An MP's husband, Dennis Bates, received more than £5,000 - paid for by parliamentary expenses - from several MPs who sought his personal tax advice. In addition, Bates, who is married to foreign office minister Meg Munn, acted as personal assistant to his partner, adding to the amount of taxpayers' money he has received from the public purse, reports Reuters. John Healey, local government minister, Jim Knight, a schools minister, and Angela Smith, MP for Sheffield Hillsborough, all went to Bates for tax advice. Those MPs who were involved in the affair said that Bates' tax background with the Inland Revenue made him 'eminently qualified' to give out advice on tax matters and to 'make sure members of parliament are properly meeting all their tax liabilities in relation to their office costs and allowances'. Healey, Knight and Smith said: 'Many MPs rightly seek professional assistance and advice where this relates specifically to their role as members of parliament and the expense is therefore legitimate and justifiable. The purpose of this is to ensure all tax liabilities connected with parliamentary duties are properly dealt with.'