Adrian Sanders, one of 38 MPs listed nationally whose wives work for them, has backed calls for more transparency in the system of MPs employing staff.
The Bay's Lib Dem MP was named in the list of those who admit employing immediate family following the ongoing controversy over the Tory who employed his son but couldn't prove what work he had done for him.Marcus Wood, prospective Tory Parliamentary candidate for Torbay, has challenged Mr Sanders to be 'completely open and transparent' about the arrangements he has with family and friends who work in his office and how many of them are paid for out of taxpayers' funds following the recent controversy concerning Derek Conway.
Mr Sanders, whose last claim was for £85,000 for employing four staff including his wife Alison, said he would welcome a tightening up of the system so MPs' staff would be employed by Government, that they would have to be qualified for the job, and there would be some monitoring of the work done.
He said: "There is a case for the House authority to look at how it could scrutinise employment more carefully. But most MPs' wives work extremely hard and are good value for the taxpayer."
Mr Younger Ross said he believed more scrutiny was needed of MP's expenses. There is no requirement for MPs to file receipts for claims, though he did.
"Then if anyone queries anything it is there as a matter of record. It's not just a case of justice being done, but being seen to be done," he said.
Bay MP Mr Sanders pointed out his wife Alison, his office manager, had worked for former Lib Dem leader Paddy Ashdown when they met and would probably be working for another MP if they had not met.
"If someone is qualified for the job, their relationship is irrelevant," he said.
Mr Conway also employed his wife, but as he could prove the work she had carried out, that was not part of the current inquiry, Mr Sanders pointed out.
Mr Wood said in the light of Mr Sanders' criticism over the salary of Tory Mayor Nick Bye and businesses paying low wages in the Bay, he should tell taxpayers who he employs and the range of salaries they receive.
Mr Wood said: "As a private business you would have to list who you employ and their range of salary in your annual report. Adrian Sanders is claiming nearly £85,000 a year from taxpayers for staffing costs. The money is paid by the government and there is no scrutiny.
"An MP doesn't have to show the work his staff are doing."
He said the Parliamentary system meant taxpayers would be unable to find the information which would be available if the same questions were asked about the elected Mayor Nick Bye's office.
Mr Wood said: "It is quite clear the public don't approve of the current lax arrangements whereby MPs can employ family members with no scrutiny as to whether those people are actually doing the work for which they are being paid, or for instance whether they are being paid a realistic rate for the work they are doing.
"It is for this reason that throughout the Civil Service and most of the private sector such arrangements are not normally permitted.
"I did manage to establish that his paid staff included his wife Alison, leading Lib Dem Torbay councillor Ruth Pentney and Torbay Council Lib Dem leader Steve Darling but of course we cannot know because Adrian refuses to publish any details and he is excluded from the Freedom of Information act as an MP.
"I would never employ a member of my family in this way and would campaign to have the rules changed if elected," he said.
Mr Sanders agreed saying: "I would support a more transparent system for MP's employees."
He did not think it right to give details of individuals, but said it would not be difficult to work out roughly how much the salaries were with only four people, especially as one was paid at London rates, and that the total included the 11 per cent on costs.
He described the system for travel allowances and for London living allowances for MPs as a bigger 'scandal' which was open to abuse, .
Someone who paid the £20,000 a year London living allowance on a mortgage could, thanks to the property price rises, have a tidy profit when they sold, funded by taxpayers.
He believed a system should be established where an average figure was used for the two allowances, and paid as part of salary.
Totnes MP Anthony Steen said he feared all MPs were being 'tarred with the same brush' following the Conway case.
Mr Steen, whose last claim was £86,482, said: "I think the whole matter of who I employ and what I pay is private, just as it is for the editor of your paper.
"I am not going to comment on how I run this office, but that is because I have nothing to hide. But I don't want my staff employed as civil servants.
He said he had no quarrels with the current system of allowances.
MPs can claim up to £87,272 a year , soon to rise to £96,630, to pay for staff including researchers, secretaries and assistants.
