FYI: From BBC's London website today (nothing new): Health minister Ann Keen has confirmed claiming for private medical treatment for a member of her staff on expenses.The Labour MP said the £150 bill was for an occupational health assessment for a staff member injured at work.The Tories declined to comment on the claim, which was made in 2005 before she became a health minister. There is no suggestion she broke the rules.It comes as Mrs Keen and Labour MP husband Alan come under fresh scrutiny over their second home allowances.In 2005, Mrs Keen, a former nurse who is a Parliamentary Under Secretary at the Department of Health, claimed for two medical bills, amounting to £232, for treatment at the Blackheath Hospital.At the time she was a Parliamentary aide to the then chancellor Gordon Brown.Most of the detail relating to these bills has been blacked out in the allowances published by Parliament last week, although the first bill for £150 is entitled "new consultation" in the published documents.'Urgent action'In a statement, Mrs Keen said: "This claim relates to a member of my staff who sustained an injury while at work. Following a period of agreed sickness absence, I requested an occupational health assessment for them to help them in resuming their duties. The Parliamentary Authorities agreed for these assessments to be paid for under the terms and conditions of my staff's employmentAnn Keen"As my member of staff had personal access to healthcare provided by the private sector at Blackheath Hospital, they chose to manage their care in this way."The Parliamentary Authorities agreed for these assessments to be paid for under the terms and conditions of my staff's employment. The redactions in the released documents relate to patient confidentiality."It emerged on Wednesday that Mr and Mrs Keen have been given a month to stop their local council repossessing their home 10 miles from the House of Commons.The pair's expenses have been in the spotlight after they claimed £137,679 for a second home near Parliament.Hounslow Council has told the couple "urgent action" is needed to explain why their main home in Brentford is unoccupied.A source at the council - which is run by the Conservatives - told the BBC that the Brentford property had remained empty for seven months.'Renovation work'The Keens are not thought to have responded to the council's letter, sent last week.If the council does not get a satisfactory response from the Keens, it then has the power to issue an Empty Dwelling Management Order which would allow the council to take possession of the property and bring it back into use.Such orders became law five years ago in order to give local councils the power to take possession of empty properties and bring them back into use.But in a statement, Mrs Keen said: "It is categorically untrue to say that our home is an empty dwelling as made clear by the relevant legislation."It is currently in the process of being substantially renovated, entirely at our own expense."She denied the property was subject to an empty dwelling management order and said the letter made clear that "owners undertaking renovation work on their homes are not under threat of repossession"."Our representatives are in the process of speaking to the London Borough of Hounslow with the details of our renovation work."As soon as this work is completed, we will be back living at home in Brentford, where we have lived for the past 22 years."Alan Keen is MP for Feltham and Heston while Ann Keen is MP for neighbouring Brentford and Isleworth. endit
Stuart Parrott ● 6180d