REDDITCH MP and former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has apologised for “clearly” breaching expenses rules.

Ms Smith apologised to MPs in the House of Commons on Monday after a six-month inquiry by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, John Lyon, found that she wrongly claimed £116,000 in second home allowances.

She also apologised for wrongly claiming for the cost of films watched at her family home, including two pay-per-view porn movies watched by her husband.

The report was responding to two complaints - one that she had wrongly designated the London house belonging to her sister, at which she paid rent, as her main home.

The second related to the revelation that Ms Smith had claimed for the two pay-per-view movies.

The report let Ms Smith off over her incorrect claims for the movies saying that she had already acknowledged that these claims were unallowable, apologised and returned the money.

It said: "I recognise that she had many heavy responsibilities at the time but nevertheless she clearly did not treat her claims with the care expected of all those who look for reimbursement from the public purse."

But the report added that Ms Smith had breached rules by designating her sister's house in London as her main home and then claimed second home allowances on her Redditch family home.

Despite this the report said that the fact she had followed Commons officials' advice at the time was "a significant mitigating circumstance" and "no further action" should be taken.

It added: "Ms Smith clearly breached the rules of the House by wrongly designating her main home from 2004 to 2009.

“We recommend that Ms Smith apologise to the House by means of a personal statement."

She will not have to repay any money.

In addressing the speaker Ms Smith said: “On the issue of second home allowances, The Commissioner and the Committee recognise that my London home is indeed a home. They dismiss the most usually repeated newspaper descriptions of my living arrangements.

“I sought and received written advice from the Parliamentary Authorities that supported my main home designation. And indeed, I spent more nights in London than in Redditch for three of the four years in question. I have never flipped my designation and I only own one home.

“However, in retrospect, the Commissioner concludes that I should have used my discretion to change my main home designation.”

She added: “I therefore apologise to the House. And I want to say sorry, too, to my constituents.

“They are my number one priority and for too long this investigation has overshadowed the work that I do for them.”