Minister rented 'main' residence
Justice Minister Shahid Malik has claimed thousands of pounds in taxpayer allowances on his second home while renting his main home, it has been reported.
The Daily Telegraph said Mr Malik had run up the highest expenses claim of any MP, claiming second home allowances of £66,827 over three years on his house in London.
At the same time the paper claimed that his main home was a three-bedroom house in his Dewsbury constituency which he had secured for a discounted rent of less than £100 a week.
Mr Malik's second home claims were said to include £2,600 for a home cinema system - which was cut in half by the Commons Fees Office - £730 for a "massage chair", and £65 for a court summons for the non-payment.
Mr Malik denied breaking any rules, saying the expenses system was flawed.
He declined to discuss the Telegraph's claim that he was renting a house in Dewsbury at below market value, saying: "That is my private business."
He added: "I spend half the week in Dewsbury and half the week in London and claim on my second home in London. I have not broken any rules. It is correct that I put a claim in for a home cinema system costing £2,600.
"I rang the Fees Office and asked if there was a limit to what I could spend before I bought a TV and they said 'no'. I did think at the time that was madness.
"When I put the claim in they came back and said I had exceeded the limit. They later apologised and in the end they paid half.
"I was a new MP and in hindsight I am sure there are lots of things lots of MPs would do differently. The system was inevitably going to fail."
