MPs refund thousands in expenses

TWO LABOUR MPs have voluntarily repaid parliamentary expenses.

Charlotte Atkins MP has refused to tell taxpayers why she has paid back £10,000 to the House of Commons Fees Office.

And today, early editions of the Daily Telegraph were reporting David Kidney MP had paid back £2,500 after over-claiming council tax for his London-based second home.

The Stafford MP is one of 50 the newspaper reports as profiting from the 'over-claim', and one of 18 who has already sought to rectify the error by repaying the cash.

Last night Mr Kidney said: "In 2007 the Fees Office overpaid my claim and I didn't realise the mistake. It's only now that it has been picked up.

"It was a mistake by the Fees Office, they have fully apologised. As soon as I realised the mistake I paid the money back."

In a letter seen by The Sentinel the Fees Office take full responsibility for the error, confirming they paid his 2007-8 council tax bill three times and a water bill twice.

Staffordshire Moorlands MP Ms Atkins voluntarily chose to make her payment, but would only say she did so after Gordon Brown changed the claims rules earlier this year.

The Labour backbencher claimed the money between April 2008 and March 2009 as part of the allowance for her second home in Leek.