Prime minister Brown may be forced to pay back expenses

British prime minister Gordon Brown may be among politicians forced to pay back some of his expenses as a result of an official inquiry even as the issue of allowances claimed by parliamentarians in recent years continued to hog the  headlines.

The Mail on Sunday said it was "highly likely" Brown would be asked to justify his expenditure.

Brown is already believed to have repaid 150 pounds after mistakenly claiming twice for the same plumbing work within six months.

In May, it also emerged he had paid his brother Andrew 6,577 pounds for arranging cleaning services for his Westminster flat.

According to The Sunday Times, Downing street sources fear Gordon Brown could be asked about his decision to share a cleaner with his brother. There is no suggestion of financial impropriety but the sources fear Brown could face questions about why he did not pay the cleaner directly.

The Times devoted considerable space to the expenses claimed by NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul, described by the newspaper as "a friend of the prime minister."

It said that Lord Paul had claimed 38,000 pounds as allowance for living in a small flat outside London where he had never slept.

The NRI industrialist, however, maintained that he was entitled to claim the expenses as per the rule which he follows.

"I am proud to be a friend of Gordon Brown whose contribution to Britain and the world in these times of financial crisis is unparallelled," Lord Paul said.

The inquiry by former senior civil servant Sir Thomas Legg is understood to have been concentrating on whether expenses were used to improve properties rather than maintain them as allowed under rules.

Meanwhile, up to 50 MPs fear they will be forced to resign from the Commons as a result of the investigation, The Mail report claimed.

Everyone of Britain 646 MPs will be sent a letter tomorrow from Sir Thomas — who was appointed to audit all claims made over the past five years — which will either exonerate them, demand repayment or ask them to provide further evidence to clear their names.

The inquiry, which was set up at the height of the scandal, has led to panic among MPs whose suspicious claims escaped scrutiny during the storm.

The Sunday Telegraph reported that at least 325 MPs will be asked this week to repay money or provide further details of their parliamentary allowances by Sir Thomas.

Sir Thomas, a former senior civil servant, and his team of accountants are believed to have concentrated on big mortgage claims and extravagant bills for household items.

The inquiry is expected to cost one million pounds.