim the allowance with respect to the cheaper of the two properties." | "He chose to claim the allowance with respect to the cheaper of the two properties." |
| Auditing arrangements | Auditing arrangements |
| The MPs' Additional Costs Allowance of up to £24,000 a year goes to MPs from outside inner London to cover the cost of staying away from their main home when carrying out parliamentary duties. | The MPs' Additional Costs Allowance of up to £24,000 a year goes to MPs from outside inner London to cover the cost of staying away from their main home when carrying out parliamentary duties. |
| MPs' allowances became the subject of controversy when it emerged last year that Conservative Derek Conway had paid his sons to act as researchers while both were students. | MPs' allowances became the subject of controversy when it emerged last year that Conservative Derek Conway had paid his sons to act as researchers while both were students. |
| The Commons Standards and Privileges Committee found he had overpaid them and ordered him to repay some of the money. | The Commons Standards and Privileges Committee found he had overpaid them and ordered him to repay some of the money. |
| In February this year, Parliament's Committee on Standards in Public Life decided against launching an inquiry into MPs' allowances. | In February this year, Parliament's Committee on Standards in Public Life decided against launching an inquiry into MPs' allowances. |
| The committee felt new arrangements for auditing their expenses were "a significant step forward" on their own. | The committee felt new arrangements for auditing their expenses were "a significant step forward" on their own. |