Investigation and enforcement
10Offence of providing false or misleading information for allowances claims
(1)
A member of the House of Commons commits an offence if the member—
(a)
makes a claim under the MPs' allowances scheme, and
(b)
provides information for the purposes of the claim that the member knows to be false or misleading in a material respect.
(2)
A person guilty of an offence under subsection (1) is liable—
(a)
on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or to both;
(b)
on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to a fine or to both.
F1(2A)
In the application of this section in England and Wales, the reference in subsection (2)(a) to 12 months is to be read as a reference to the general limit in a magistrates’ court (or to 6 months in relation to an offence committed before 2 May 2022).
(3)
In the application of this section—
F2(a)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(b)
in Northern Ireland,
the reference in subsection (2)(a) to 12 months is to be read as a reference to 6 months.