ICAEW to spotcheck MPs' expenses

ICAEW to spotcheck MPs' expenses

The Lib Dems are to open talks with the ICAEW about the auditing of parliamentary members’ expenses.

After MPs voted down stricter policing of their expenses, which could have involved an external audit, the Lib Dems are looking to the profession to help keep a closer eye on what its MPs spend.

The ICAEW could run spotchecks of MP’s receipts, but a spokesman said that initially the institute was only likely to provide advice.

The other parties are working on their scheme for managing MPs’ expenses, although neither Labour nor the Conservatives revealed plans to use external advisers.

A Conservative party spokesman said it expected to release details of front-bench expenses in the next week and would include details of some back-bench members as well.

Labour has not yet committed to revealing its members’ expenses. Harriet Harman, Leader of the House of Commons said: ‘We are considering how we go forward’.

Last week the National Audit Office warned that making MPs’ expenses subject to external audit would be ‘costly and intrusive’.