22/1/2009

Wrexham MP Ian Lucas said he will back reforms to make MPs expenses clearer in a vote today.

Under the proposals, the expenses will be laid out in 26 separate sections, which will detail more clearly than ever before the expenditure of MPs on items such as council tax, office rent, fixtures, fittings and furnishings.

MPs will not be voting on any proposals which would affect Freedom of Information requests after the Government made changes to the proposals yesterday. The vote will be a free vote and Mr Lucas has said he will back plans to make MP's expenses clearer.

He said: "Under these proposals, my constituents will have more
information than ever before on my expenses. I am pleased the reforms also introduce, for the first time, a robust and independent audit of expenses by the National Audit Office.

"Following the revelations about former Conservative MP Derek Conway last year, Parliament has come in for a lot of criticism.

"As a result, there is a lot of cynicism surrounding expenses and I believe that Parliament is moving in the right direction with these reforms."