Liberal Democrat MP Phil Willis agrees to repay £3,230 in cleaning expenses (From York Press)

Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough Phil Willis agrees to repay £3,230 in cleaning expenses

9:29am Wednesday 14th October 2009 in News By Jeremy Small

A NORTH Yorkshire MP has been asked to repay more than £3,000 he claimed for cleaning over the last five years, as part of an investigation into Parliamentary expenses.

Sir Thomas Legg, who has been carrying out an audit of MPs’ expenses, has written to Phil Willis, Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, requesting that he pay back £3,230. The MP, who is chairman of the House of Commons Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Select Committee, said he would comply fully with Sir Thomas’ request.

In a statement, he said: “Whilst the rules on claims for cleaning were not broken and I will continue to pay my cleaners an appropriate rate for London, Sir Thomas has set a lower threshold for claims and I abide by his judgement.”

Meanwhile, a spokesman for East Yorkshire Conservative MP Greg Knight said he had received a letter from Sir Thomas asking him to provide some further information in connection with the audit and he intended to “cooperate”. “In a few weeks the authorities will publish the details and conclusions and until then he’s got nothing further to add,” the spokesman said. The spokesman said he did not know whether Mr Knight had been asked to repay any money, adding: “That’s all he wants to say at the moment”.

Selby’s Labour MP, John Grogan, told The Press he had received a letter, but would not have to repay any money. York’s Labour MP, Hugh Bayley, has also not been asked to repay money, but was asked to re-submit an old fuel bill to complete his records.

Vale of York Tory MP Anne McIntosh said on Monday she was expecting to receive a letter, but would not be commenting until the three-week period she would be given to respond had elapsed.

Ryedale Tory MP John Greenway was unavailable for comment.