Northern Ireland politicians have told a watchdog panel they are in favour of major reforms to the expenses system at Westminster and the Assembly.

The Committee on Standards in Public Life, an advisory body to Government, held a hearing in Belfast yesterday as part of its Parliamentary expenses inquiry.

Both PUP leader Dawn Purvis and Sinn Fein MLA Alex Maskey who gave evidence said there was a need for change in both double-jobbing and family members employed by politicians.

Ms Purvis spoke of a need for transparency as the expenses row had damaged public confidence.

“In the last year I think unfortunately public confidence has haemorrhaged,” she said.

Ms Purvis highlighted the problem of family members being employed by politicians.

She said when she was elected to the Assembly she noticed that many cars arrived into the members' parking area with a large number of passengers.

“They were almost like clown cars, as the doors opened and passenger after passenger climbed out,” she told the panel.

She said she realised that they were families arriving together.

Ms Purvis has proposed a Private Member's Bill in the Assembly which she hopes will bring added accountability to members.

Mr Maskey said that while Sinn Fein wanted to end dual mandates it was difficult to adopt immediately as the political institutions “were not stable”.

Mr Maskey was also questioned about Sinn Fein attendance in Westminster. He told committee chairman Sir Christopher Kelly that Sinn Fein politicians were elected on the basis that they were abstentionist candidates and to sit in Westminster would be against the voters’ wishes.

Belfast Telegraph investigations correspondent David Gordon also gave evidence after making a written submission to the committee.

Under questioning from the panel he warned about Northern Ireland being left as a “slum” in accountability terms. He also cited the ongoing secrecy about donations to political parties here, as well as areas of concern surrounding MLA office-running expenses.

Sir Christopher also asked whether the legacy of the Troubles had an impact on how politicians dealt with finances.

Mr Gordon said that throughout the period of the Troubles a “small elite” emerged within the province's political arena which now proved hard for new individuals to break through.

When asked how the situation could be tackled, Mr Gordon said the Scottish model was a good example of political transparency.

But he told the panel that reform was needed in Westminster based on the principle that expenses should not be used to benefit politicians, their families or their parties.

He said the only issue to be withheld from the public regarding transparency would be matters relating to security.

Asked by the panel if politicians should be banned from employing members of family he said it would be a possibility as the “big issue” was to restore public confidence.