MP Amess: All my claims are made in good faith (From Echo)

MP Amess: All my claims are made in good faith

8:22am Friday 19th June 2009 in

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All the claims that I have made since I was first elected to Parliament in June 1983 have been made in good faith and I have always consulted the Fees Office about their appropriateness.

It is unfortunate the rule book now seems to have been rewritten retrospectively.

My claims have been scrutinised by the Fees Office. They have found them to be in order and have not asked me to repay any money.

My claims have also been submitted to the Conservative Party scrutiny committee and they have also found them to be in order and I have not been asked to repay any money.

There has been some interest in claims made under the term “food”. I have sought clarification from the Fees Office on that matter and it is admitted that the word “food allowance” was misleading and inappropriate.

It has now been re-styled “personal additional accommodation expenditure – subsistence”. Quoting from the Green Book on this matter “how Members spend the subsistence allowance is for them to decide”.

My own circumstances with my second home has been that claiming the total allowance available would not have entirely covered the amount involved in running the home.

Members of Parliament were told that receipts were not required for claims of £250 or less. Mine were all of smaller amounts.

It is only relatively recently that receipts for everything are now required. I believe that during this period, my claims have balanced out.

My monthly claims reflect a contribution towards the overall annual total of costs involved in maintaining my second home.

Many of the costs were instigated by a management company which has now been replaced. My overheads have been steadily reduced not least because interest rates are now 0.5 per cent.

The Fees Office has now advised us to have Standing Orders for a number of the costs. This has removed many of the monthly demands and simply made them yearly requirements.

I welcome the appointment by the Prime Minister of Sir Christopher Kelly as the independent arbiter who will draw up new rules and conditions for those who wish to serve as Members of Parliament.”