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Expenses

MPs are able to claim a range of allowances to help them in their work. This includes the cost of running an office, the cost of employing staff, travel costs and the cost of living away from home.

The House of Commons has now published details of three allowances – the incidental expenses allowance, the communications allowance and the additional cost allowance.

Incidental expenses provision and the communications allowance

The incidental expenses provision is there to cover the costs of running offices in Fareham and Westminster. This includes the rent on my office in Fareham, the cost of stationery, telephones etc. Prior to the introduction of the communications allowance, I also used it to pay for the cost of my Westminster Report and website. These costs are now paid out of my communications allowance.

The additional costs allowance

The additional cost allowance covers the cost of living away from my main home in Locks Heath. My second home is a flat in central London. You might ask why do I need a second home.

The hours the House of Commons works are long. On Monday and Tuesday, our debates are scheduled to finish at 10.00pm, and at 7.00pm on Wednesday and 6.00pm on Thursday. There are usually votes after the end of a debate. My normal working day starts between about 8.00am and 8.30am. I believe I do my job better by being in the House of Commons rather than being stuck on a train late at night.

The Additional Cost Allowance is used to cover the costs of having a second home. As you will be aware from the press coverage, we can charge a range of costs to the allowance. I have used it to pay for things such as utility bills, mortgage interest, maintenance and some furnishings. As is common with other jobs where you work away from home you can also claim for food, which I have done when I am in London. I have always made what I believed were reasonable claims that were within the spirit of the rules. I have only claimed for what I have needed so you will see for example, that my ACA claims for 2008/9 are lower than in previous years. Tighter rules have been introduced for 2009/10 to restrict the use of the ACA so it can’t be used for things like furniture or maintenance and these costs will have to be borne by MPs themselves.

These rules are now being reviewed by the Committee on Standards in Public Life, an independant body, chaired by Sir Christopher Kelly. I believe that this is the right approach and mirrors my belief that it is not right for MPs to set their own pay.

I have set out below details of the allowances I have claimed over recent years. In addition, I have provided links from this site to the forms I submitted for the additional cost allowances, incidental expenses provision and the communications allowance which have been published by the House of Commons for 2004/5, 2005/6, 2006/7 and 2007/8. I have also published on this website my claim forms for the additional cost allowance for 2008/9.

Type

2008/09

2007/08

(ranking out of 645)

2006/07

(ranking out of 645)

2005/06

2004/05

(ranking out of 659)

Additional

Costs Allowance

£18,465

£21,280

(327th)

£19,788

(397th)

£21,545

£20,049

(303rd)

London

Supplement

£0

£0

£0

£0

£0

Incidental

Expenses Provision

£9,809

£15,979

(431st)

£18,493

(456th)

£20,000

£19,259

(joint 172nd)

Staffing

Allowance

£98,466

£85,250

(409th)

£89,170

(85th)

£76,721

£67,734

(456th)

Communications

Allowance

£12,299

£8,786

(290th)

N/A

N/A

N/A

Members'

Travel

 

£5,792

(414th)*

£5,228

(456th)**

£4,662

£9,619

(347th)

Members'

Staff Travel

 

£58

(joint 402nd)

£110

(joint 372nd)

£121

£356

(310th)

Members'

Spouse Travel

 

£1,543

(84th)

N/A

N/A

N/A

Members'

Family Travel

 

£0

N/A

N/A

N/A

Centrally

Purchased Stationery

 

£1,010

(220th)

£1,034

(269th)

£875

£1,012

(283rd)

Stationery:

Associated Postage Costs

 

£3,799

(151st)

£4,113

(189th)

£3,635

£2,840

(288th)

Centrally

Provided Computer Equipment

 

£1,139

(joint 432nd)

£970

(466th)

£0

£1,967

(146th)

Other

Costs

 

£0

£0

£0

£0

Total

 

£144,636

(356th)

£138,906

(302nd)

£127,559

£122,836

(337th)

Information for other 2008/9 costs and rankings not yet available.

Click here to see my claim forms for the additional cost allowance for 2008/9.

Click here for additional cost allowances, incidental expenses provision and the communications allowance which have been published by the House of Commons.