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More than 100 MPs employ family members

24/04/2008

More than 100 MPs have declared that they employ a family member using their tax-funded expenses.

The list includes home secretary Jacqui Smith, former work and pensions secretary Peter Hain and housing minister Caroline Flint.

It was published following the revelation earlier this year that Conservative MP Derek Conway had paid his younger son a vastly inflated salary for apparently little or no work.

The Register of Members' Interests was the recommendation of the Commons standards and privileges committee.

Committee chair Sir George lists his daughter, Camilla Young, as his office manager.

Mr Conway says the only family member he now employs is his wife, Colette Conway, as office manager/executive secretary.

Ms Smith employs her husband, Richard Timney, as senior research/parliamentary assistant while Ms Flint employs her husband Phil Cole as office manager.

While it is maintained that the majority of spouses and children do a valuable job and it can benefit many MPs' marriages to work alongside their spouse, the publication of the list is designed to improve transparency and restore confidence in the system of MPs' expenses.