SNP MP Steven Paterson pays back £40 claimed for '˜dog care'

An SNP MP has been criticised over a £40 claim for 'dog care'.
Steven Paterson. Picture: WikicommonsSteven Paterson. Picture: Wikicommons
Steven Paterson. Picture: Wikicommons

Steven Paterson’s office submitted a claim last November for mileage after a member of his staff had to make arrangements for their pet while working in London.

The sum of £40.50 has been voluntarily repaid.

Last week, Paterson’s expenses over the year following his election showed that the Stirling MP had claimed back more than £99,000 since May 2015.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It included £40.50 for a return journey from Alloa, Clackmannanshire, to Upper Largo, Fife, on 22 November, 2015.

The claim states that this was for a staff member, named only as Lee, and his “arrangements for care of dog while in London”.

It is not known if the dog was being taken to a kennel or was being looked after by friends or relatives.

SNP figures said the money was claimed accidentally and handed back when the mistake was noticed.

But a Labour source said: “Steven Paterson must be in the dog house with the SNP leadership.

MPs are entitled to reasonable expenses, but taxpayers will rightly question why this claim was submitted.”

A spokesman for Paterson said: “These costs formed part of a staff member’s travel arrangements to Westminster.

“However, despite having been approved by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, they should never have been processed.

“The staff member has since rectified this error and all costs have been paid back to IPSA.”

Related topics: