Standards Committee MP Faces Expenses Investigation

A second member of the committee that regulates MPs' conduct is facing questions over his expenses.

The Daily Telegraph reported that North London Labour MP Andrew Dismore, who serves on the Commons Standards and Privileges Committee, had claimed £34,000 in second home expenses on a west London flat, which hosts his girlfriend's homeopathy surgery, while declaring a property a few miles away in his Hendon constituency as his main home.

Mr Dismore then reportedly "flipped" his second home designation from west to north London, claiming a further £31,000.

The claims are believed to have been made over an eight-year period.

In a statement Mr Dismore said: "It was my intention when I bought the Hendon flat for it to be my main home.

"After about 18 months, it became clear to me that with increasing parliamentary demands on my time I was spending more time in London than in Hendon, so it was the right thing to do to designate the Hendon property as the second home and the London property as the main home.

"The London home was not a homeopathic surgery. This arrangement continued till I ceased claiming for Additional Costs Allowance (ACA) at the end of the financial year 08/09."

He said the Hendon property was cheaper to run and his claims "progressively and rapidly reduced" year on year since that period.

"Although I could have claimed more I did not do so. Although not yet published, for my last year of claim 08/09 the total amount was just under £3,000, " the statement continued

"This is less than London weighting allowance for that year, which I could have claimed as an alternative. Neither property has been sold at any stage."

Committee chairman David Curry stepped down last week pending an expenses probe.

(GK/KMcA)