The following are the main recommendations from Sir Christopher Kelly's Committee on Standards in Public Life on the reform of MPs' expenses and allowances:

- No reimbursement of mortgage interest payments or any other costs associated with the purchase of a property. In future only rent or hotel costs should be reimbursed.

- Commercial agency to provide and maintain rented accommodation for new MPs entering Parliament at the next election, to be extended to all MPs if successful.

- Second home payments to continue for council tax, water, fuel, phones, contents insurance and removal at the beginning and end of a tenancy. Expenses banned for cleaning, gardening and furnishings.

- No second home expenses for MPs within a “reasonable” commuting distance of Westminster, as determined by the independent regulator.

- Any future capital gains in the value of accommodation purchased with the help of public funds to be surrendered to the Exchequer.

- Ban on MPs appointing members of their own families to their staff and paying them from public funds. Those currently employing family members should be able to continue to do so for the life of one further Parliament or five years, whichever is the longer.

- A code of conduct for MPs’ staff, barring party political work.

- Communications allowance to be abolished.

- “Golden handshake” resettlement grant to be retained at a rate of up to nine months’ pay for MPs who lose their seats at a General Election, as the result of deselection or because of boundary changes, but scrapped for MPs who voluntarily stand down, who will instead receive eight weeks’ pay.

- Receipts or other documentary evidence to be required for all claims.

- MPs to meet the cost of normal commuting journeys themselves. Payments for longer journeys only if it is on genuine parliamentary duties and for family members travelling between constituency and London. Receipts required for all travel claims.

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