BRITAIN: MP 'sorry' for overpaying son; 'Invisible' student given pounds 40,000 out of expenses.

Byline: By DANIEL BENTLEY

A SENIOR Tory apologised to fellow MPs yesterday as he faced being suspended from the House of Commons for overpaying his son out of his Parliamentary expenses.

Former whip Derek Conway accepted he made "misjudgments" after the Standards and Privileges Committee urged he be made to repay up to pounds 13,161 of his son Frederick's salary.

Frederick was paid more than pounds 40,000 during his three-year employment, despite being "all but invisible" throughout because he was studying at Newcastle University.

The committee recommended Mr Conway's suspension from the Commons for 10 days, as well as his repayment of at least pounds 9,962.97 of Frederick's salary and bonuses.

This should rise by another pounds 3,198.08 of tax and National Insurance if they could be recovered, it added.

Mr Conway appeared before the Commons yesterday afternoon to apologise "unreservedly" and accept the committee's criticisms, adding that he had let his family down "very badly indeed".

The MP employed his son as a part-time research assistant between September 2004 and August 2007.

As well as receiving a salary of pounds 11,773 ayear, he was paid four one-off bonuses totalling just over pounds 10,000.

But the committee said the salary was "excessive", given Frederick's experience and tasks, while the bonuses went "way beyond the permitted ceiling" set out by the Commons authorities. It went on: "We note that (Frederick) seems to have been all but invisible during the period of his employment.

"For the majority of that time he was based at Newcastle where he was engaged in a full-time degree course at the university. He had little or no contact with his father's office, either in the House or the constituency.

"No record exists of the work that he is supposed to have carried out, or the hours kept."

It concluded that Mr Conway "misused" the staffing allowance available to MPs to employ researchers and office assistants.

In a statement, Mr Conway said he accepted the committee's findings.

It will now be up to the whole House to decide whether to accept the committee's recommendation.

In a personal statement to the Commons later, Mr Conway said he would leave it to his colleagues to "form their own judgment" of his conduct. He went on: "In apologising to the House, I would also like to apologise to my constituents and to the Old Bexley and Sidcup Conservative Association, which has been so very supportive to me and my family throughout a very difficult period.

"The House will comprehend the impact this matter has on me personally, but also on my family. I have let them down very badly indeed and no judgment from any quarter could be more harsh than that which I apply to myself."

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Derek Conway MP