THE latest round of expenses claimed by Worcestershire’s MPs were due to be published today.

It will be the first set of claims revealed by Parliament since Sir Thomas Legg’s investigation earlieri this year.

Following the investigation, Sir Christopher Kelly, chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, made a number of key recommendations on what MPs can and cannot claim for in the future.

A national newspaper revealed yesterday that Worcester’s Labour MP Mike Foster claimed £19.99 on expenses last year for six school books bought for his children.

Mr Foster, speaking to your Worcester News, said he would double-check if the claim was true but added if it was he had no problem in paying the money back for the subject Key Stage 3 study guides.

Mr Foster, a minister for international development, said he normally crossed personal items off his receipts but believed he had failed to do so in this instance. He said: “I’m annoyed with myself because it really shouldn’t have happened. It’s not as if I have attempted to deceive.

“That receipt was put in the public domain and that’s what happens when you’re open – mistakes you make will be found. That’s the whole purpose of this.

“On the other side of the coin, if £19.99 is all that has been found having carefully scrutinised my receipts and claims it doesn’t compare to what some of my colleagues have claimed for – it’s a different world.”

The newspaper report also said Mr Foster had claimed back £290 paid to a Worcester solicitor after he objected to a city councillor’s letter being published in a local newspaper (not your Worcester News).

Mr Foster said that letter about his expenses was inaccurate and defamatory.

Mr Foster said he had extensive discussions with the director of finance about making a claim for the correspondence with the solictors and he was reassured it was within the rules.

Mr Foster said he has since received a letter of apology from the councillor in question and the matter had been closed.

To see for yourself the claims MPs have made, visit parliament.uk/mpslordsandoffices/finances.cfm