Malik faces second inquiry into expenses

Parliamentary standards commissioner John Lyon, announced an inquiry today into the communities minister after receiving a complaint over his use of Commons expenses.

Mr Malik, who stood down as justice minister last month, was brought back into the Government less than a fortnight ago after being cleared of breaching the ministerial code.

The Prime Minister's adviser on the ministerial code, Sir Philip Mawer, concluded that the Dewsbury MP did not benefit from below-market rents for his constituency home and office.

However, questions were raised whether Gordon Brown reinstated him too quickly when the Daily Telegraph reported that Mr Malik used Commons expenses for a second constituency office, run from his home.

The MP dismissed the allegations and insisted he did not break any rules.

A Conservative MP accused of having two homes in London hit out at his constituents as he announced he would resign at the next general election.

Ian Taylor, who has been MP for Esher and Walton for 22 years, said there were "several factors" behind his decision.

The Daily Telegraph revealed he had a second taxpayer-funded home in London even though his main home is in the commuter belt.

Today he said the decision was one he was "pondering for a while" and that Gordon Brown's refusal to step down was the "decisive factor".

Mr Taylor, 64, said: "It is clear ... that many constituents have little concept of what an MP does or where his attention should be focused.

"There has been some criticism of me recently for my failure to commute rather than whether I hold views and or take actions on key matters. This debases the whole system. It implies that an MP should seek to be around locally more than around Westminster."

He insisted he commuted "most weeks", spending Friday, Saturday and Sunday "around the constituency".

Mr Taylor is the 12th Tory MP stepping down following the expenses furore.

Scores of MPs face an end to employing their wife or husband, sons, daughters or parents using public funds.

Commons leader Harriet Harman accepted it was "unsustainable" for MPs to keep employing close family members in their offices.

She told Sir Christopher Kelly's inquiry into MPs' expenses: "I think it is almost impossible to convince the public that actually there is fair employment opportunity."