MPs slam watchdog over expenses

A breakdown of 22,000 claims submitted by MPs between May 7 and August 31 this year was released by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, the first under a new regime designed to restore public confidence after the expenses scandal.

It showed that 3,154,182.29 was paid out to 576 MPs during the period after the election, while another 1,356 claims – worth 100,000 – had been rejected, mostly because of "misunderstandings of the new rules or innocent mistakes", Ipsa said.

But the body set up to administer claims and restore public confidence came under fire from MPs who accused it of colluding with newspapers to embarrass claimants and criticised it for failing to publish receipts.

The biggest claimant during the first three-and-a-half months of the new Parliament was Keith Simpson, the Tory MP for Broadland and parliamentary aide to Foreign Secretary William Hague, who spent 20,752 of taxpayers' money.

That included 7,050 in "office support" out of the staffing budget and 2,408.75 for research by the Parliamentary Resources Unit.

He also paid 3,167.67 for the design and production of his website.

Prime Minister David Cameron, claimed 2,581.13, including 2,408.75 for an annual subscription to the Parliamentary Resources Unit, which conducts research for mainly Conservative MPs.

Gordon Brown spent more than 2,500 travelling between Scotland and London in the months after he resigned as Prime Minister, when he was barely seen at Westminster.

Labour leader Ed Miliband, claimed 2,066.27, including for three payments of 550 for monthly rent on accommodation.

The biggest single claim for expenditure by Chancellor George Osborne, who claimed 582.62, was 145.70 for headed paper.

The biggest single claim was made by Labour MP and former government whip Siobhain McDonagh, who spent 9,003 on "bought-in office management".

Susan Jones, a newly-elected MP, spent 4,299.33 on furniture for her constituency office in Clwyd South.

Caroline Lucas, who became the first Green MP in May, placed a job advert in a local newspaper at a cost to the taxpayer of 1,723.14.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg was among 78 MPs who made no claims.

Ipsa said its website, set up especially for database of expenses claims, had received more than 80,000 hits in the first 30 minutes after it went live at 10am.

But its head later accused some MPs of trying to undermine the "professional integrity" of his staff after a series of MPs accused Ipsa officials of colluding with attempts by reporters to find "juicy" details among the data.

Labour's Tom Harris told the Commons MPs would not be "bullied by that kind of unacceptable and disgraceful behaviour".

Ann Clwyd, another Labour MP, pointed the finger at Ipsa's director of communications Anne Power.

While admitting she had no proof for the assertion, the MP said Ms Power could "refute it or agree it is true, but I have every reason to believe that must be the case and there must be an answer to these stories".

The accusations provoked a furious response from Ipsa chairman Sir Ian Kennedy, who said the allegations were "categorically untrue" and that it was "regrettable" for MPs to resort to them.

"I regret deeply, as will many, such attempts to undermine the professional integrity of members of my organisation," he said in a statement.