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Published:
February
4,
2010
Burnham-On-Sea
MP repays £29,000 of gardening and cleaning expenses
 Burnham-On-Sea's
MP David Heathcoat-Amory has paid back almost £30,000 in
expense claims for gardening and cleaning items, it was confirmed
on Thursday evening (February 4th).
The MP said his repayment was delayed because of an error in the
original assessment, but he had now paid the £29,691.93
owed in full.
It
comes after a day of further national media attention on MP's
expenses following the release of a report by government auditor
Sir Thomas Legg on the controversial subject.
But
on Thursday evening, Mr Heathcoat-Amory's secretary, Caroline
Usher, told Burnham-On-Sea.com: "David Heathcoat-Amory has
paid back the full amount required of the garden maintenance and
cleaning allowances, starting five years ago, which were retrospectively
disallowed by Sir Thomas Legg. This amounts to £29,691.93."
"David
Heathcoat-Amory has always made clear he would pay back the full
amount, and he did not appeal to the review by Sir Paul Kennedy."
She
added: "The repayment was delayed by an arithmetical error
in the original assessment by Sir Thomas Legg, but was made this
week."
Some
MPs have criticised Sir Thomas's audit - which itself cost £1.16m
- saying mistakes were made and some claim their reputations have
been unjustly damaged. Meanwhile, Mr Heathcoat-Amory is due to
visit Burnham on Friday (February 5th).
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