[From Press Association ]
Iain Duncan Smith had his official credit card suspended after running up more than £1,000 in expenses debts, it can be revealed.
The Work and Pensions Secretary was among more a dozen MPs subject to action by the Commons watchdog after failing to show spending was valid.
The details – disclosed in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by the Press Association – are likely to prove embarrassing for Mr Duncan Smith, who has previously backed pre-paid cards for benefits claimants to stop them spending public money on the wrong things.
The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) issues MPs with credit cards for to pay for items such as travel and accommodation.
The politicians then have to prove the spending was genuine by the end of the month, or they build up debts to the watchdog.
According to the FOI response, Ipsa has suspended the cards of 19 MPs since the beginning of this year because they have not settled outstanding sums.
The debts were then recouped by not paying out valid claims filed by the politicians.
Mr Duncan Smith’s card was blocked when he owed £1,057.28. He does not currently have any debt.
Others to have their cards suspended included his Labour opposite number Rachel Reeves, who owed £4,033.63 at the time.
Shadow business minister Toby Perkins was subject to action when he owed £693.30.
Health minister Ben Gummer had his card stopped with £1,290.07 outstanding, defence minister Mark Lancaster had a £600 tab, and former universities minister David Willetts owed £1,172.05.
Disgraced former Labour MP Eric Joyce, who assaulted a fellow MP in a Commons bar, had his card blocked when he owed £12,919.61, and later had his salary docked.
Liberal Democrat Simon Hughes had a stop placed on his card when he owed £826.56.
All have since cleared their debts.
Ipsa also released information about 25 MPs who had sums outstanding as of this week.
DUP MP Ian Paisley owed £13,833.38 on June 29. He previously had his card blocked when his tab hit £6,195.94.
Lib Dems Stephen Gilbert and Mike Crockart had their cards stopped when they owed £2,925.76, and £720.64 respectively. Mr Gilbert owed £13.50 this week and Mr Crockart £90.
An Ipsa spokesman stressed that the debts from June 29 were a “snapshot” and in many cases could merely be awaiting evidence from MPs that they were valid claims.
“An MP may owe an amount to Ipsa for many different reasons, and the fact that an amount is owed does not, in itself, indicate any misuse of the MPs’ Scheme of Business Costs and Expenses,” the spokesman said.
“As part of our credit management programme, MPs are sent financial statements detailing their monthly position with Ipsa. Where MPs have amounts owed to Ipsa, action is taken to recover these amounts.”
People might like to know that IDS has “previous” with expenses – back when he was Tory leader he tried to claim for underwear on his ex’s.
| It was with these considerations in mind that I sent an email, which has been the subject of much selective quotation by the press, on the 30th January 2003 to the Chairman, the Chief Executive and the then newly appointed Director of Communications, Mr Paul Baverstock. I also blind-copied the email to my Deputy, Miss Layton, for her information. What I sought to achieve was clarification of the correct procedures and a meeting had been arranged for the Chairman and the Chief Executive to meet Mr Paterson to discuss these highly sensitive matters.Not documented in this email but particularly pertinent to this scheduled meeting was the widespread concern that Mr Duncan Smith was not paying for his own personal expenses—which included his lunches, haircuts, food for his own home, a mirror for his flat, his laundry and the purchase of underwear. In November 2002, I had been obliged to present Mr Duncan Smith with a list of expenses which had been incurred on his behalf and paid for, in the first instance, by his staff who were then reimbursed by CCO. I recollect that sum to have been in excess of £400. He always took considerable time to present a cheque—a fact which caused me great concern as I was determined to ensure that we improved financial controls in his office. All of these facts had also already been discussed privately with the Chief Executive and Mr Paterson as well as within the context of the weekly communications meetings.
The other item I raised for discussion with Mr Paterson was an apparently cavalier attitude with which we appeared to be treating our most regular donors—those with private planes who frequently lent them to Mr Duncan Smith if requested. These issues were considered once again to be so sensitive that Mr Paterson was delegated to raise them with the Leader. It was against this background and these on-going concerns that I felt obliged to send my email at all. |
Well, *that* would be why he believes he could live on £53 a week! Couldn’t we all if we had an expenses paid credit card!
I.D.S is stealing money from the ‘Hard working tax payer’ him and all the others who get benefits even though they are paid an amount of money for working and yet if a person on less then £73.00 per week needs extra money it’s not there and now the working tax credits are going to be cut as the country has no money but these MP’s who are not poor are still trying to get even more of the benefits by lying and trying to cheat the taxpayer ….. Why aren’t they being sacked and taken to court … No If’s NO BUTs ….