LONDON - Britain's Treasury chief promised Monday to repay a disputed expense claim as he sought to avoid becoming the highest-profile casualty in the furor over lawmakers' allowances.
Before an expected shake-up of Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Cabinet, Chancellor Alistair Darling said he would return some money he claimed in 2007, after a newspaper alleged he charged for allowances on two homes at once.
Brown is expected to reassign a number of government ministers following elections Thursday for Britain's representatives to the European Parliament, as well as for about 2,300 seats on local councils.
Darling, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith -- whose expense claims included pornographic movies ordered by her husband -- and Communities Secretary Hazel Blears are among senior ministers who have faced criticism.
Blears has been criticized for making tens of thousands of pounds (dollars) tax free by selling a home she was using public money to maintain. Brown has said her actions were unacceptable.
Brown, who conducted a lengthy round of news interviews Monday as the elections loomed, declined to say whether those caught in the scandal will be ousted.
"They're doing a good job, but I'm not going to make any predictions," Brown told Britain's Sky News, asked about the futures of Darling and Blears.
The revelation that lawmakers have been claiming expense reimbursements for items from chocolate bars to pool repairs has triggered anger in Britain. A total of 13 lawmakers have said they will quit at the next national election, which Brown must call by June 2010.
The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that Darling filed claims for costs on a London apartment he had rented out while also charging for expenses on his official Downing Street home next door to Brown's residence.
Darling said the allegations were incorrect, explaining that he had paid in advance for building management fees at his apartment block, but had later moved to Downing Street.
He pledged to repay about 700 pounds ($1,150) to cover the costs. Parliament rules allow lawmakers to file claims on only one property at a time.
On Monday, opposition legislators called on Darling to step down immediately.
"In a time of economic as well as political crisis, it is absolutely right that the person who is in charge of the national finances should be someone who is regarded with moral authority, not just operating within technical rules," Liberal Democrat lawmaker Vince Cable told BBC radio. "I don't think the chancellor is in that position."
Brown declined to say whether Darling will retain his post.
"He has been a very good colleague and friend," Brown told BBC radio. "If he had done anything wrong he would be the first to admit it."
Darling replaced Brown as Treasury chief in June 2007, when Brown became prime minister.
The most prominent casualty of the scandal so far has been House of Commons Speaker Michael Martin, who resigned under pressure from lawmakers who blamed their predicament on his resistance to reform of the expense rules.
Details of legislators' claims were supposed to have been released in July under a freedom of information request, but they were leaked to the Daily Telegraph newspaper by former special forces soldier John Wick. Wick said he acted as a middleman, and he has not revealed his source.
The Times newspaper said Wick had offered to sell the information to the paper for 300,000 pounds ($486,000). The Daily Telegraph has declined to say whether it paid Wick for the data.
