09 10 01	BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk 204.9.162.70
Minister stands down for family East of England Minister Barbara Follett will stand down at the general election for family reasons. Ms Follett is the MP for Stevenage in Hertfordshire and minister for culture, creative industries and tourism. ?I had hoped to stand one more time for the constituency that I love and first joined over 30 years ago,? she said. The MP hit the headlines earlier this year when it was revealed she claimed more than ?25,000 expenses for security measures and ?500 to repair a rug. In a statement, she said: ?I will be 67 this Christmas and my husband and children made it clear, after 12 years, they had had enough of me being absent from family occasions or turning up late.? Ms Follett had been one of a group of MPs who tried to reform parliamentary hours. ?Despite improvements, Westminster's timetable still remains very family-unfriendly,? she said. Expenses repaid ?I admire and respect the Prime Minister. He is a good and brave man and I intend to work as hard as I possibly can for him in the weeks and months that remain before the next general election. ?When that comes, both my family and I will be out campaigning for him, for Labour and for my successor.? The MP had claimed ?25,411.64 for security patrols at her London home after she was mugged. She also requested ?528.75 to have a Chinese needlepoint rug repaired and cleaned but that was deemed excessive by the Fees Office and she was handed back just ?300. At the time she said: ?I claimed it, it's within the rules and I have no comment to make.? But later she repaid the amounts she had received. Published: 2009/10/01 15:35:13 GMT