A government minister is among four high-profile MPs forced to repay driving fines after they were caught wrongly claiming them on expenses.
Amanda Solloway, a minister in the energy department who is also a government whip, claimed back an £80 fine and listed it under ‘MP travel expenses’.
The Derby North MP, who served under home secretary Suella Braverman, was hit with the fixed penalty notice by Transport for London on July 2, 2020.
Tory MPs Simon Hoare and Bim Afolami, as well as SNP MP Dave Doogan, also put through similar claims in expenses.
In total, the four government employees tried to claim back £720 between them.
But now they will all be contacted and asked to pay back the money by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) after it admitted payments for the claims had wrongfully been allowed.
A spokesman for the watchdog said: ‘MPs are not allowed to claim for penalty charges and fines under IPSA rules. Paragraph 3.26 of the Scheme of MPs’ Staffing and Business Costs clearly states that these fines are not claimable.
‘IPSA’s checks failed in some cases to identify these claims and some of them were paid.
‘We will contact MPs and ask them to repay, where appropriate. We have changed our process to ensure any future such claims are not paid, and will reiterate the scheme rules to MPs.’
The controversy comes after prime minister Rishi Sunak earlier this week decided against launching an inquiry into Ms Braverman for attempting to get a private course to avoid points for a driving offence.
Labour’s shadow Commons leader Thangam Debbonaire told The Independent: ‘While Rishi Sunak’s MPs break the rules and try and make the taxpayer pick up the bill, working people are left struggling to cope with the soaring Tory cost-of-living crisis.
‘Tory MPs flouting the rules damages public confidence in the system. Rishi Sunak must clamp down on the rule-breakers in his party and get on with delivering for the British people.’
The IPSA register of MPs’ expenses shows that Mr Hoare, MP for North Dorset, claimed four times for £80 fines issued in November 2019.
Mr Afolami, MP for Hitchin and Harpenden, claimed for two £80 fines in December 2021.
He said: ‘(It was) Completely inadvertent. All money repaid the moment that I knew about it.’
Mr Doogan, SNP MP for Angus, claimed for a £160 fine in January 2022.
Ms Solloway, Mr Hoare and Mr Doogan have been approached for comment.
A Cabinet Office spokesman said: ‘This would be a matter for the individual MPs and IPSA.’
Earlier this year, MPs were given a £2,000 pay rise, which took their salaries to over £86,000.
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