Sir Alan speaks out on the latest MPs expenses claims
SIR Alan Haselhurst has told The Reporter that he is surprised and exasperated at seeing his name in the headlines again over the MPs expenses row. Over the last seven days expenses by all MPs for the last financial year have been published and
SIR Alan Haselhurst has told The Reporter that he is "surprised" and "exasperated" at seeing his name in the headlines again over the MPs expenses row.
Over the last seven days expenses by all MPs for the last financial year have been published and Sir Alan has once again been rapped by national newspapers for his claims.
They include, an average bill of �300 per month on gardening including a �135 bill for clearing a willow branch from his driveway, a �100 claim for logs and a �36 claim for cleaning a playhouse, the latter of which Sir Alan refutes.
He said: "I am surprised and exasperated by seeing my name mentioned in the national press in connection with claims against my parliamentary allowance.
"These reports were partial, sloppy and inaccurate."
According to the MP for Uttlesford the information released by the House of Commons authority covers the 2008/2009 tax year, including the first quarter of this year.
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Playhouse
Sir Alan added: "My claims were made under the old system which has now been drastically revised. All the claims were backed up by invoices from the service providers which in some cases contained additional items for which no actual claim was made.
"My gardener did provide strawberry plants, but I made no claim for them. And it was the window cleaner who described part of my property, falsely, as a playhouse.
"From April of this year my additional costs allowance has been claimed against my London home. This is not a case of 'flipping' as I do not own the London property.
"Thus there is no capital gain or tax advantage accruing to me. In fact it has meant a reduction in my claims, the details of which are all on my website."
In common with all other MPs Sir Alan's claims for the whole of the last five years have been subject to an independent review by Sir Thomas Legg.
Sir Alan added that shortly this review will be made public and that he has met all his requirements by paying back money in respect to cleaning and gardening.
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