A small number of MPs and peers will face criminal investigations into allegations they misused their expenses.

Scotland Yard said a joint assessment panel of senior detectives and prosecutors had decided full inquiries were necessary.

The police inquiries were expected to focus on politicians accused of deliberately misleading the authorities or claiming "phantom mortgages".

The investigation will be conducted by officers from the Met's Economic and Specialist Crime Command, overseen by Temporary Assistant Commissioner Janet Williams. It is understood the joint panel of experts will continue to consider a small number of other individuals.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "After consideration by the joint Metropolitan Police and Crown Prosecution Service assessment panel the Met has decided to launch an investigation into the alleged misuse of expenses by a small number of MPs and peers."

Scotland Yard declined to name the MPs or peers at the centre of the police inquiries or their political allegiance.

But it is widely known that those at the centre of the initial probe were linked to so-called "phantom mortgages".

Labour MPs David Chaytor and Elliot Morley both announced they would stand down after it emerged they claimed interest payments for paid-off mortgages.

Two other MPs, Ben Chapman and Bill Wiggin, may also face further inquiries after they were exposed as claiming for mortgages that did not exist.

Baroness Uddin, who apparently claimed an empty Maidstone flat was her main home so she could claim expenses for peers living outside the capital, may also face questions.

Last Updated: Friday, 19 June 2009, 18:01 GMT

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Hopes of a breakthrough in the bitter jobs dispute at an oil refinery have collapsed as expected talks failed to go ahead despite a series of wildcat strikes breaking out across the country.

Downing Street said the conciliation service Acas had convened a meeting between management at the Lindsey oil refinery in North Lincolnshire and union leaders following the shock decision to sack almost 650 workers who have been taking unofficial industrial action for the past week.

Union leaders and Acas officials waited for the talks to start, but it was revealed later that they never got under way.

Strikes spread to several power stations and other sites amid fears of a full blown industrial dispute, with some activists warning power workers could join in, threatening electricity supplies.

Acas said in a statement: "We were invited by Total management for potential talks between the parties today.

"After discussions between Total management and their contractors, they decided not to go ahead with the talks. We remain in touch with the parties."
Union sources said their officials waited for four hours before being told Total "no longer felt the need" to have a meeting.

The sacked workers were told they have until Monday to reapply for their jobs.

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A dispute over jobs at an oil refinery is set to escalate after hundreds of workers who have been taking unofficial industrial action were sacked.

French giant Total wrote to 900 workers at its Lindsey oil refinery in Lincolnshire saying they had until Monday to reapply for their jobs.
Union leaders condemned the dramatic development and warned that the dispute would escalate.

Paul Kenny, general secretary of the GMB said: "Total has for a full week refused to "It seems pretty obvious that there a is case of victimisation taking place. Laying off the workforce will not solve the problem, it will escalate it."

Wildcat strikes had already spread to several power stations and other terminals in the past few days as thousands of workers took sympathy action. The sackings are expected to spark fresh walkouts.

The dispute flared a week ago when a contractor laid off 51 workers while another employer was hiring staff at Lindsey, which was hit earlier this year by unofficial strikes over jobs for non-UK workers.

About 1,200 contract workers at the terminal have been taking unofficial action all week as efforts to convene talks floundered.

In a statement, Total said striking workers were taking part in an "unofficial, illegal walk-out" that was "repudiated" by both Unite and the GMB unions.

Unite said it was "extremely concerned" about Total's actions and was working frantically to facilitate immediate talks with the company's local management.

Last Updated: Friday, 19 June 2009, 06:39 GMT meet with the unions to resolve this matter through Acas

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Department of Energy and Climate Change (National) Consultation details conditions for new UK coal power stations.

Clean coal technology could bring between £2-4 billion a year into the UK economy by 2030, and support between 30,000-60,000 in jobs such as engineering, manufacturing and procurement, according to new independent research published today.

The report, ‘Future Value Of Coal Carbon Abatement Technologies To UK Industry’ by AEA Group, is published today alongside the Government’s consultation document ‘A framework for the development of clean coal’.

As outlined by Ed Miliband to Parliament on 23 April, the consultation details how the Government proposes to reconcile the need to curb emissions of carbon from future coal fired power stations with the need to maintain a secure diverse energy mix. It proposes:

Requiring CCS demonstration: New coal fired power stations should only be given consent in the UK if they demonstrate CCS on at least 300MW net (around 400MW gross) of capacity from day one. Each demonstration project would have to store 20 million tonnes of CO2 over 10-15 years. The proposed framework recognises that CCS demonstration will only proceed with Government intervention. A financial incentive funded by electricity suppliers will support up to four commercial-scale CCS demonstrations in the UK. Alongside the Government’s ongoing competition to build a post-combustion demonstration, up to three further projects including pre-combustion technology could be supported. The primary legislation required to implement this mechanism will be sought at the earliest possible opportunity.

Requiring CCS retrofit: All new coal fired power stations should be required to retrofit CCS to their full capacity within five years of CCS being proven. We are planning on the basis that this point will be reached by 2020, and an independent review, potentially led by the Environment Agency, would report in that year on the status of the technology. The consultation document also explores whether this requirement should apply to existing coal fired power stations.

Contingency: In the event that CCS takes longer than expected to be judged proven, further measures may be needed to ensure emissions from coal are substantially reduced. These measures could include an annual cap on individual power stations’ emissions, a limit on running hours or an emissions performance standard that would limit the amount of CO2 that could be emitted per unit of electricity generated.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband said:

“The conditions we’re proposing for new coal are the most environmentally ambitious of any country in the world, requiring the demonstration of CCS on a substantial proportion of any new power station and the 100% retrofit of CCS when it’s proven.

“At the same time, by providing funding for demonstrations, we can maintain coal as part of our energy mix, supporting diversity and therefore security of supply.

“By acting early, jobs will also be created as Britain develops the expertise in what could be a major new industry, with CCS projects offering the potential to form the hubs for clusters of low carbon industries.

“By driving the development of CCS in this country, we are also, as a country, playing an essential role in the battle against climate change.”


Coal currently accounts for 37% (29GW) of the UK’s electricity capacity, generating 31% of the UK’s electricity in 2008.

These proposals were first outlined to Parliament by Ed Miliband on 23 April. His statement can be found at: www.decc.gov.uk

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Ten thousand postal workers will take strike action on Friday 19th June as Royal Mail refuses to negotiate change and pushes ahead with arbitrary cuts which will damage services.

Following the 2007 postal dispute, an agreement was struck that ensured both the company and the union worked together to improve efficiency. This agreement has ensured that the company has built steady profits. The last part of that agreement is to agree modernisation of the business. Royal Mail are now ignoring that element of the agreement and implementing arbitrary cuts in costs without modernising.

Dave Ward, CWU deputy general secretary, said: "Royal Mail is blocking modernisation by refusing to negotiate change with the CWU.

"We have offered a moratorium on all strike action if Royal Mail will suspend executive action and enter into meaningful negotiations. We want to bring forward the successful transformation of the business by working together. They need to honour the 2007 national agreement and work with us to achieve that."

"There is growing unrest across the country as Royal Mail tries to impose damaging cuts and changes without the input of union reps. The future of the business must be safeguarded through careful planning, not shooting from the hip.

"Postal workers deliver a first class service but the current cuts and attitude of management threatens that and worsens services.

"Royal Mail can avert this strike action by pulling back from arbitrary cuts and negotiating modernisation with the CWU."

More than ten thousand postal workers in all areas of deliveries, collections and processing across London will take industrial action for 24 hours starting from the early shift on Friday 19th June. Further strike action will be announced if no progress is made.

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