Foreign junkets are back ON for our MPs

They can claim cost of Covid tests as rest of us shell out

MPs will be able to claim the cost of coronavirus tests on expenses for their taxpayerfunded junkets.

But they were warned last night that doing so ‘doesn’t look good’ when families are having to pay hundreds of pounds on swabs to go abroad this summer.

Travel chiefs said it meant there would be different rules for the ‘Westminster elite’ while ordinary travellers ‘bear the brunt of extreme’ testing requirements.

Ministers have failed to take concrete action to cut costs for holidaymakers despite a clamour of calls to deliver on their promise to drive down prices.

The Treasury is stubbornly refusing to axe VAT on the ‘gold standard’ PCR tests, which would significantly slash costs.

Campaigners have also demanded ministers allow travellers returning from green and amber countries to take cheaper lateral flow tests when they return to the UK.

But now it can be revealed MPs will not be made to foot the bill for tests if their travel is for work purposes.

Parliament’s expenses watchdog, the Independent Parliamentary standards

‘You couldn’t make it up’

Authority (Ipsa), said: ‘If an MP has to travel abroad for a parliamentary purpose, and is required to test before travelling or upon return, they would be able to claim for the cost of a Covid test.

‘We would expect MPs to ensure that they are up to date with instructions on travel testing, including whether any exemptions apply.

‘If the travel was not for a parliamentary purpose, they would not be able to claim the money back from Ipsa.’

The revelation provoked anger from the travel sector and Tory MPs.

Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency, said: ‘You couldn’t make it up.’ He said the Government seemed to be ‘quite happy to pay testing costs for MPs but they are not happy to pay the forced testing costs for consumers and they should be’.

‘You’ve got rules for the Westminster elite but different rules for consumers who are bearing the brunt of these regulations which are too extreme,’ he said.

He added: ‘Another day, another example of a Government trip up on testing.’

And a Tory former minister said that while he thought Ipsa was right to allow MPs to expense tests for work travel, he conceded: ‘The public would probably not look at it in that way.’

MPs can start going on taxpayer-funded trips to amber list countries again from september. A Government spokesman said: ‘As noted in the Ministerial code, Ministers’ travel expenses for official business are covered by their department.’