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MP rapped for mortgage interest overpayments

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  • 03/04/2014
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MP rapped for mortgage interest overpayments
Culture secretary Maria Miller has been forced to apologise and repay £5,800 in overpaid mortgage interest by the Commons Committee on Standards.

Miller (pictured) was cleared of deliberately submitting expenses claims which she was not allowed to but her behaviour during the inquiry had breached its code of conduct.

The Conservative MP for Basingstoke gave a 31 second apology to the House of Commons at lunchtime and will repay the sum.

This figure is the amount extra she claimed for her mortgage expenses, despite interest rate falls during this time.

The investigation followed a complaint by Labour MP John Mann.

The report said: “As we have set out, Mrs Miller has also breached the current Code of Conduct by her attitude to this inquiry. That is more serious. The system relies on members responding to the commissioner’s inquiries fully and frankly, rather than trying to argue a case in a legalistic way.

“It should not have required our intervention to produce the material and explanations required to complete the investigation.

“We have already recommended that Mrs Miller repay the £5,800 which she has identified as an over claim. She should also apologise by personal statement on the floor of the House for her attitude to the commissioner’s inquiries.”

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