London, October 13: Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been ordered to pay back more than £12,000 ($21,000) in parliamentary expenses following a review into a claims scandal that rocked British politics, his office said.
Mr Brown will pay back £12,415.10 for claims he made for gardening, cleaning and maintenance at his second home after new limits were imposed on lawmakers’ parliamentary allowances.
However, his office insisted that he had not broken any rules but was instead conforming to new limits which have been retrospectively imposed.
Former civil servant Thomas Legg was tasked with reviewing lawmakers’ claims over the past five years after leaked documents showing their lavish spending habits – at taxpayers’ expense – sparked public outrage.
He ruled that any claim over £2000 a year for cleaning or £1000 a year for gardening was excessive and should be repaid, and it is under these rules that Mr Brown will pay back several thousands of pounds.
“Mr Brown has always supported this process and will co-operate fully and make the necessary repayment,” the Prime Minister’s Downing Street office said.
“Mr Brown’s expenses have always been cleared by the House (of Commons) authorities as entirely consistent with the rules.”
A statement added that Mr Brown had urged all government ministers to respond “promptly and in full” to any similar requests for repayment, ahead of the establishment of a completely new system of allowances.
Mr Legg determined that Mr Brown should repay £10,716.60 that he claimed in excess of the new rules on cleaning and £302.50 he claimed on gardening.
He also highlighted a bill for painting and decorating for £1396 from April 2006 that was mistakenly submitted twice, Downing Street said, adding: “Mr Brown has apologised for this inadvertent error.”
–Agencies–