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| Review all MP expenses - Harman | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The Commons authorities have been asked to go back over MPs' expenses and order any deemed "excessive" to be paid back. | |
| Commons leader Harriet Harman has written to the cross-party committee on MPs' allowances urging it to find out which claims had broken the rules. | Commons leader Harriet Harman has written to the cross-party committee on MPs' allowances urging it to find out which claims had broken the rules. |
| She also urged a "moratorium" on new claims until the system is sorted out. | She also urged a "moratorium" on new claims until the system is sorted out. |
| It comes as Tory leader David Cameron said "sorry" for the actions of some of his MPs and ordered them to pay back a string of "excessive" claims. | It comes as Tory leader David Cameron said "sorry" for the actions of some of his MPs and ordered them to pay back a string of "excessive" claims. |
| He also announced a new "scrutiny panel" to root out abuses - and threatened MPs who broke the rules with expulsion from the party. | He also announced a new "scrutiny panel" to root out abuses - and threatened MPs who broke the rules with expulsion from the party. |
| Ms Harman told the BBC News Channel she had asked the cross-party allowances committee, which meets at 1830 BST, to take action on all MPs, ahead of systematic changes in the system planned for later in the year. | Ms Harman told the BBC News Channel she had asked the cross-party allowances committee, which meets at 1830 BST, to take action on all MPs, ahead of systematic changes in the system planned for later in the year. |
| 'Flipping' | 'Flipping' |
| She said she had asked the committee to consider setting up a "process" to "establish if money has been paid out wrongfully and to arrange for a repayment system". | She said she had asked the committee to consider setting up a "process" to "establish if money has been paid out wrongfully and to arrange for a repayment system". |
| I have asked the committee to look at the question of seeing whether they can make sure there are clear rules about the nomination of main and second homes Harriet Harman At-a-glance: MP expenses rules 'Appalled' Cameron orders payback | I have asked the committee to look at the question of seeing whether they can make sure there are clear rules about the nomination of main and second homes Harriet Harman At-a-glance: MP expenses rules 'Appalled' Cameron orders payback |
| Asked how it could be established that MPs' expenses were "excessive," she said: "There are a set of rules and we want to be sure that if money has been paid out outwith those rules then it's paid back." | Asked how it could be established that MPs' expenses were "excessive," she said: "There are a set of rules and we want to be sure that if money has been paid out outwith those rules then it's paid back." |
| She said it was "important not only for public confidence that money shouldn't be paid out outside the rules and not be paid back but it's important for the confidence of the whole house of Commons". | She said it was "important not only for public confidence that money shouldn't be paid out outside the rules and not be paid back but it's important for the confidence of the whole house of Commons". |
| Ms Harman said that she had also asked the committee to look again at the rules on the so-called practices of "flipping" - switching the nominations of MPs' main and second homes in order to increase the amount they can claim in allowances. | Ms Harman said that she had also asked the committee to look again at the rules on the so-called practices of "flipping" - switching the nominations of MPs' main and second homes in order to increase the amount they can claim in allowances. |
| She said that she also wanted the committee to ensure that there was "consistency across the piece" in the way the homes were designated for the purposes of parliamentary allowances, capital gains tax, and council tax. | She said that she also wanted the committee to ensure that there was "consistency across the piece" in the way the homes were designated for the purposes of parliamentary allowances, capital gains tax, and council tax. |
| "I have asked the committee to look at the question of seeing whether they can make sure there are clear rules about the nomination of main and second homes," he said. | "I have asked the committee to look at the question of seeing whether they can make sure there are clear rules about the nomination of main and second homes," he said. |