Duncan cleared of breaking expenses rules

Shadow minister Alan Duncan was cleared today over mortgage interest payments on his second home, following an inquiry by the standards watchdog. Skip related content

The Commons standards and privileges committee said there had been nothing in his mortgage arrangements that breached the rules.

Duncan had referred himself to the watchdog following claims that he had taken a new mortgage on a house that he owned in order to claim interest payments on the property.

He had apologised for claiming more than £4,000 towards gardening costs at his constituency home and repaid the amount.

Duncan was demoted in August after he said MPs had been forced "to live on rations".

His remarks had been secretly filmed and were described by the Conservative leader David Cameron as a "bad mistake".

Consequently he was moved from his role as shadow leader of the House of Commons to the lesser role of shadow prisons minster.

The report concluded: "We agree with the Commissioner's conclusion that there was nothing in Mr Duncan's mortgage arrangements that was in breach of the rules"

And the committee reemphasised that it will only agree to the commissioner investigating allegations against MPs in "exceptional circumstances".