THE perk which allows MPs to use public money to buy furniture and renovate their homes must be ended, a Commons review lead by the Speaker Michael Martin reported this morning.

Graham Dines

THE perk which allows MPs to use public money to buy furniture and renovate their homes must be ended, a Commons review lead by the Speaker Michael Martin reported this morning.

However, there is no recommendation to stop them claiming up to £19,600 tax-free every year to cover the cost of running a second home, and if the report is accepted, MPs will become entitled to £30 a day for subsistence without receipts, up to a maximum of £4,200 every year.

As well as effectively spelling the end of the so-called “John Lewis List,” the review has called for better auditing procedures. At least one in five MPs will face unannounced checks on their claims and, except for the subsistence allowance, all claims will require receipts from 2009/10.

The review said: “Our overriding conclusion is that we must introduce a robust system of scrutiny for parliamentary allowances as a matter of urgency in order to build public confidence. We recommend that, with immediate effect, Members should no longer be able to claim reimbursement for furniture and household goods or for capital improvements.”