More than half of Welsh MPs have been ordered to repay some of their expenses after an audit of their claims dating back to 2004.
Twenty six MPs have been told to pay back the total amount of £67,499.66, which most have already done.
Four MPs appealed the amount they had to pay back and have had their repayments reduced or scrapped.
Across the UK, 390 MPs, more than half the current and past MPs reviewed, were recommended to repay £1.3m.
The details of the paybacks were given in Sir Thomas Legg's report into the expenses scandal which caused outcry when the revelations were published in The Daily Telegraph last year.
In it he said the expenses system was "deeply flawed", the rules "vague" and it had been up to MPs to "self certify" the propriety of their claims.
The Welsh MPs ordered to repay some of their expenses are:
Nick Ainger (Carmarthen West & South Pembrokeshire), Labour: Mortgage payments on his second home for the period April 2004 to December 2005 included both interest and capital element. Only the interest element is allowable under Green Book rules. On recalculation the excess amounts to £777.77 - paid.
Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West), Labour: Overpaid by a total of £171.40 for his mortgage interest (£53.15 in 2004-05; £30.40 in 2005-06; and £87.85 in 2008-09). Total £171.40 - paid.
Chris Bryant (Rhondda), Labour: Overpaid by £4,439.28 for mortgage interest in 2008-09 because his claims did not reflect the element of his mortgage actually used to purchase his second home. Total repayment recommended - £4,439.28 - paid.
Ann Clwyd (Cynon Valley), Labour: Overpaid by a total of £3,085.42 for mortgage interest (£826.08 in 2006-07; £230.38 in 2007-08; and £2,028.96 in 2008-09).
She was also overpaid by a total of £1,097 for council tax (£594 in 2006-07, and £503 in 2008-09). She was paid £1,390 for two chairs purchased during 2005-06 and 2006-07, which exceeded the guideline price for two chairs of £1,100 by £290. Total repayment recommended: £4,472.42 Reduced on appeal by: £2,360.62. Total - £2,111.80 - paid.
Stephen Crabb (Preseli Pembrokeshire), Conservative: Overpaid by a total of £1,495 for rental payments for July 2005 to July 2006. He was also overpaid by £144.30 for mortgage interest in 2007-08. Total - £1,639.30 - paid.
Wayne David (Caerphilly), Labour: Paid a total of £6,184.16 (£155.23 a month from April 2004 to March 2008) for critical illness insurance cover, which is not allowable under the ACA.
In August 2007, he changed mortgage providers and increased the amount borrowed for a purpose not allowable under the ACA. As a result, he was overpaid by a total of £6,038.33.
He was also paid £430 for a bedroom chair in March and again in July 2007. He was further overpaid by £262.20 for mortgage interest in 2008-09. Total - £12,959.69 - paid.
Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent), Independent: Paid expenses in November 2006 for his constituency office - £328.00 for council tax, £48.35 for telephone and £63.45 for repairs. These expenses, which came to a total of £439.8,0 are not allowable under the ACA, and should have been submitted under Incidental Expenses.
He was paid for 12 payments of council tax in 2008-09. The evidence provided shows that only 10 payments were required. One additional payment was disallowed by the Fees Office, so the MP received an overpayment of £110. Total repayment recommended: £549.80. Reduced on appeal by:£439.80. Total - £110.00 - paid.
David Davies (Monmouth), Conservative: Overpaid by a net total of £2,021.39 for mortgage interest in September 2006, and for council tax in May 2007. Total - £2,021.39 - paid.
Paul Flynn (Newport West), Labour: Overpaid a total of £2,625.61 for mortgage interest (£404.49 for 2004-05, £499.09 for 2005-06, £53.89 for 2006-07, £1,487.99 for 2007-08 and £180.15 for 2008-09). This total includes a duplicate payment for £1,359.52 covering April to June 2007. Total - £2,625.61 - paid.
Hywel Francis (Aberavon), Labour: Overpaid by a total of £618.05 for food in 2004-05. Total - £618.05 - paid.
Nia Griffith (Llanelli), Labour: Overpaid by a total of £4,099.77 for mortgage interest in three years (£475.89 in 2006-07; £2,248.25 in 2007-08; and £1,375.63 in 2008-09). Total - £4,099.77 - paid.
Kim Howells (Pontypridd), Labour: Overpaid by a total of £665.11 for mortgage interest (£144.78 in 2006-07, £399.68 in 2007-08 and £120.65 in 2008-09). He was also overpaid by a total of £288 for gas bills in 2008-09. Total recommended: £953.11. Total received since 1 April 2009: £294.00. Balance recommended to be repaid: £659.11
Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore), Labour: Overpaid by a total of £2,008.19 for mortgage interest (2004-05 by £1,441.35; 2005-06 by £43.11; 2006-07 by £233.66; 2007-08 by £30.87; and 2008-09 by £259.20). Total recommended: £2,008.19. Total received since 1 April 2009: £1,750.27. Balance recommended to be repaid: £257.92
Sian James (Swansea East), Labour: Paid £1,150 for council tax in 2006-07. She moved her second home in the period, but the supporting evidence shows that the total annual charge was £869.
In 2007-08, she was paid £2,100 against a charge for £1,180.94 for council tax and £294.42 for water rates. She was thus overpaid a total of £905.64. She was overpaid by £200 for rent in November and December 2008. In a statement she said she made a "genuine error".
"As soon as I was made aware of the matters raised by his investigation I re-visited my accounts and willingly rectified the matter," she said. "I can only say that I did not set out to deliberately breach any rules."Total - £1,105.64 - paid.
David Jones (Clwyd West), Conservative: Paid twice for mortgage interest claims in November 2006 and September 2007, amounting to an overpayment of £2,056.62.
He was also paid for two items of furniture purchased in July 2005, namely a chair that exceeded the guideline price of £550 by £326, and a sofa bed that exceeded the guideline price of £1,210 by £241.38. The total excess was thus £567.38. Total repayment recommended: £2,624.00 - paid.
Martyn Jones (Clwyd South), Labour: Overpaid by a total of £310.36 for rent (£77.02 in 2004-05 and £233.34 in 2007-08). Total repayment recommended: £310.36. Reduced on appeal by:£310.36. Total - £0.00.
Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy), Plaid Cymru: Was paid £279.99 twice for an air conditioning unit in 2005. He was also paid £642.67 twice for ground rent and service charges in March and May 2007.
He was further overpaid a total of £271.94 for mortgage interest (£77.93 in 2004-05; £179.98 in 2005-06; and £14.03 in 2008-9). Total - £1,194.60 - paid.
Alun Michael (Cardiff South & Penarth), Labour: Paid a total of £18,889.56 from 2005-06 to 2008-09 for mortgage interest on additional loans not shown to have been for an eligible purpose.
He was also overpaid by £280 for council tax in 2004-05 (payment for 12 instalments when only 10 required).
Mr Michael told BBC Wales it was important confidence was restored and a line drawn.
"Ironically there are large sums of money, running into thousands of pounds I could have claimed, but I didn't," he said. "The whole system of expenses has damaged not just those who've done something wrong but all of us, including those of us who've never done anything wrong in terms of our claims."
Total - £19,169.56 - paid.
Jessica Morden (Newport East), Labour: Was paid £380.55 twice for household goods in January 2006. Total repayment - £380.55 - paid.
Julie Morgan (Cardiff North), Labour: Was overpaid a total of £838.94 for mortgage interest (£645.47 in 2006-07 and £193.47 in 2007-08).
She said she had repaid £838.13 for inadvertent overclaiming of mortgage interest rates for the years 06-07 and 07-08.
But she said she had underclaimed mortgage interest payments by £1,903.36 for the years 04-05. 05-06 and 08-09.
"Therefore, over the five years Legg looked at, I actually underclaimed mortgage interest payments by £1,065.23," she said.
Total - £838.94 - paid.
Paul Murphy (Torfaen) Labour: Overpaid by £830 on cleaning, £510 on a wardrobe and £1,140.72 on mortgage payments. Total - £2,480.72 - Not yet paid (£2,237.72 still to be paid).
He said: "Apart from the repayment relating to miscalculated mortgage interest - which I was rectifying well before Sir Thomas Legg's report - the other repayments are the direct result of the rules being changed years after the claims were authorised.
"No indication of any 'limits' were given at the time and the claims were authorised in full by the Fees Office."
Lembit Opik (Montgomeryshire), Liberal Democrats: Was paid £909.42 for mobile phone bills during the period November 2004 to March 2005. Mobile phone costs are not allowable under the ACA, although they could be claimed under the Incidental Expenses Provision.
He was also paid £155 for court costs in relation to non-payment of council tax (£60 in March 2006 and £95 in October 2007). Total recommended: £1,064.42. Reduced on appeal by £909.42. Total - £195.00 - paid.
Albert Owen (Ynys Mon), Labour: Overpaid £400 for food and £583.57 on mortgage payments.
Mr Owen said the review team had issues relating to mortgage interest in 2004 and 2008.
He said: "I complied with the request for full information and it demonstrated an under payment in 2004-05 and an over payment in 2008-09. Had this information been available to me at the time I would have supplied it and altered my claims accordingly.
"I have also paid back for subsistence/food which was claimed under the wrong heading of food instead of 'other items'. This followed advice I was given at the time. While I accept the decision I was disappointed that the review team was arbitrary and only concentrated on the over-claim, despite an under-claim of a similar amount in 2004-05. I did not appeal against the recommendation as I have supported the new rules including independent external audits."
Total £983.57 - paid.
John Smith (Vale of Glamorgan), Labour: Overpaid on allowances during the period when Parliament was not sitting - £683.78 - paid.
Mark Tami (Alyn and Deeside): Labour - over-paid on mortgage interest by £2,206.24, £294 on a freezer and £57.45 on a dishwasher total £2,557.69 - paid.
Betty Williams (Conwy), Labour: Over-paid on mortgage interest by £750.25 - paid.
Source
5 comments:
Jail the crooke bas***ds.
This is legalised theft
KJ
All selfish scum......particulary Hywel Francis.
his food bill alone could keep a family of four fed for a few mouths.
These people are simply there to feather their own nests, its as simple as that.
They have never lived in the real world. Their sole aim in life is to enrich themselves and they have sold the working class down the road in the process.
But the most heart breaking thing of all is that the working class will still vote Labour....but not all of them, some like myself will be voting BNP.....its the only way to get rid of these fat, traitorous trash.
What about the South African terrorist Peter Hain and Adam Price.
The public purse paid for Adam Price's milk and coffee.
With the news today that charges will be brought against a few of the guilty I will bet anyone a pound to a peanut that not one of these THIEVES will be jailed.
Scum all of them guilty as well
Jenny A
Parliamentary priviledge prevents them from prosecution.
Let them loose on the people and let the people carry out the justice.
If they have parliamentary priviledges to robb the public purse, does this mean that they have the same untouchable priveledges to cover up bank robberies, terorism, pae-do-philia or child trafficing.
No wonder we have gutter quality MPs in that grand old elicit waterside house of sin for crooks and vagabonds because they cannot pass CRB checks.
Would former MP Gareth Wardell pass a CRB check.
Never in China.
What about John Morris or Peter Hain. Well the mind boggles.
LET US GET THE BNP IN THERE TO OPEN UP THE BOOKS AND EXPOSE THIS CESSPIT OF CROOKS AND PERVERTS.
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