Former MP in central heating claim appalled by rules U-turn

Ms Jackson is one of a host of MPs who stood down in 2005 who was asked to repay money by Sir Thomas Legg, the man leading the review.

She has already repaid the money but last night insisted she had ordered the heating "long before" the announcement she would stand down and said it was "pretty appalling" that demands were being made for items approved by officials at the time.

"My flat had never had central heating in and the practicalities meant I kept putting it off," she said. "It was installed in the last two years I was an MP. They (the Fees Office] had agreed the costs.

"I was putting the order in the year before, then I decided to resign very late. I had agreed to put it in long before then."

Ms Jackson, an MP for 13 years who was awarded a CBE in the New Year Honours, admitted the expenses system had long needed "cleaning up". "I'm perfect satisfied I didn't abuse anything, but I suspect some people did," she said.

Amid anger from some MPs at the way Sir Thomas carried out his review, Keighley MP Ann Cryer successfully appealed against having to repay 16,646.45 she had paid in rent to stay at her son-in-law's flat, an arrangement approved by the Fees Office.

She was told there was "no evidence whatsoever of impropriety in what you did", although she was still ordered to repay 1,596.25 spent on furnishings.

"I had to clear my name," said the MP, who is quitting at the general election.

"What Sir Thomas Legg said about me was not just unfair, it was almost defamatory, and therefore I had to clear my name."

Sir Paul Kennedy, who considered the appeals, also ruled Labour backbencher Colin Challen should not be penalised after selling his flat to a researcher and then renting a room in it after the Morley and Rothwell MP claimed he acted in anticipation of an election in early 2007.

Although Sir Paul, a former senior judge, warned the arrangement may have breached rules stopping MPs leasing accommodation from business associates, he said there were "special reasons" because the rate was reasonable and other arrangements would have been more expensive. However, Mr Challen was told to repay 363 for furniture.

Shipley MP Philip Davies also won his appeal against having to pay 232.64 in a mix-up over phone rental, but other MPs were less successful.

Former Tory frontbencher John Greenway, MP for Ryedale, failed to argue that 537.47 spent on garden plants could be justified as maintenance, while Calder Valley's Christine McCafferty, who is standing down at the election, failed to win her argument that 1,481 was a reasonable charge for a fitted wardrobe, something Sir Thomas said should have cost no more than 770.

Colne Valley's Kali Mountford failed in her appeal against repaying 1,965.79 in taxi fares – which are not allowed – and overpaid council tax and rent because Sir Paul ruled there were no "special reasons" to allow them, and Rotherham MP Denis MacShane still had to repay cleaning costs despite arguing "it would be difficult to keep within the 2,000 limit set by the Review and yet pay the minimum wage".

Yesterday's report also revealed Dewsbury MP and junior Communities Minister Shahid Malik was told to pay back 180 after spending 730 on a massage chair and 225 after buying a 1,050 television, while

Leeds North East MP Fabian Hamilton has had to repay more than 6,000 including 980 claimed for redecorating parts of his Leeds home at the same time as buying a new flat which would become his second home soon afterwards.

Sheffield Attercliffe MP Clive Betts has repaid 1,642.63 despite Sir Thomas only recommending repayment of 169.14, while Tory veteran David Curry, MP for Skipton and Ripon, was told to repay 1,676.48 spent "excessively" on consulting engineers for renovating his second home.

Most repayments related to overpayments for mortgage interest, council tax or other bills.