Cumbrian MPs cough up for expenses

Posted on Friday, 05 February 2010 by ben

Two Cumbrian MPs have repaid money to the taxpayer as part of the audit into parliamentary expenses.

The report by Sir Thomas Legg included repayments made by Barrow and Furness MP John Hutton and Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron.

Mr Hutton was asked to repay £568.09 after exceeding the amount claimable for gardening.
Mr Farron repaid £235 for removal costs deemed an “unnecessary” expense when he moved to a smaller flat in London.

Mr Farron and Mr Hutton have both praised the audit and claimed that they were happy to return claims which were against regulations both their claims were made within the spirit of the regulations.

Nationally, Sir Thomas recommended that 390 MPs – more than half – hand back £1.12m.
The figure was higher but 73 MPs appealed against the decision, of which former judge Sir Paul Kennedy upheld 44, reducing or dismissing the amount they had been asked to repay.