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3 February 2011
Last updated at 11:31 ET
The parliamentary expenses claims of several ministers were rejected last year, newly published details show.
Peter Luff had a £286 claim for a mobile phone bill rejected while Ed Davey had a £115 constituency phone bill turned down by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority.
Ex-Labour ministers Harriet Harman and Jack Straw also had claims rejected.
The watchdog said they were rejected due to "insufficient evidence" being provided by the MPs.
However, it is not clear whether the claims would have been approved if the additional information had been supplied.
'Insufficient evidence' Ipsa's latest figures showed that 248 claims were not "fully reimbursed" between May and October 2010 - meaning they were either partially rejected or turned down in full. A total of 69 claims were rejected completely.
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But almost 26,000 claims - for costs relating to accommodation, travel, utility bills and hospitality - were approved, and £3.6m paid out.
Claims rejected included one for £75 by Labour deputy leader Ms Harman for hire of a hall for a constituency surgery, £609 claimed by Mr Straw for business rates on his constituency office and £762 claimed by the Labour MP Paul Flynn for a service charge on his accommodation.
In each case - as well as those claims made by Defence Minister Peter Luff and Business Minister Ed Davey - the reason given by the watchdog was that there was "insufficient evidence" to validate them.
More than £6.7m has been paid out in expenses since the general election but but there is widespread dismay among MPs about how the new system - which came into force last May in response to the widespread abuse of expenses in the previous Parliament - is working, and about their relationship with Ipsa.
'Legitimate' Several MPs have privately expressed their frustration to the BBC at having expenses claims which were rejected because of mistakes made by Ipsa, listed among the rejected claims.
Conservative MP Jesse Norman had a £1,504 claim for office furniture rejected - but Ipsa has admitted this was an administrative error on its part and the claim was subsequently approved.
It is understood the watchdog feels obliged to publish details of all claims handled - even when mistakes are made - to demonstrate it is open and transparent. This follows criticism that the old system was secretive.
Chris Mason, BBC 5 Live's political reporter, said Culture Minister Ed Vaizey had had a claim for £4.75 rejected, for what appeared to be a lunch he had bought for his intern, despite the fact that his office said it was "totally legitimate".
Our reporter said he understood the claim was rejected because the receipt was lost after it had been submitted to Ipsa and the MP's office said that the intern, who has now left, is out of pocket as a result.
Speaking on Thursday, Downing Street said problems with the system needed to be addressed.
"You cannot have a system that costs £6m a year to administer the expenses of 650 people," a Number 10 spokesman said. "Ipsa was set up quite rapidly following the expenses scandal. Clearly there are problems with the way it is working. The prime minister's view is that we have got to deal with this."
Amid a review of how the system is operating, Commons leader Sir George Young said it was "failing" to help MPs do their job, while his Labour counterpart Hilary Benn said there needed to be "fundamental reform" of how it was structured, implemented and administered.
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Peter Luff had a £286 claim for a mobile phone bill rejected while Ed Davey had a £115 constituency phone bill turned down by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority.
Ex-Labour ministers Harriet Harman and Jack Straw also had claims rejected.
The watchdog said they were rejected due to "insufficient evidence" being provided by the MPs.
However, it is not clear whether the claims would have been approved if the additional information had been supplied.
'Insufficient evidence' Ipsa's latest figures showed that 248 claims were not "fully reimbursed" between May and October 2010 - meaning they were either partially rejected or turned down in full. A total of 69 claims were rejected completely.
Continue reading the main story “Start Quote
Clearly there are problems with the way it is working”
End Quote
No 10 on Ipsa
But almost 26,000 claims - for costs relating to accommodation, travel, utility bills and hospitality - were approved, and £3.6m paid out.
Claims rejected included one for £75 by Labour deputy leader Ms Harman for hire of a hall for a constituency surgery, £609 claimed by Mr Straw for business rates on his constituency office and £762 claimed by the Labour MP Paul Flynn for a service charge on his accommodation.
In each case - as well as those claims made by Defence Minister Peter Luff and Business Minister Ed Davey - the reason given by the watchdog was that there was "insufficient evidence" to validate them.
More than £6.7m has been paid out in expenses since the general election but but there is widespread dismay among MPs about how the new system - which came into force last May in response to the widespread abuse of expenses in the previous Parliament - is working, and about their relationship with Ipsa.
'Legitimate' Several MPs have privately expressed their frustration to the BBC at having expenses claims which were rejected because of mistakes made by Ipsa, listed among the rejected claims.
Conservative MP Jesse Norman had a £1,504 claim for office furniture rejected - but Ipsa has admitted this was an administrative error on its part and the claim was subsequently approved.
It is understood the watchdog feels obliged to publish details of all claims handled - even when mistakes are made - to demonstrate it is open and transparent. This follows criticism that the old system was secretive.
Chris Mason, BBC 5 Live's political reporter, said Culture Minister Ed Vaizey had had a claim for £4.75 rejected, for what appeared to be a lunch he had bought for his intern, despite the fact that his office said it was "totally legitimate".
Our reporter said he understood the claim was rejected because the receipt was lost after it had been submitted to Ipsa and the MP's office said that the intern, who has now left, is out of pocket as a result.
Speaking on Thursday, Downing Street said problems with the system needed to be addressed.
"You cannot have a system that costs £6m a year to administer the expenses of 650 people," a Number 10 spokesman said. "Ipsa was set up quite rapidly following the expenses scandal. Clearly there are problems with the way it is working. The prime minister's view is that we have got to deal with this."
Amid a review of how the system is operating, Commons leader Sir George Young said it was "failing" to help MPs do their job, while his Labour counterpart Hilary Benn said there needed to be "fundamental reform" of how it was structured, implemented and administered.
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