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Minister's expenses appeal rejected
GOVERNMENT Minister Shahid Malik has lost his appeal against having to repay hundreds of pounds in expense claims while Schools Minister Diana Johnson faces fresh questions over her claims.
Dewsbury MP Mr Malik's protest at being told by auditor Sir Thomas Legg that his 730 armchair and 1,050 television were too expensive – by a total 405 – was thrown out by former High Court judge Sir Paul Kennedy who has been considering MPs' appeals.
He was also been told to repay 870 in overpaid council tax after Sir Paul dismissed his argument the excessive council tax claim was part of a planned procedure to offset an under-claim on his mortgage interest and told him "nothing in the rules entitled you to inflate your claim for council tax to make up for any shortfall in your claim for mortgage interest".
As Mr Malik's case was resolved, Hull North Labour MP Ms Johnson was facing fresh questions over a claim of 1,654 for delivery of a leaflet in her constituency in autumn 2007.
The claim was backed by an invoice headed J W Shipley Distribution, but she is facing questions over whether the invoice related to a John Shipley who stood for Labour in Hull during the 2002 elections.
Hull City Council leader Carl Minns, a Liberal Democrat, said he was "concerned" at postings on a blog, and questioned whether taxpayers' money was used to fund the distribution of leaflets by a Labour activist.
A spokesman for Ms Johnson insisted she had done nothing wrong. In a statement, she said: "This was an invoice for the distribution of a non-party political Parliamentary report to 40,000 households in Hull North in autumn 2007."
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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