After Darling, Hoon's 'double claim'
Updated on 02 June 2009
Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon apologies for “entirely inadvertent overlap in bill payments” in a case echoing that of Alistair Darling.
Hoon is the latest Cabinet minister to be accused of misusing the parliamentary allowance system as revelations of MPs’ expenses enters a 24th day.
According to this morning’s Daily Telegraph, Hoon used Commons expenses when he was leader of the house in 2006 to pay for a TV licence, gas maintenance and home insurance for his Derbyshire property. All bills were paid upfront for the following 12 months.
However, when he was moved to Europe minister in the July 2006 reshuffle and lost his Admiralty House grace-and-favour apartment, he “flipped” his second home designation to a new flat in London.
In effect, that meant he was claiming on two properties simultaneously. The case has echoes of Alistair Darling.
Yesterday the chancellor apologised unreservedly for claiming on two properties after initially dismissing the accusations as “completely untrue”.
In a statement issued last night, Hoon said: "After I left Admiralty House there was an entirely inadvertent overlap in bill payments.
"This was entirely accidental. As soon as this was brought to my attention I repaid £384 for the additional months of TV licence, British Gas homecare agreement and home insurance, covering the months remaining in the year after I moved.
"I repaid the money as soon as this was drawn to my attention and although this was an inadvertent administrative error, I unreservedly apologise for the mistake."
