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Dewsbury MP Shahid Malik under pressure
Government minister Shahid Malik was unable to produce receipts or a rental agreement to back up his claims he was not renting his constituency home at a preferential rate, it was disclosed today.
Sir Philip Mawer, the Prime Minister's adviser on ministerial interests, said that it was "unfortunate" that Mr Malik had not been able to establish a proper audit trail to support his assertions.
Mr Malik was able to return to the Government as a junior communities minister after he was cleared by Sir Philip of breaching the Ministerial Code of Conduct by failing disclose a declarable interest.
But The Daily Telegraph published fresh allegations that Mr Malik claimed the maximum second home allowance on his London property while he funded his office on the ground floor of his constituency home in Dewsbury through a separate system of parliamentary office expenses.
In a brief statement, Mr Malik said: "I have never claimed anything from the public purse for any living accommodation apart from that which is permissible for my second home.
"I have certainly not claimed a penny from the public purse for my designated main home."
The latest claims came as the Cabinet Office released Sir Philip's full report - with the address of Mr Malik's Dewsbury house omitted, along with the name of his landlord, Tahir Zaman, and his property company even though they had been previously published by the Telegraph.
It found Mr Malik had originally rented one property for 320 a month for three-and-a-half years until the end of May 2008. He then moved into the larger property next door for a monthly rent of 620.
Sir Philip said that he was satisfied that Mr Malik had been charged a commercial rent on both properties, but expressed concern at the way in which payments were made on the second house.
"It is unfortunate, particularly given his public position, that, in respect of that house, Mr Malik did not think of obtaining at the outset a rental agreement specifying in writing the rent to be paid," Sir Philip said.
"He then entered into an arrangement to pay part of the rent in cash, for which payments (name of the property company) did not give him any receipt.
"I understand the point Mr Malik makes about the influence on him of religious and cultural norms in the Muslim community relating to payments made in cash, but the absence of a rental agreement and of receipts meant that he was left without a clear audit trail to show the payments he had made."
Sir Philip said that Mr Malik had told him that following original disclosures in The Daily Telegraph's allegations, he had asked for a rental agreement to be drawn up and was "actively considering" paying all of his rent in future by direct debit.
"I hope that, in both his own best interest and the wider interest, he will institute arrangements in this respect immediately," Sir Philip said.
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Sunday 12 February 2012
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