British speaker under investigation

LONDON, April 2 (UPI) -- The speaker of the British House of Commons has admitted that taxpayers paid the taxi fare when his wife went shopping.

The Parliamentary Commissioner of Standards, the official in charge of looking into allegations of corruption in Parliament, is to investigate Michael Martin, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Mary Martin reportedly spent 4,000 pounds ($8,000) on taxis to and from the supermarket.

"The part of your complaint I have accepted is that Mrs. Martin's expenditure on taxis may not have been in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament and its associated rules," the commissioner, John Lyon, said in a letter to the Taxpayers' Alliance.

Mike Wallace of the alliance said the speaker should stand aside until the investigation is completed, calling it inappropriate for someone who appears to have taken advantage of the parliamentary expense system to be in charge of it.