The Live Wire

McNulty to apologise and repay money

Bookmark and Share

Member News

29th October 2009

A former minister will have to make a personal apology to the House of Commons after a committee said he had used public money to "subside the living costs of his parents".

Tony McNulty has been told to pay back £13,837 in second home allowances he claimed on a house where his parents lived.

The Commons standards and privileges committee said his claims were not "wholly and exclusively incurred in connection with his parliamentary duties".

"This had the effect of subsidising the living costs of Mr McNulty's parents from public funds," the committee said.

McNulty had claimed mortgage interest and other expenses totalling £14,000 a year for the house where his parents live.

He claimed it as his second home, despite it being just eight miles from his main home in Hammersmith, west London.

Earlier this month former home secretary Jacqui Smith had to make a personal statement of apology to the Commons after it was ruled she had "clearly breached" rules over the designation of her main home.

However, she did not have to pay back any money.

Bookmark and Share



More from Dods