Jim Hood MP Lanark & Hamilton East welcomed the official publication of MP’s Allowances data. Writing to his local papers the week after publication Mr. Hood said,
“I am aware of the concerns of my constituents who have been enraged by the furor at MP’s allowance claims from duck houses to cleaning moats and phantom mortgages etc.
I published details of my accounts from 2001-2005 and from 2005-2008 on my webpage 5th June 2009; see www.jimhoodmp.org.uk. Constituents can view my budget expenditure of each category heading for the past 7 years; annual totals and ranking in each and all categories. They will observe that in the years 2005-2008 I ranked 345th of 645 MPs for expenditure and 44th of the 59 Scottish MP’s.
N.B. Individual accounts of all 645 MP’s for the past 4 years are to be audited by independent accountants who will report to Parliament. This week the Commons will complete all its stages of a new Parliamentary Standards Bill that will create an Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority which will revise and update the code of practice for MP’s allowances to ensure that they are established and administered independently and the public can have confidence that that is the case.
The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority will have powers to revise and update the codes of practice for MP’s. It will be able not only to disallow claims, but to require payback of claims wrongly paid out and would be able to impose financial penalties. The new authority will also maintain the register of MPs financial interests and deal with the disclosure of second incomes. This new and important legislation will complete all its Common’s stages this week and should be enacted before the summer recess.”
Email sent to Hamilton Advertiser dated 29 June, 2009, following their request for information regarding expenses claims:- (NB: The above press release “MP Accounts Published” dated 30 June, refers)
—–Original Message—–
From: HOOD, Jimmy
Sent: 29 June 2009 16:19
To: ‘jrowbotham@s-un.co.uk’
Subject: RE: ExpensesDear John
I am today sending out a press notice following last week’s publication of MP’s allowances data.
When coupled with the data on my webpage and the press notice, the information therein is as complete and comprehensive as any MP has put into the public domain.
The questions you raise below were all expenditure within the range of categories explained online on my web site and will, as with all other expenditure be subject to independent audit.
I hope to have the press notice with you ASAP.
Best Wishes
Jim.
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