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Making the changes

Brian Taylor | 12:29 UK time, Wednesday, 4 November 2009

Will this be enough? Will, if implemented, be enough to ease public anger over MPs expenses?

You'll have seen what he has in mind: rent or hotels not mortgages, a ban on employing relatives, curbs on what can be claimed, reduced pay-offs for MPs who stand down, receipts and explanations for all travel.

Plus key principles - such as honesty and accountability - upon which public life should be founded.

Does it all sound a bit familiar? It should. It's pretty broadly what happens at Holyrood, including the enlisting of fundamental principles.

while George Reid was in the chair, in the light of earlier discontent.

Indeed, introducing his report, Sir Christopher called Holyrood in evidence, pointing to the system of publishing all expense details which, he said, had assuaged concern north of the Border.

The report itself also notes specific, detailed comparisons.

Lagging behind?

For example, with regard to proposed tight new rules on transport, the report counters critics by pointing out, faintly acidly, that "this transparency will bring the House of Commons in line with the Scottish Parliament, where such arrangements do not appear to be unduly bureaucratic."

However, there could be at least one area where Holyrood may end up lagging behind Westminster.

That concerns the employment by politicians of their relatives, frequently their spouses.

One Westminster spouse has argued that it would be "nice" if these arrangements could continue at least for as long as the other side of the partnership remains an MP.

Nice, it might be. But Sir Christopher is not moved.

He believes that such arrangements do not befit modern employment practice. They won't do. He wants the habit phased out.

In Holyrood, those who employ members of their family have to register the fact. But there is no ban on such employment.

'Double jobbing'

This may now form an element of the review by Sir Neil McIntosh who has been tasked by Holyrood's corporate body with looking at allowances north of the border.

There's another cross-border element examined by Sir Christopher Kelly and his team.

The issue of "double jobbing" - as it is known in Northern Ireland. The practice where a politician sits both at Westminster and in a devolved legislature.

Sir Christopher notes this is most common in Northern Ireland where 16 out of 18 Westminster MPs also sit in Stormont, five of them ministers.

Scotland's first minister, Alex Salmond, also presently holds a dual mandate - although he will resolve that shortly as he is not contesting the UK general election.

The Kelly report suggests the practice should end entirely, ideally in time for the 2011 devolved elections.

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