Malik Faces Second Expenses Inquiry

Government Minister Shahid Malik is to face a fresh investigation into his use of parliamentary allowances.

The Communities Minister, who was recently reinstated after he was cleared in an inquiry into whether he had broken the ministerial code, is to be investigated by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.

The latest probe relates to a complaint over the MP's accommodation and office costs in his Dewsbury constituency.

The MP denies reports he claimed public money towards the running of two offices at the same time.

Commissioner John Lyon confirmed he would investigate the complaint made by the Sunlight Centre for Open Politics transparency campaign.

Mr Lyons also said he had written to Mr Malik asking for his comments on the complaint, and will then decide what to do next.

Last week Mr Malik was cleared of breaching the ministerial code, after allegations that he was paying below market rates.

The Prime Minister's adviser on the ministerial code, Sir Philip Mawer, concluded the Dewsbury MP did not benefit from a preferential rent on his constituency home.

However, while he found the rent he was paying was a reasonable market rate, he criticised the MP for failing to provide receipts or a tenancy agreement to back up his claims.

On the same day, the Daily Telegraph published allegations that Mr Malik had used taxpayer-funded expenses to pay for office space within his constituency home.

He denied this saying he had never "claimed anything from the public purse" for his home apart from "that which is permissible for my second home".

He added: "I have certainly not claimed a penny from the public purse for my designated main home."

(JM/BMcc)