Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson and his wife Iris claimed £30,000 for food in their MPs’ expenses over a four year period, it emerged today.
MPs are allowed to claim up to £400 a month for food and the East Belfast MP and his wife, MP for the neighbouring constituency of Strangford, claimed to the limit most months, according to the latest Daily Telegraphexposé.
The newspaper also said both made claims of £1,223 for the same service charge on their London flat in March 2007 - Mr Robinson’s claim being rejected by the House of Commons Fees Office.
At the same time they also had claims for a total of £10,800 for mortgage interest rejected because no statement of mortgage interest had been submitted.
The Democratic Unionist Party leader said today he was satisfied all the money paid to him and his wife was legitimately claimed.
He defended the food claims accusing the Daily Telegraphof lumping their individual monthly claims together to arrive at a large figure.
“In reality this equates to an average of about £73 per week. The Fees Office determined that £400 each month to cover food in London is not unreasonable given the cost of buying meals in London.
“I use this facility when in London for the Parliamentary sessions or for meetings or negotiations with ministers when the House is not sitting.”
In relation to the service charge rejection he described it as an innocent mistake and the “inadvertent submission of a duplicate receipt.” Mr Robinson said the newspaper rightly identified that the two claims had been
prepared for signature by himself and his wife by the same person, that they were signed separately and submitted together in the same envelope.
“Anyone in the Fees Office would have been dealing with the claims together and inevitably would have noticed the innocent mistake. It is clear that this one duplicate entry over many years was an innocent error and happily was spotted.”
Mr Robinson said the DUP supported complete openness and transparency regarding MPs’ expenses. “The current system is shambolic and does not command the support or confidence of the wider public.
“It must be scrapped and replaced as a matter or urgency.” The DUP would support initiatives towards that goal and was in the process of making a number of recommendations to the Sir Christopher Kelly review of MPs’ expenses.
He said he would be urging him to consider greater auditing of allowances and an increase in the frequency of publishing expenses online.
“If Sir Christopher does not recommend periodic online publication the DUP will make its own arrangements.” Mr Robinson insisted:
“The DUP’s MPs have at all time conducted themselves within the law and no-one has made any suggestion of illegality. Such a suggestion would be totally false and without foundation."
PA