Expenses complaint dismissed

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Standards Commissioner John Lyon said the more than £4,000 spent by Mary Martin was "reasonable" and within the rules. The House of Commons Standards and Privileges Committee backed the decision to disregard the concerns of the TaxPayers' Alliance.

In a memorandum, Mr Lyon said £4,139.17 had been spent on taxis by Mrs Martin over four years, mainly for shopping trips, and claimed back on expenses.

"The journeys taken met the necessary requirements of Mr Speaker to assist him in carrying out his official duties," he said in a memorandum to the Standards Committee. "Taking account of the requirements and the cost of alternative provision, the costs were not excessive."

Mr Lyon revealed that the Speaker was entitled to claim up to £2,500 a year for the use of taxis - either by himself, his office or on his behalf. The arrangement was set up by in agreement with the then Clerk of the House, in 2002, for "normal official business broadly in line with Government rules".

Mr Lyon said the £2,500 limit had not been exceeded in any of the years in question.

Since 2004, Mrs Martin took 156 taxi journeys on expenses. Between four and eight each year were to a large supermarket where the taxi was booked on a "wait and return" basis.

The supermarket trips were for buying provisions for both the Speaker's private consumption and to provide hospitality for visitors, including MPs and Commons officials, the Commissioner found.

"The events ranged from meetings to private conversations," Mr Lyon said. "All these occasions on which hospitality was provided by Mr Speaker were conducted in the course of his official duties."

There were also between 26 and 39 visits a year to smaller shops, which were for "further provisions and perishables", official clothes for Mr Martin and table decorations for official functions. "None of the journeys was for her own use or entertainment," Mr Lyon said.