DUP MPs 'Open On Expenses'

It has been revealed that the DUP's nine MPs are to pay back over £14,000 in Westminster expenses claims.

The party has revealed details of the amount in what they said was in the interest of "full disclosure" although some MPs have questioned the accuracy of the sums involved.

First Minister Peter Robinson said he now expected the same openness from other parties.

Sir Thomas Legg, who is auditing all Westminster MPs' expenses claims over a five-year period, has asked Mr Robinson to repay £299 in mortgage interest payments.

The Rev William McCrea was asked to repay the biggest amount - £5,329 - mainly for furniture. Dr McCrea came under fire recently when it was revealed he had spent £861 of public money on a walnut desk.

The East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell has been asked to repay £2,656.

This sum related to four items; accommodation which exceeded the maximum allowable, a service charge for which there was an overpayment and two overpayments of ground rent.

The First Minister's wife, Strangford MP Iris Robinson has been recommended to repay £2,274.

Mrs Robinson is questioning all three items this sum relates to, but said she would repay the amount "in the meantime". She said the sum included furniture, mortgage interest and a service charge.

The Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson was recommended to repay £1,964.

This sum covers accommodation costs which exceeded the maximum allowed, which Mr Donaldson said he will be questioning.

The amount includes mobile phone costs, which Mr Donaldson said he believed were allowable because most of the costs were incurred in London.

"Some of the amount relates to a service charge on my London accommodation which was overpaid," he said.

While the MP labelled the conclusions "inaccurate", he said he would be repaying the amount "in the meantime".

Former First Minister and North Antrim MP Dr Ian Paisley was asked

to make a repayment of £1,181.

Dr Paisley said the amount relates to a payment made by the fees office during dissolution which had not be drawn to his attention before.

David Simpson has been asked to repay £400 in respect of a food claim.

The Upper Bann MP said he believed he had already repaid this amount and would be questioning the accuracy of the recommendation.

Finally, the Stormont Finance Minister, East Antrim's Sammy Wilson and North Belfast's Nigel Dodds were not asked to make any repayments - but in common with their colleagues were asked to provide mortgage interest statements.

The recommended repayments for the DUP MPs total £14,103.

Mr Robinson said last night: "We have been forthcoming about the recommendations from Sir Thomas as they relate to every member of our Parliamentary party in spite of the fact that these are only provisional recommendations.

"We expect the same openness from every other party," he challenged.

(BMcC/KMcA)