In the Evening Post report of May 16, Dawn Primarolo is quoted as saying that changes to the system (of reimbursing MPs) have to be made.

This is an excuse made by a good many MPs, without the hint of an apology.

The fact is that the MPs responsible have been dishonest.

Ms Primarolo herself seems to have taken proper advantage of the 'system', but in doing so managed to be overpaid.

The excuse she gives is that she had added her claim up incorrectly.

This is an astounding excuse for this particular MP, for she was Financial Secretary to the Treasury for two years (1997-9) and was then promoted to the exalted position of Paymaster General, a post she held for the next eight years!

During this time, she introduced the bureaucratically wasteful tax 'credit' scheme (a system for paying us back what we have already paid in tax), sold off hundreds of Inland Revenue buildings (owned by the taxpayer) at ridiculously low prices to firms in tax havens, and more.

So she was in charge of the country's Treasury, yet cannot do her expenses sums.

D Baker, Bristol.