Adam Afriyie, MP for Windsor, today said that, if IPSA is to maintain any credibility at all, it must acknowledge and apologise to the public for its errors and omissions.
A recent parliamentary question revealed that there have been at least 58 instances in which claims by MPs have been wrongly rejected by IPSA on the grounds that insufficient evidence was submitted; when sufficient evidence had in fact been provided.[1]
Despite this, an IPSA spokesman claimed last week that the expenses authority had only published two mistakes among 46,000 claims to date.[2]
Commenting on the findings, Mr Afriyie said:
“If IPSA is to maintain its credibility, it must acknowledge and apologise to the public for its own mistakes.
“IPSA’s diligence in checking claims is welcome, but it must withdraw the bizarre assertion that it has made only two mistakes. This is based on neither the facts nor the reality.
“On Friday 25th March, IPSA must publish a simpler scheme which saves the taxpayer money, allows constituents more of their MPs’ time, and stops discriminating against less well-off MPs and those with families. Only then can we begin to repair the reputation of Parliament.
“Given the Prime Minister’s commitment to see IPSA reformed, MPs are optimistic that the taxpayer and their constituents will see a workable scheme within the next few weeks.
Editor’s Notes:
1. Adam Afriyie is the only MP never to have claimed the personal expenses or allowances.
2. Mr Afriyie submitted a letter to the IPSA public consultation which was co-signed by 100 MPs and supported by around 300: http://www.adamafriyie.org/AR%20-%20Ltr%20to%20Sir%20Ian%20Kennedy.html
3. The submission featured on the frontpage of the Daily Telegraph on 16th February, 2011: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/8326649/MPs-threaten-to-rewrite-Commons-expense-rules-in-row-with-watchdog.html
4. If the Government is to adhere to the unanimous motion passed in the House of Commons on 2nd December 2010, as it has indicated, it will need to allow a Bill to pass to committee within the next few days: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/dec/15/cameron-mps-expenses-ipsa
5. Mr Afriyie has recently written two articles on the issue of MPs’ expenses, both published in the House Magazine: http://www.adamafriyie.org/AR%20-%20Parliament%20must%20pipe%20up.html; http://www.adamafriyie.org/AR%20-%20Learning%20from%20an%20expenses%20mistake.html
6. The Parliamentary Standards (Amendment) Bill – what does it do?
- Reduces the cost of MPs by about £4 million a year.
- Retains a strict regime of receipts for office and staff costs - so that the public can see exactly how their money is spent.
- Simplifies the way in which payments are made by introducing a completely transparent taxable Members’ Allowance – it would be simple and cheap to administer and impossible to abuse.
- Treats MPs exactly the same as any person with self-employed income – they must deal with the HMRC for legitimate business expenses.
- Asks IPSA to set the rate for the Members Allowance for an entire Parliament.
- Maintains the independence of the IPSA, but forces it to fulfil its original mandate to be cost-effective and efficient.
- The Bill is offered as a cross-party platform for change, not a final destination and is open to amendment in committee.
- Puts to bed an issue that’s been plaguing Parliament for 50 years.
7. Mr Afriyie’s official website: http://www.adamafriyie.org/
Contact Details: Telephone: 020 7219 2005 Email: adam.afriyie.mp@parliament.uk
ENDS
[1] The written question, tabled by Bob Russell MP, was answered on 3rd March 2011: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd
[2] The assertion was made by an IPSA spokesman in an article in the Evening Standard on 8th March 2011: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23929900-errors-by-expenses-watchdog-portray-mps-as-dishonest.do