MP in housing scandal apologises

MP Jacqui Smith suffered the humiliation of being forced to apologise in the Commons yesterday for wrongly designating her family home as her second property for expense purposes.

A parliamentary inquiry concluded that the former Home Secretary had broken the rules by claiming the south London house she shared with her sister was her main residence.

The designation of her family house in her Redditch constituency as her second home enabled her to claim up to £24,000 ($51,120) a year of public money towards its maintenance.

Ms Smith had argued that her government duties meant she spent more nights in her sister's house than in Redditch, and was therefore justified in the designation.

In a two-minute statement in the Commons, Ms Smith apologised, but made clear her anger over the inquiry's conclusions.

- INDEPENDENT