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| SF deny 'inflating' MP rent costs | SF deny 'inflating' MP rent costs |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Sinn Fein has defended their MPs against newspaper allegations that they claimed inflated costs for their accommodation in London. | Sinn Fein has defended their MPs against newspaper allegations that they claimed inflated costs for their accommodation in London. |
| The Sunday Telegraph claimed that three flats were rented by the MPs in north London at over the market rate. | The Sunday Telegraph claimed that three flats were rented by the MPs in north London at over the market rate. |
| Sinn Fein's five MPs do not take their Westminster seats so are not entitled to salaries, but they do get expenses. | Sinn Fein's five MPs do not take their Westminster seats so are not entitled to salaries, but they do get expenses. |
| The party said the rental fees also covered charges for parking, housekeeping and utilities. | The party said the rental fees also covered charges for parking, housekeeping and utilities. |
| The Sunday Telegraph claimed Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness paid £3,600 a month in rent to an Irish landlord for a flat which a local estate agent estimated should cost just £1,400. | The Sunday Telegraph claimed Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness paid £3,600 a month in rent to an Irish landlord for a flat which a local estate agent estimated should cost just £1,400. |
| The paper says the other three MPs paid £5,400 a month for a town house which the estate agent valued at just £1,800. | The paper says the other three MPs paid £5,400 a month for a town house which the estate agent valued at just £1,800. |
| "It is widely known that Sinn Fein MP's travel regularly to London on parliamentary business and utilize the accommodation that we rent when there," said a party spokesman. | "It is widely known that Sinn Fein MP's travel regularly to London on parliamentary business and utilize the accommodation that we rent when there," said a party spokesman. |
| "We do not purchase properties at public expense and therefore do not profit from the expenses claimed as of right. | "We do not purchase properties at public expense and therefore do not profit from the expenses claimed as of right. |
| "The rent we pay on these properties are all inclusive of parking, utilities, housekeeping etc and therefore you are not comparing like with like." | "The rent we pay on these properties are all inclusive of parking, utilities, housekeeping etc and therefore you are not comparing like with like." |
| Last month, Prime Minister Gordon Brown proposed that the allowance for MPs' accommodation be replaced with flat-rate daily expenses based on Commons attendance. | |
| He asked an ethics committee, however, to look at the circumstances of Northern Ireland MPs before applying the change. | |
| Although the proposal was subsequently dropped, it was branded by unionists as a "sop" to Sinn Fein. | |
| On Sunday, NI Secretary of State Shaun Woodward said Sinn Fein had told him "they want to be treated the same as everyone else". | |
| He added that the review into the system of expenses and allowances by Sir Christopher Kelly should address "all anomalies". | |
| "We should look at double jobbing for example. There will be assembly members in Northern Ireland who will be claiming allowances and salaries and all kinds of expenses - they may will be claiming them in Westminster as well," said Mr Woodward. | |
| "I think the whole system has to be looked at." |