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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| New audit plan for MPs' expenses | New audit plan for MPs' expenses |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| An independent auditing body is due to be set up to validate MPs' expenses claims to try to regain public trust. | |
| Senior Labour MP Sir Stuart Bell said MPs would be asked to approve the body, made up entirely of independent people. | Senior Labour MP Sir Stuart Bell said MPs would be asked to approve the body, made up entirely of independent people. |
| The Sunday Telegraph has published more details, largely of Labour ministers' expenses claims under the controversial second homes allowance. | The Sunday Telegraph has published more details, largely of Labour ministers' expenses claims under the controversial second homes allowance. |
| Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said MPs faced "a challenge and wake-up call" that the system needed to change. | Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said MPs faced "a challenge and wake-up call" that the system needed to change. |
| Sir Stuart said an independent audit body - separate from the Commons fees office which agrees the claims - would be set up to analyse "every claim that is made". | Sir Stuart said an independent audit body - separate from the Commons fees office which agrees the claims - would be set up to analyse "every claim that is made". |
| 'Lost confidence' | 'Lost confidence' |
| BBC political correspondent Ben Wright said currently the fees office is overseen by a committee made up of MPs and independent people - who in turn are overseen by the National Audit Office. | BBC political correspondent Ben Wright said currently the fees office is overseen by a committee made up of MPs and independent people - who in turn are overseen by the National Audit Office. |
| The new body would be entirely independent and cost about £600,000 a year to run. He said the final plan would be put to Parliament for approval on Monday. | The new body would be entirely independent and cost about £600,000 a year to run. He said the final plan would be put to Parliament for approval on Monday. |
| It can't look like a solution has been stitched up in Westminster Andy BurnhamCulture secretary | It can't look like a solution has been stitched up in Westminster Andy BurnhamCulture secretary |
| Sir Stuart told the BBC: "We will .. create a new body, a different body that will be separate and I would hope that once this body is created and is up and running it will then be hived off to the private sector to another firm, so there is an entire arm's length between members of Parliament and those who are dispersing amounts under allowances." | Sir Stuart told the BBC: "We will .. create a new body, a different body that will be separate and I would hope that once this body is created and is up and running it will then be hived off to the private sector to another firm, so there is an entire arm's length between members of Parliament and those who are dispersing amounts under allowances." |
| He said MPs had "lost the confidence of the public and we need to get that back". | He said MPs had "lost the confidence of the public and we need to get that back". |
| It comes as the Sunday Telegraph publishes a series of new revelations about MPs, including nearly £500,000 claimed by Sinn Fein MPs, who do not take their seats in Parliament - and public money paid to the Conservative former minister John Gummer to have moles removed from his country estate. | It comes as the Sunday Telegraph publishes a series of new revelations about MPs, including nearly £500,000 claimed by Sinn Fein MPs, who do not take their seats in Parliament - and public money paid to the Conservative former minister John Gummer to have moles removed from his country estate. |
| 'Wake-up call' | 'Wake-up call' |
| Communities Secretary Hazel Blears also faced questions about the sale of her designated second home - a London flat on which she claimed expenses - after it emerged she had not paid capital gains tax on the sale as it was her "main residence". | Communities Secretary Hazel Blears also faced questions about the sale of her designated second home - a London flat on which she claimed expenses - after it emerged she had not paid capital gains tax on the sale as it was her "main residence". |
| Speaking outside her Salford home, she said she had "complied with the rules of the House, the rules of the Inland Revenue" but added: "I understand entirely why the public hates this. The system is wrong, it needs to be changed." | Speaking outside her Salford home, she said she had "complied with the rules of the House, the rules of the Inland Revenue" but added: "I understand entirely why the public hates this. The system is wrong, it needs to be changed." |
| Both she and another minister, Andy Burnham, called for the public to be involved in setting up a new, tighter system. | Both she and another minister, Andy Burnham, called for the public to be involved in setting up a new, tighter system. |
| Mr Burnham - whose own claims have been examined by the Telegraph - told Sky News: "It can't look like a solution has been stitched up in Westminster. I think there has to be some public endorsement." | Mr Burnham - whose own claims have been examined by the Telegraph - told Sky News: "It can't look like a solution has been stitched up in Westminster. I think there has to be some public endorsement." |
| Meanwhile Mr Miliband told the BBC One's Andrew Marr Show: "What we are seeing this weekend ... is a challenge and a wake-up call to politicians about the systems that we have in place." | |
| He said: "Of course it needs to be reformed. I take my responsibility as an MP that we didn't reform it earlier." | He said: "Of course it needs to be reformed. I take my responsibility as an MP that we didn't reform it earlier." |
| Millions of receipts backing up all MPs' expenses claims under the second homes allowance were due to be published in July after a long campaign by journalists and a Freedom of Information campaigner. | Millions of receipts backing up all MPs' expenses claims under the second homes allowance were due to be published in July after a long campaign by journalists and a Freedom of Information campaigner. |
| But details have been leaked to the Telegraph - which has been publishing selected excerpts over the last few days. | But details have been leaked to the Telegraph - which has been publishing selected excerpts over the last few days. |
| It has concentrated largely on Labour ministers, but says it will publish details of other parties' claims next week. | It has concentrated largely on Labour ministers, but says it will publish details of other parties' claims next week. |
| Conservative defence spokesman Liam Fox said he was not worried as every MP would have to answer for themselves. | Conservative defence spokesman Liam Fox said he was not worried as every MP would have to answer for themselves. |
| But he told the BBC: "The trouble is that politicians have tended to say 'we were only acting within the rules' but the public think the rules themselves are wrong and go way beyond the legitimate needs of people who have to be in London to represent their constituents in Parliament." | But he told the BBC: "The trouble is that politicians have tended to say 'we were only acting within the rules' but the public think the rules themselves are wrong and go way beyond the legitimate needs of people who have to be in London to represent their constituents in Parliament." |