mp claiming of expenses
Dear Sir or Madam,
Can you tell me if you are considering any case regarding
claiming of expenses to which the House of
Commons Authorities have decided they were not entitled.
could you please list any mps that have cases pending
If there is no current case, are you aware of any that may be being prepared, and if not can you advise me on what would need to be done for such a criminal case to be initiated?
i have included a list of mps with some evidence
labour mp
Nick Ainger tried to claim £3,371 for furniture – including £768 for a Man Ray styling
chair and £1,434 for a sofabed – but was paid £3,075
Bob Ainsworth claimed nearly £6,000 for the redecoration of his designated second home
Douglas Alexander spent more than £30,000 doing up his constituency home – which then
suffered damage in a house fire. Claimed the cost of hiring a “media trainer” on his
office expenses. Spent taxpayers’ money on advertising at football and rugby league
matches.
Graham Allen claimed £495 for service charge on London flat and the maximum £400 for
food on most occasions. Food claims reduced when he twice tried to claim over £500 a
month
David Anderson: By April 2006, his mortgage interest costs were £1,203. Claimed for
furniture, washing machine and microwave. Claimed between £200 and £400 a month in food
anet Anderson admitted claiming £6,250 too much in petty cash through her office
expenses
Hilary Armstrong was told that allowing the Labour Party to pay for and run a computer
at her taxpayer-funded home could make her “politically vulnerable”
Charlotte Atkins claimed more than £35,000 in renovations on her second home allowance
including £20,000 for windows, £4,000 for the chimney, £9,000 for the bathroom and
nearly £2,000 for the garden
Ian Austin split a claim for stamp duty on buying his second home in London into two
payments and tried to claim it back over two financial years.
John Austin claimed more than £10,000 for redecorating his London flat, which was 11
miles from his main home, before selling it for a profit.
Vera Baird claimed the cost of Christmas tree decorations
Ed Balls and wife Yvette Cooper “flipped” the designation of their second home to three
different properties within two years. Balls , the Schools Secretary, also attempted to
claim £33 for poppy wreaths
Celia Barlow used her second home allowance to spend more than £28,000 on stamp duty,
legal costs and renovations despite telling the fees office that the property would
become her main home
Kevin Barron claimed London flat in 2004-05 as his second home with a monthly mortgage
interest of £1,509, which rose to £1,791 in 2005-06. It increased in 2007-08 to more
than £2,000
John Battle having asked the fees office about his food allowance, he went on to claim
the maximum £400 a month.Claimed £499 dark brown sofa and a £599 recliner
Hugh Bayley decided flat in London rather than York should be second home and claimed
£1,177 monthly mortgage interest. Later, he claimed York as second home
Margaret Beckett made a £600 claim for hanging baskets and pot plants. She dismissed
the claim as a "mistake" although analysis of her expenses shows she made three similar
claims on previous occasions
Anne Begg spent £1,403 on living room furniture in her London flat and £500 on
Devonshire carpets for two bedrooms. Claimed £85,245 over four years
Sir Stuart Bell claimed £750 for food in December 2005, reduced to the maximum monthly
amount of £400. Designated his second home as a flat in London and claimed £1,400 a
month rent
Hilary Benn claimed only £42,113 on his second homes allowance in four years. Faces
questions over party funding after it emerged he paid rent to the Labour Party from
expenses. Claimed for party political propaganda
Joe Benton designated his second home as a flat he owns in London. In 2005 he claimed
£400 a month for food during the summer recess and in 2008 spent £1,500 on repairs to
his second home
Roger Berry's costs incurred at his designated second home in London included £696 on
Sony 26-inch LCD TV, £250 on DVD player, £1067.49 on washer dryer, £574.28 on
dishwasher
Clive Betts claimed £1,268 for carpets and £570 sofa bed; £689.99 for television;
£1,433.50 on decoration; £1,220 on furniture; £1,135.20 on a bed
Liz Blackman went on last-minute shopping sprees before the end of each financial year,
in an apparent attempt to make sure she claimed as close to maximum expenses as
possible
Roberta Blackman-Woods claimed £9,425.19 in stamp duty and other costs associated with
buying a London flat. Later claimed £1,364.29 per month in mortgage interest payments
Tony Blair re-mortgaged his constituency home and claimed almost a third of the
interest around the time he was buying another property in London. He also put in a
claim for almost £7,000 of roof repairs just two days before stepping down as Prime
Minister
Hazel Blears did not pay capital gains tax on a property she sold despite having told
the Commons authorities it was her second home. She has since agreed to paid the tax
but denied any wrongdoing. Claimed the costs of accountancy advice using expenses
intended to fund their parliamentary and constituency offices. Bought expensive
gadgets. Claimed for party political propaganda
Bob Blizzard claims £1,278.25 monthly mortgage interest payments on a second home in
London. Mr Blizzard has made few other claims. Those included £363 for a washing
machine
David Blunkett designates his second home as a rented property in Derbyshire. He pays
£600 per month in rent. He claimed £1,600 for half the cost of relaying a path there
David Borrow claims £1,300 per month in mortgage interest payments on a London flat
which is designated as his second home, plus utilities and council tax
Ben Bradshaw used his allowance to pay the mortgage interest on a flat he owned jointly
with his boyfriend
Kevin Brennan had a £450 television delivered to his family home in Cardiff even though
he reclaimed the money back on his London second home allowance
Gordon Brown's house swap let the PM claim thousands
Lyn Brown designated her second home as a flat within walking distance of Parliament
which she shares with two other MPs
Nick Brown claimed £18,800, without receipts, in expenses for food over four years amid
total expenses of £87,000
Russell Brown reclaimed the maximum allowed under the Commons expenses system for his
bathroom to be refurbished at his rented designated second home in London. Claimed for
his rented second home in London included £1,368.88 on carpets and floor covering, £898
on two armchairs and £4,500 for a replacement bathroom
Des Browne claimed £5,822 for furnishings and carpets at his second home in London
Chris Bryant changed second home twice in two years to claim £20,000
Karen Buck is an inner London MP, so ineligible for the second home allowance. Has
claimed the maximum “London supplement” for the past eight years
Richard Burden tried to claim £337 for towels and bedding that he had claimed for six
months earlier in September 2006. When the error was pointed out, he replied in an
email “Ooops!”
Colin Burgon claimed for the £1,300-£1,800 monthly rent on his Westminster flat, for
general household costs and for occasional food bills
Andy Burnham had an eight-month battle with the fees office after making a single
expenses claim for more than £16,500. Mr Burnham, the Cutlure Secretary, avoided paying
tax on a £16,600 property windfall. Claimed for party political propaganda
Dawn Butler, the Labour whip, over-claimed £2,600 in rent on her constituency home.
Stephen Byers claimed more than £125,000 for repairs and maintenance at a London flat
owned outright by his partner, where he lives rent-free
Liam Byrne claimed between £1,300 and £2,300 a month rent for various London flats,
along with monthly grocery bills and other charges
Richard Caborn claimed £1,000+ a month rent for flat in Barbican, with £200 a month for
food and other bills. Claimed £240 for appliances or bills when claims under £250
didn’t need receipt
David Cairns claimed the £1,300-£1,400 a month interest on the mortgage of the north
London flat that he shares with his civil partner. Also claimed for food, cleaning,
council tax and other bills
Alan Campbell claimed the £700-£850 interest on the mortgage of London flat, along with
regular service charges. In 2006, claimed £1,572 for redecoration of the flat
Anne Campbell sold her designated second home in London to her son after she lost her
seat in Parliament
Ronnie Campbell claimed a total of £87,729 for furniture for his London flat
Martin Caton claimed £460 a month in interest on the mortgage of his west London flat,
along with £350 a month in food and other bills. £3,216 for new bathroom equipment and
£6,400 for a new kitchen
Ben Chapman deliberately over-claimed for interest on the mortgage of his London house
by about £15,000 with the approval of the fees office, documents seen by the Telegraph
suggest. He will stand down at the next election
Colin Challen sold his London flat to his senior researcher but carried on renting it
for a nightly fee
David Chaytor admits claiming almost £13,000 in interest payments for a mortgage that
he had already repaid. He was suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party and has now
decided to stand down at the next election. It has also emerged that he paid his
daughter, under an assumed name, from the public purse
Michael Clapham submitted a receipt for the pair of glasses bought for his wife
Katy Clark claimed £1,300 rent at London flat, while also claiming for £300 a month in
food and other bills. Occasional hotel bills after being stranded off the mainland on
business
Paul Clark claimed the £1,200 a month rent for his flat in London. Also claimed for
food and gardening. Flipped his expenses after claiming the £900 a month mortgage
interest for his house in Kent
Charles Clarke, the former Home Secretary, claimed £500 monthly mortgage interest for
London home in 2004-05. Moved to another house in London at the end of 2005.
Tom Clarke designated the Sloane Club in Chelsea as second home, and claimed about
£1,500 a month while in London. Claimed £400 a month for food
David Clelland claimed for the cost of “buying out” his partner’s £45,000 stake in his
London flat
Ann Clwyd claimed £400 a month for food, £200 a month for cleaning, utilities bills and
council tax. In 2007, claimed £2,300 for carpets, tables and a chair
Vernon Coaker claimed £260 a month for interest on the mortgage of his flat in London,
along with £400 a month for food and other bills
Anne Coffey claimed £1,000 a month in interest on the mortgage of her London house,
along with £250-£300 a month in food. Claimed £1,052 in furniture and bedding and £40 a
month for a TV package in 2005
Harry Cohen claimed thousands of pounds for redecorating his second home before selling
it and charging taxpayers £12,000 in stamp duty and fees on a new property
Michael Connarty sold some of the contents of his London home to Jim Devine, a close
colleague, before charging the taxpayer thousands of pounds for goods delivered to
addresses in Scotland
Frank Cook claimed back the cost of giving £5 to a church collection at a Battle of
Britain memorial service. He also submitted £211 worth of receipts for bedding, £2,137
for storage and £750 for bedroom furniture. His rental cost rose to £1,656 in October
2006
Rosie Cooper claimed £915 for solicitors’ fees and survey costs on a property she did
not buy
Yvette Cooper and husband Ed Balls “flipped” the designation of their second home to
three different properties within two years. Cooper bought expensive gadgets and
claimed for party political propaganda
Jeremy Corbyn does not claim for a second home as a London MP, but is paid a supplement
of £2,812 for living in the capital
Jim Cousins claimed for second home in London with a mortgage payment of £54.08 in
2004. Made regular maximum monthly claims of £400 for food. Claimed £1,000 for the
removal of ivy from building and garden. Claim for £30 parking permit rejected
David Crausby was allowed to borrow an additional £25,000 on his mortgage to refurbish
his kitchen and bathroom last year. This boosted his mortgage interest claim by £400 a
month
Mary Creagh appointed north London flat as second home, then switched to new home in
Wakefield. Claimed £9,000 for stamp duty and £1,184 for solicitors fees. Claimed £4,480
for new roof
Jon Cruddas changed one address to another in 2004-05 for designated second home.
Claimed £2,083 in kitchen equipment. Monthly mortgage interest increased from £607 in
2004 to £1,712 in 2008
Anne Cryer and son John, who were both MPs, designated the same flat as their second
home. Mrs Cryer also bought London home in 2005, where the monthly mortgage interest
rose from £600 to £900 in three years. Claimed £550 for rug and £2,972 for furnishings
from Peter Jones including £699 Sony TV
John Cummings claimed monthly mortgage interest on London home of £630 in 2004-06.
Submitted £2,036 bill for replacing condemned gas fire, £3,220 for new kitchen and
£1,344 for renovating stairs and hall
Jim Cunningham shunned the opportunity to by furniture and his expenses were in the
bottom 40 of any MP
Tony Cunningham charged monthly mortgage interest on London home of £665 in 2005-06.
Had to pay back £399.50 to the fees office after he wrongly claimed for accountant on
his expenses
Claire Curtis-Thomas claimed £9,000 for fire escape in second home in her constituency
which doubles as an office and was paid £4,000. Submitted £12,000 of receipts for
kitchen, and hall. Tried to claim £20 for bank charges when overdrawn
Tam Dalyell attempted to claim £18,000 for bookcases two months before he retired as an
MP
Alistair Darling billed us for two homes at the same time by claiming parliamentary
expenses for a flat that he let to tenants while also claiming living allowances for
his grace and favour home in Downing Street. It had previously emerged that Mr
Darling's stamp duty was paid by the public. Claimed the costs of accountancy advice
using expenses intended to fund their parliamentary and constituency offices and
claimed four different properties as his second home in as many years
Wayne David claimed for a second property in London. Claimed £225 for crockery, £210
for rugs and mats and £630 for three chests of drawers. Regular monthly mortgage
interest payments of £1,285 in 2008
Ian Davidson paid £5,500 to a family friend to renovate his flat and then took him
shooting with members of the House of Lords
Geraint Davies spent £4000 of public money on renovating his designated second home in
the months before he lost his seat at the 2005 general election
Quentin Davies repaired window frames at his18th-century mansion, charging £10,000 to
expenses
Janet Dean claimed £60 to dispose of old furniture from second home in London. Paid
£1,000 in rent in 2004-05 and £1,200 in 2006. Few other bills apart from TV licence,
water and telephone. Claimed £145 Dyson vacuum cleaner in February 2008
John Denham claimed regular monthly mortgage interest of £1,284 in 2006. Claimed £2,792
to damp proof bathroom wall in 2007
Jim Devine was deselected from the Labour Party over allegations he submitted a claim
for £2,157 for rewiring his London flat based on a receipt bearing an invalid VAT
number and incorrect details of a firm
Parmjit Dhanda repeatedly claimed the wrong amount of mortgage on his expenses
Andrew Dismore claims £90 a month in council tax and £835 a year in service charge on
constituency flat 11.4 miles from Westminster, but does not claim mortgage payments or
rent. Spent £275 on an Afghan rug bought in Bethnal Green
Jim Dobbin's second home is a flat in London, where he charged taxpayers £380.42 for
decking in 2004-05. Spent £474 on bed in 2007, and £100 on a mattress cover in 2008
Frank Dobson has an inner London seat so cannot claim for a second home. However, he
does receive the London supplement, taking home £2,812 in 2007-8
Brian Donohoe was allowed to claim over the odds on a three-piece suite for his second
home because the Commons authorities did not want to “antagonise” him or appear
“petty”.
Frank Doran names a farmhouse north of Aberdeen as second home and claims around £500 a
month in mortgage interest payments. Claims £1,200 for work on his trees
Jim Dowd is ineligible to claim for a second home as he represents a constituency in
inner London. However, he does receive the London supplement, totalling £2,812 in 2007
-08
David Drew used to own a home in London but decided to forgo it in favour of staying in
hotels while in the capital
Angela Eagle claimed just £155 a month mortgage interest on her second home for a
period and even underclaimed for council tax
Maria Eagle claimed thousands of pounds on refurbishing a bathroom at one of her flats
just months before switching her designated second home to a property with a higher
mortgage
Clive Efford is not eligible for the second home allowance as he is an inner-London MP
and receives the lower London supplement, getting £2,812 in 2007-08
Louise Ellman claims £838 a month in mortgage interest, plus £2,300 annual service
charges on flat in Westminster. Also claimed £594 for six “leather effect” dining
chairs from John Lewis
Natascha Engel went on a shopping spree within months of being elected, spending
thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ cash. She charged the taxpayer for copies of a DVD of
her maiden speech to Parliament and a copy of a novel by an acclaimed German writer
Jeff Ennis claims under £300 a month in mortgage interest on flat near Elephant and
Castle. Claims £85 plumbing, saying: “My bath has been condemned”
Bill Etherington last year claimed £2,600 for blinds, £775 for central heating and £305
to repair his roof following a problem with rodents. In 2004, claimed £5,250 for doors
and windows
Michael Fallon claimed £8,300 too much in expenses for the mortgage on his second home.
Paul Farrelly claims £1,330 mortgage interest on house in north London and regular
maximum £400 monthly claim for food. Also claims £130-£200 a month for cleaning, and
for parking permits
Frank Field claimed just £44,338 on his second home allowance between 2004 and 2008
Mark Fisher claimed only £200 a month in interest on the mortgage of a London flat,
before buying another in 2007 and claiming the £1,500 a month interest on the mortgage
there
Jim Fitzpatrick: as an MP in the capital, claims the “London supplement” rather than
the additional costs allowance for second homes. Has claimed the maximum for past eight
years
Caroline Flint claimed £14,000 for fees for new flat
Robert Flello takes over rent of London flat from predecessor as MP, George Stevenson,
and pays him £750 for some contents after being elected in 2005, . Moves from here to
other rented properties and hotels
Paul Flynn claims £7,052 for new kitchen, £1,153 carpets and £1,200 decoration for his
London property in 2005, before selling it and moving to a new £275,000 flat. Claims
£9,629 in stamp duty and fees
Barbara Follett used £25,000 of taxpayers' money to pay for private security patrols at
her home
Michael J Foster claims £630 a month interest on the mortgage of his south-east London
flat, along with £250 a month for food, annual council tax bills, service charges and
utilities bills
Michael Foster claimed £700 a month in mortgage interest on London flat before moving
to a more expensive property in 2005. Claimed more than £13,000 in stamp duty and legal
fees
Hywel Francis designated his second home in London. Claims have included £3,000
contribution towards stamp duty and £549 for a chair. He also claimed £325 for a
bookcase
Mike Gapes claimed £1,600 per month to rent a second home in London. His few other
claims include £30.98 for photograph frames and £17.97 for a tea caddy
Barry Gardiner made £198,500 profit from a flat funded and refurbished at taxpayers'
expense
Bruce George claimed £3,136 for central heating and pipework, and £760 on carpets at
his second home in London. Also claimed £3,738. 85 for decorating
Neil Gerrard made no claims against the second home allowance
Ian Gibson claimed almost £80,000 in four years for mortgage interest and bills on a
London flat which was the main home of his daughter
Linda Gilroy said that she was paying back £1,891. Her designated second home is a flat
in Dolphin Square, London, where she claims £1,450 a month in rent. Claims £15 most
months for cleaning and utilities. In 2005-6 had to repay £468 after being allowed to
spend too much.
Roger Godsiff claimed for bath mats, gardening equipment and more than £7,000 of
property repairs on his office expenses. He also claimed more than £2,300 per month in
mortgage interest payments on his second home in London but does not claim for any
other items
Paul Goggins, the Northern Ireland Minister, claimed almost £45,000 for a "second
home", while a friend lived there rent-free
Helen Goodman claimed for a week's stay in a cottage in her constituency over a bank
holiday
Nia Griffith bought flat near Westminster soon after being elected, and claimed £9,533
in fees and stamp duty. Claimed £2,270 for “complete redecoration” and £2,997 in
furnishings. Claims current mortgage interest of £904 a month
Nigel Griffiths tried to defend his £3,600 claim for electronic equipment in his second
home in London by insisting he had to listen to “Scottish radio” and watch “Scottish
TV”.
John Grogan designates a flat in Bayswater, west London, as second home and claims
£1,560 a month in rent. Also claimed £1,840 on food in 2007-08 and £495 on cleaning
services but does not claim for furniture or goods
Andrew Gwynne made monthly mortgage interest payments of £779 in 2006 and 2007, which
rose to £1,248 in 2008. Submitted receipt for £27.97 clock radio from Tesco
Peter Hain asked if he could claim on two mortgages for homes in his constituency
Mike Hall claimed thousands of pounds in expenses for the cost of cleaners, cleaning
products and laundry bills for his London home
Patrick Hall's second home costs were a modest half of the total allowance
David Hamilton claimed £1,710 for decorating at second home in London. Other claims
included £199 for lighting, £165 for mirrors, £200 for bedding and £180 on kitchen
utensils
Fabian Hamilton declared his mother’s London house as his main residence while over-
charging the taxpayer by thousands of pounds for a mortgage on his family home in Leeds
David Hanson: fees office refused £429 for wife’s name to be added to mortgage in
November 2006. Submitted £15 receipt for potpourri candles
Harriet Harman hired Scarlett MccGwire for “consultancy” services on the public purse.
Claimed for party political propaganda. Bought expensive gadgets.Claimed for party
political propaganda
Tom Harris became embroiled in a row with the Commons fees office when his claims for a
baby cot and bottle steriliser were rejected.
Dai Havard put through £1,165 of Argos receipts showing address in Wales, but told fees
office goods went to London and that he had “asked” for this so he would remember to
take invoices to constituency office
Sylvia Heal tried to claim her £882 accountancy bill in 2006-07 but was refused. Now
claims less than £20 a month on her mortgage interest payments on her constituency home
John Healey designates flat in Lambeth as his second home. Has claimed £1,172 for a new
front door. Has spent £6,194 renovating his kitchen
Doug Henderson has claimed hundreds of pounds for telephone calls made from his family
home which is more than four hours drive away from his constituency. He has a second
home in Primrose Hill. In 2007-08 he submitted many claims, without receipts, of £200 a
month for council tax, £150 for cleaning, £400 for food and £100 for
“service/maintenance”
Mark Hendrick admitted “estimating” the amount of mortgage interest he paid on his
second home when claiming. He secretly paid back nearly £7,000 to the taxpayer claiming
wrongly for two mortgages
Stephen Hepburn has a second home is a flat in Lambeth, south London. In 2007-08
claimed the same amount, £1,923, every month. This included £690 mortgage interest,
£380 on food, £200 on council tax and £190 on cleaning, all without receipts
John Heppell claimed the maximum second home allowance in each of the past four years.
Owns a flat near Westminster and in 2007-8 claimed £2,019 a month in mortgage interest
as well as £576 in service charges
Stephen Hesford has a second home is a flat in Kennington, south London. In 2005-6 he
put through a £5,599 bill for a new bathroom and challenged the fees office when told
the most he would be allowed was £3,500
Patricia Hewitt claimed £920 in legal fees when she moved out of a flat in her
constituency. Stayed in hotels then rented another flat in Leicester. Claimed for
furniture including £194 blinds delivered to her London home
David Heyes rents a flat in the Barbican. Claimed £240 for cleaning services most
months. In 2006 he put through receipts for £9.38 worth of “moth killer” along with
black shoe shine, carpet cleaner and descaler
Keith Hill: as an inner London MP not eligible to claim for a second home allowance,
but he took maximum London supplement of £2,812 last year. “It had never occurred to me
that an MP would not pay for his meals out of his own pocket”
Meg Hillier: as an inner London MP Miss Hillier is not eligible to claim for a second
home allowance, but she claimed the maximum London supplement of £2,812 last year
Margaret Hodge claimed thousands of pounds to pay for public relations services from a
former government press officer
Sharon Hodgson moved second home from London to Gateshead in 2006 with monthly mortgage
interest of £1,178. Claim for a £999 TV queried. Fees office said it was “luxurious”
item
Kate Hoey is not eligible to claim for a second home allowance as an inner London MP,
but claimed maximum London supplement of £2,812 last year. “I’m shocked by the abuses
of the expenses system,” she said
Jimmy Hood used his second homes allowance to claim up to £1,000 per month without
providing receipts. Claimed the maximum £400 a month for food and £728 on monthly
mortgage interest for his London second home. Submitted £110 receipt for new locks and
£699 for a Samsung TV.
Geoff Hoon established a property empire worth £1.7 million after claiming taxpayer-
funded expenses for at least two properties. He also did not pay capital gains tax on
the sale of his London home in 2006. Claimed the costs of accountancy advice using
expenses intended to fund their parliamentary and constituency offices. Bought
expensive gadgets
Phil Hope spent more than £10,000 in one year refurbishing a small London flat. He has
promised to pay back £41,000 to the taxpayer
Kelvin Hopkins claims just a fraction of the available second-home allowance by taking
the train to Westminster from his home town
Alan Howarth designated a £1.45 million London house on which he now claims House of
Lords expenses as his second home
David Howarth has not made any claims on his second home allowance since 2004/05
George Howarth has a second home in London. Claimed £1,000 for a chest of drawers which
was reduced by the fees office to £500, and £20 for a colander. MP said he had bought
the drawers as “they were the only ones that matched” his furniture
Kim Howells claimed £948.99 for a television at his second home which he designated in
his constituency
Lindsay Hoyle claimed £700 per month from second home allowance for mortgage interest
payments on his second home in London. Other claims included £505 on a table
Beverley Hughes rented a second home in London where she claimed £801.60 for
reupholstering furniture, £718 on a chair and £435 on curtains and for bedding
Joan Humble claimed up to £1,900 per month to rent a second home in London. She also
put in a claim for £1,195 for decorating and charged a further £663.92 for curtains
John Hutton faces questions over party funding after it emerged that he was paid rent
to the Labour Party. Spent taxpayers’ money advertising at football and rugby league
matches. Used his office expenses to pay for a degree studied by a member of his staff.
Claims £1,340 a month in interest on the mortgage of his house in west London. Until
August 2005, claimed £900 a month for interest on mortgage of his constituency home in
Aldingham, Cumbria, before switching to London.
Brian Iddon rented a flat in London as his second home. The rental is just over £1,000
per month and he also claimed for food, utilities, council tax and parking charges at
the London address
Eric Illsley claimed mortgage interest payments of £180 per month. Claimed for food,
utilities, council tax and cleaning but made few other claims on his second home in
London
Adam Ingram rented a flat in London as his second home. His claims have included £1,856
for redecoration of the flat and £150 on dishes. He submitted a claim of £17.99 for a
hairdryer which was rejected
Huw Irranca-Davies claimed £4,500 for kitchen repairs and replacement at second home in
London. Also claimed £700 for garden clearance and disposal of waste
Glenda Jackson has repaid more than £8,000 in expenses she wrongly claimed towards
publication of an annual report. She did not claim on her second homes allowance
between 2004 and 2008
Sian James claimed £1,200 rent on her second home in London, where other claims
included £476.24 for furniture, another £265 on furniture, £100 on bedside cabinets and
£25 on a stepladder
Brian Jenkins claims little or no mortgage interest for his property in London
Alan Johnson claimed just £43,596 for his second home in 2004-8
Diana Johnson claimed nearly £1,000 to cover the cost of hiring an architect for a
decorating project at her second home
Helen Jones claimed £87,647 in second home allowances for her London flat between 2004
and 2008. Claimed £5,699 for estate agent fees for selling her flat in London. Her
mortgage rose from £89,000 to £223,000 when she moved to a new flat. Blinds were £154,
curtains were £25 and glasses were £57.44
Kevan Jones claimed £9,670 for fees and stamp duty on his £315,000 central London flat
in May 2004. The flat is now believed to be worth about £350,000. Carpeting in “Berwick
Sand” cost a further £1,913
Lynne Jones used upmarket Farrow & Ball wallpaper for a redecoration programme at her
second home in London
Martyn Jones rents a flat and a car space (for £165 a month) near Parliament. Usually
claimed £400 a month for food and a sofa bed cost £764. A new microwave was £129
Tessa Jowell is not eligible to claim for the second home allowance as an inner London
MP, but receives the London Supplement, which was £2,812 last year
Eric Joyce claimed on a house in Croydon which he sold in 2007 for £383,000. He did not
pay capital gains tax on the profit when he sold the house. He claimed £3500 for a new
kitchen in 2005. Now stays in hotels in the capital
Sadiq Khan is ineligible for the second home allowance as an inner London MP. He claims
the smaller “London supplement”. Claimed more than £4,500 through his office expenses
for “consultancy” provided by Scarlett MccGwire, a media trainer. Also submits monthly
bills for three mobile phones.
Gerald Kaufman charged the taxpayer £1,851 for a rug he imported from a New York
antiques centre and tried to claim £8,865 for a television
Sally Keeble claimed £4,112 for windows at her Northampton house under the second home
allowance, £3,072 for a new boiler and £950 for “essential maintenance” on the bathroom
Barbara Keeley claimed £13,000 for stamp duty when she bought a new flat in Westminster
for £470,000 after living in rented accommodation
Alan and Ann Keen claimed almost £40,000 a year on a central London flat although their
family home was less than 10 miles away
Paul Keetch's mortgage jumped from £145,000 to £300,000 when he sold a flat in
Stockwell in London last year and moved around the corner. The new flat was furnished
with a sofa-bed costing £690 and a wardrobe at £624
Ruth Kelly has claimed more than £31,000 to redecorate and furnish her designated
second home in the past five years. She also claimed thousands of pounds to pay for
flood damage at her home, despite having a building insurance policy
Fraser Kemp made repeat purchases of household items over the space of several weeks
Jane Kennedy regularly claimed £400 a month for food, as well as £200 for utilities,
£200 for telephone bills and £200 for service and maintenance on her second home, a
flat in Lambeth
David Kidney said he was were paying back £2,450. Claimed only £600 on food in one
year. Most of his claims comprise rent, utility bills and council tax payments
Peter Kilfoyle has claimed the maximum second home allowance over the past four years.
Claims mortgage interest on a flat near Westminster and also charged taxpayers £1,770
in service charges
Jim Knight moved from renting one second home in London to buying another and his
claims rose from £931 to £1,111. Claimed £89.99 vacuum cleaner, £14.99 shoe box and
£39.99 for an ironing board
Ashok Kumar claimed mortgage interest payments of £1,933.72 per month on a second home
in London. Also claimed for food, council tax, utilities and cleaning
Stephen Ladyman claimed property in Ramsgate as second home with a £1,000 monthly
mortgage interest between 2005 and 2008.Charged for regular £80 cleaning bills, £95
utilities, £50 telephone bill and £340 for food
David Lammy is MP for an outer London constituency but does not claim the second homes
allowance. He instead claims the smaller London Supplement, which amounted to £2,812
last year
Mark Lancaster claimed monthly mortgage interest of £1,115 on home in Olney, near
Milton Keynes in 2005. Two years later rented flat in London
Bob Laxton insisted he was 'too busy' to shop around when he attempted to claim £1,049
for a TV
Mark Lazarowicz paid back £2,675 for legal and professional fees last week but insisted
he had not broken any rules. Afterwards said he felt he may have “over-reacted”
David Lepper he was placed 545th out of 645 MPs in 2007-08, claiming only £11,175 of
his second home allowance
Tom Levitt agrees the fees office was right to reject a claim of £16.50 for a
Remembrance Sunday wreath
Ivan Lewis claimed mortgage interest payments of £1,469 per month on his second home in
London. Threatened with disconnection by British Gas after failing to pay his bill
Martin Linton represents an inner London constituency and is therefore ineligible to
claim the second homes allowance. He claimed the smaller London Supplement which
amounted to £2,812 last year
Tony Lloyd rented a flat in London as his second home for just over £1,000 per month
and made few other claims apart from food and £21 for a new set of door keys
Andy Love claimed £3,500 in legal and property costs, £2,895 on redecoration. £929 for
a television and £549 for a sideboard at a second home in London
Ian Lucas made £45,000 profit when he sold a London flat on which he had claimed second
home expenses
Andrew MacKinlay claimed £980 rent per month on a second home in London. His few other
claims included £44.99 on a digital set top box so he could watch the Parliament
Channel
Denis MacShane claimed £850 monthly payments for his second home in London. Also
claimed monthly amounts for food, utilities, cleaning and maintenance
Fiona MacTaggart claimed just £3,392 on her second homes allowance in 2007/08
Alice Mahon repaid a £20,000 home improvement loan using her parliamentary expenses
Khalid Mahmood enjoyed nine nights with his girlfriend at a luxury London hotel,
costing the taxpayer £175 a night
Shahid Malik claimed £66,000 on his second property while paying less than £100 a week
for his main house. He twice tried to claim for Remembrance Sunday wreaths on expenses
despite being told this was not allowed under Commons rules
Judy Mallaber rarely claims for food
Lord Mandelson faces questions over the timing of his house claim which came after he
had announced he would step down
John Mann claimed £700 rent a month for second home in London in 2004-05. Regular
claims for newspapers and unspecified “household requisites”. A year later, claimed
room in Premier Inn while repairs done at flat
David Marshall designated a flat in Dolphin Square, London, as his second home and
claimed rent before moving to another rented flat in the square. A £99 claim for a
travel case was rejected. Claimed £225 for a duvet and £98.99 for a replacement video
recorder. Stood down in 2008 citing ill health.
Bob Marshall-Andrews claimed £118,000 for expenses at his second home, including stereo
equipment, extensive redecoration and a pair of Kenyan carpets.
Gordon Marsdon claimed just £9,739 on his second homes allowance in 2007/08
Michael Martin used taxpayers' money to pay for chauffeur-driven cars to his local job
centre and Celtic's football ground
Eric Martlew claimed £900 for monthly mortgage interest in 2006-07. Claimed £450 for
food in November 2004, had £50 taken off by fees office. Claimed twice for council tax
in 2006, second claim refused by the fees office
Tommy McAvoy claimed £86,565 in second home allowances between 2004 and 2008 for his
flat in Westminster
Steve McCabe over-claimed on his mortgage by £4,059 during the course of two years
Chris McCafferty submitted receipt for £1,945 worth of carpet in March 2005 and £235 to
have asbestos removed. Claimed £1,699 for bed, citing spinal problems, which was
approved
Kerry McCarthy registered second home in Bristol in 2005. Claimed £117 hotel while
claiming £600 in rent, refused by fees office. Bought house in London, claimed £3,657
for stamp duty and moving costs
Sarah McCarthy-Fry tried to claim a pair of £100 hair straighteners on her
parliamentary expenses.
Ian McCartney spent £16,000 furnishing and decorating his designated second home but
paid the money back two years later. McCartney, a former Labour Party chairman, will
not stand at general election, citing "health reasons"
Siobhan McDonagh: outer London MP, but opted for London supplement instead of second
home allowance. She said: “The only personal expense I re-claim is for transport.”
John McDonnell: as an outer London MP, he could have claimed for a second home
allowance, but opted for the London supplement instead, which was £2,812 last year
Pat McFadden bought a new home at taxpayers' expense and then spent thousands of pounds
at upmarket furniture stores
John McFall: second home in London. Claimed monthly mortgage interest of £850 in 2006,
which rose to £1,000 in 2007. Made regular maximum monthly £400 claims for food
Jim McGovern stayed in London hotels in 2005 before buying flat in the city at the end
of the year. Claimed £106 for a toaster, £25 for a sandwich cage and £47 for an ironing
board
Anne McGuire claimed rent for London flat. Between 2005-07 sometimes put through
maximum monthly £400 claim for food. She said MPs needed “the help of an independent
body” to regulate the claims system
Shona McIsaac claimed more than £4,600 on furniture in 2005-06 and 2006-07 including a
sofa, dresser and wardrobe. Billed for a £80 coat stand
Ann McKechin claimed £852 for furniture from John Lewis, including three band rug,
chest of drawers, Toshiba 24in flat screen television and Philips DVD player. Claimed
for £168 furnishings and £120 garden bill at second home in London
Rosemary McKenna claims of £1,895 for work on shower in her Westminster flat, also new
carpet and flooring at £1,633. Claimed £254 for air-conditioning unit and £1,600 for
furniture
Tony McNulty claimed £60,000 of expenses on his parents' home and more than £2,000-
worth of accountancy bills
Michael Meacher claimed just £32,825 on his second homes allowance between 2004-8
Alan Meale spent more than £13,000 on his garden in four years, billing the taxpayer
for a new storage building, repairs to his fencing and gates, and bark to keep the
weeds down
Gillian Merron claims £4,200 for food in one year. Bills taxpayer for £1,200 worth of
furniture and rugs, and more than £1,700 of electrical goods including new washer dryer
and hundreds of pounds of household items
Alun Michael claims £4,800 for food in one year, and £2,600 for repairs to his roof at
his constituency home in Penarth. Claims for £1,250 cost of repairing a wall and
building a 13ft chain link fence
David Miliband's spending was queried by his gardener. Faces questions over party
funding after it emerged he paid rent to the Labour Party from expenses. Claimed for
party political propaganda and was one of at least five ministers who paid a Labour
MP's husband for personal tax advice
Ed Miliband claimed just £7,670 on his second home allowance in 2007/08. Hired Scarlett
MccGwire for “consultancy” services on the public purse
Alan Milburn claimed £565 for six Habitat “Tallow” chairs, and a £1,009 kitchen table
and bench. Also claimed for £1,565 in repairs to an apartment and a £24 DVD player.
Claimed for £570 coffee table and rug
Andrew Miller claimed for a £549 LG 17 in widescreen LCD television, and a £843
replacement carpet. Also claimed more than £1,100 for repairs, plumbing and decorating,
as well as a £199 water softener
Austin Mitchell claimed for security shutters, ginger crinkle biscuits and the cost of
reupholstering his sofa. He has offered to donate his old sofa coverings to make amends
Anne Moffat charged £600 a month in mortgage interest payments and up to £400 for food.
Among her claims were: £3,819 for electrical work and flooring, £1,825 for decorating,
£917 wood preservation, £1,000 bed, £2,300 boiler, £648 bedstead.
Laura Moffatt has given up a riverside apartment she used to pay for on her
parliamentary expenses in favour of a camp bed in her House of Commons office
Chris Mole charged £3,174 bill for stamp duty and legal fees on home in south London.
Also claimed £851 for carpets and furnishings, as well as £380 for DVD recorder
Madeleine Moon spent thousands in furniture shops near her Welsh constituency house and
claimed the money back on her London designated second home allowance
Margaret Moran switched the address of her second home, allowing her to claim £22,500
to fix a dry rot problem. She has agreed to repay the money while insisting she acted
within the rules. She could face an investigation for allegedly using Commons
stationery to keep neighbours away from her fourth property in Spain. She also billed
the taxpayer for nearly £4,000 in legal fees in settling a dispute with one of her
staff and faces a challenge at the next general election from Esther Rantzen . On May
28, announced she is to stand down at next election but maintains she did nothing
wrong.
Jessica Morden claimed £1,068 a month in mortgage interest payments in 2007-08. In the
same year put through claims of £1 for cleaning wipes, and £16.82 for pasting table and
spoons
Julie Morgan makes do with a small flat in south London costing the taxpayer less than
10,000 a year
Estelle Morris claimed thousands of pounds to refurbish her London flat just months
before she stepped down
Elliot Morley claimed parliamentary expenses of more than £16,000 for a mortgage which
had already been paid off. He was suspended by the Labour Party but has now announced
that he will stand down at the next election
Kali Mountford: second home is an apartment in Dolphin Square, where her monthly rent
was £1,256 in 2007-08. Also claims for food, cleaning services and utility bills. The
previous year claimed £550 for a fridge
George Mudie claimed £62,000 in expenses for his London flat in four years, while
having a mortgage of just £26,000
Chris Mullin watches a 30-year-old black and white television at his second home and
claims the £45 cost of the licence on his expenses
Meg Munn's husband has been paid more than £5,000 in parliamentary expenses to provide
personal tax advice to at least five ministers, including David Miliband, the Foreign
Secretary. She claimed the maximum second home allowances in three of the four years.
From 2005 she claimed £1,350 per month in interest on the mortgage of her home in
Westminster. Like many colleagues, claimed hundreds of pounds in office expenses for
financial advice services provided by her husband.
Denis Murphy: second home is a flat in Kennington, where he claims £500 a month in
mortgage interest payments. In 2005-06 spent £120 on “jewelled tulip” curtains. In
2007-08 spent £1,430 on redecoration
Jim Murphy: nominates his constituency home in Glasgow as second home, where he claimed
£780 a month mortgage interest payments in 2007-08. Also claimed £4,884 for bathroom
renovation from B&Q but paid £3,499 back into allowance
Paul Murphy had a new plumbing system installed at taxpayers’ expense because the water
in the old one was “too hot”
Doug Naysmith: nominates a flat near Parliament as second home, paying £1,358 a month
rent. Claimed £2,600 on food in 2007-08. Year before, spent £40 on crockery and glass
Dan Norris nominates a house near Bristol as second home, on which he claims around
£700 a month in mortgage interest payments. Claimed £4,000 for food in 2007-08. Year
before, claimed £59 for a lawnmower and £54 for a strimmer
Mike O’Brien: in 2006-07 claimed £825 for a 32in Sony television, which he repayed in
full in April 2008 in order to move it to his other home. Year later, claimed £17.49
for a carbon monoxide detector
Edward O’Hara: spent £6,300 on replacement windows, £5,293 on a bathroom, £1,460 on
bedroom furniture and £733 on window blinds at his second home in his constituency
Bill Olner: claimed £1,408.33 per month rent for a second home in London. Also claimed
for food, utilites, council tax and cleaning
Sandra Osborne rented flat in London as second home and paid £3,670 a quarter in 2006-
07. Claimed full annual rent by Dec 2006 and told fees office no more rent claims would
be made until following April. Claimed £963 for carpets and £95 for two rugs
Albert Owen: designated second home in London and claimed monthly mortgage interest of
£1,288 in August 2007. Claimed £629 for television, £73 for painting and decorating and
£89 for cutlery
Nick Palmer rents second home in London. Switched between rental properties, claiming
£424 in August 2005 for removal costs. Later switched back to rental flat in the
original block
Ian Pearson has second home in West Midlands, claims mortgage interest. Other claims:
£240 for 20 hours of gardening
James Plaskitt asked by fees office not to claim nominal sums such as £400 or £300 a
month for groceries without submitting evidence of expenditure
Greg Pope claimed £1,590 for shopping at John Lewis in March 2006. In September 2006,
submitted claim of £560 for two paintings, for which a receipt with no company
letterhead was submitted
Stephen Pound is not eligible for second home allowance. Claimed £160 for guided tour
of Palace of Westminster under Incidental Expenses Provision (IEP)
Bridget Prentice is not eligible for the second home allowance as she is an inner-
London MP. Office IEP expenses include £230 in 2004 for accountant to prepare her tax
return
Gordon Prentice claimed £2,262 for items bought at John Lewis, including a £749
television, £649 fridge freezer and various furniture for London flat on top of £900-a
-month mortgage
John Prescott claimed for two lavatory seats in two years
Dawn Primarolo claimed on second home in Bristol. In 2004, switched to London flat and
claimed mortgage interest payments
Mark Prisk accidentally claimed £1,726 rather than £1,182 for one month’s mortgage
interest on London home. Error was spotted by officials
Gwyn Prosser paid his brother from his taxpayer-funded expenses to carry out work on
his London flat - despite the fact that he lived almost 200 miles away.
Ken Purchase spent £1,465 on new blinds for second home in south London in 2005-06.
Regularly claims up to maximum £400 a month for food. Monthly mortgage interest
payments were £580 last year, leaving an ACA of £14,713
James Purnell avoided paying capital gains tax on the sale of his London flat after
claiming expenses for accountancy advice. Bought expensive gadgets. Spent taxpayers’
money advertising at football and rugby league matches
Bill Rammell claimed £475 a month mortgage interest in 2008 for second home located in
constituency. Claimed £1,360 for replastering and installing downlights in bedroom
John Randall was entitled to a second home allowance but instead claimed the less
lucrative London subsidy
Nick Raynsford: as an inner London MP, he is not eligible to claim a second home
allowance, but he claimed the maximum London Supplement of £2,812 last year
Andy Reed has a flat as second home in Westminster. In 2007, claimed £1,180 for the
flat but this fell to £727 for a mortgage interest payment in 2008. Website states he
claims about £450 aper month in mortgage interest payments
Jamie Reed claimed £8,640 stamp duty and £3,943 in legal fees when he bought London
home in May 2006. Claimed £2,336 for two beds and two mattresses, but this was reduced
to £1,000 by the fees office
John Reid used his allowance to pay for slotted spoons, an ironing board and a glittery
loo seat
Linda Riordan bought flat in Kennington in early 2006, claims for mortgage interest.
Claims for beds/headboards refused, but £219 bedding, £1,310 sofa bed/chair and £1,936
carpet approved. Regularly claims maximum £400 for unreceipted monthly food bills
John Robertson rents a second home in London for about £1,100 a month and has claimed
£675 in window cleaning at the property since 2005
Geoffrey Robinson has not made any claims on his second home allowance since 2004/05
Terry Rooney claimed interest payments on mortgage for home in Bradford using second
home allowance. Between March 2007 and April 2008, claimed £1,200 for cleaning
Frank Roy claimed £455 on “assorted bedding, curtains and furnishings” in March 2006.
In July, submitted bill for £750 towards £795 HD-ready 32 in television with DVD
player. In January 2008, claimed £265 for sink waste disposal unit
Chris Ruane claimed £4,560 part costs of buying flat in March 2006, then claimed
£10,958 for remainder following month. Fees office noted on claim that this could not
be paid because costs were incurred in 2005-06 financial year and it was then 2006-07
Joan Ruddock claimed £235 for training on debt advice provided by Shelter, the charity,
in May 2008. Confirmed she paid tax on reimbursed accountacy fees
Christine Russell claims rent on second home in London, which she shares with fellow MP
Helen Southworth
Joan Ryan spent thousands of pounds on repairs and decorations at her constituency home
before switching her designated second home to a London property
Martin Salter has not made any claims on his second home allowance since 2004/05
Mohammed Sarwar claimed almost £100,000 to cover mortgage interest that he paid from an
account with a Swiss bank.
Alison Seabeck claims £1,100 a month mortgage interest for her constituency home, but
billed £65 for a night in local hotel plus £10 breakfast after she had left her keys in
London
Virendra Sharma chose not to claim designated second home expenses under ACA after
entering Parliament in a by-election in July, 2007, although he was entitled to them as
an outer London MP. Took £1,958 in London supplement in 2007-08 and £15,988 in office
expenses.
Jonathan Shaw claimed £240 in London hotel bills plus £800 monthly flat renta in March
2005, saying it was being redecorated
Barry Sheerman claimed mortgage interest payments of about £900 a month on London
second home, £1,338 for 20 in Apple iMac on office expenses
Jim Sheridan used his allowances to reclaim the cost of a 42-inch plasma TV, leather
bed and hundreds of pounds worth of furniture. Claimed £2,091 for three-seater sofa,
two-seater sofa bed, coffee table and lamp table for London home bought from Edinburgh
dfs store in March 2006
Sion Simon claimed £5,400 in stamp duty after moving house in London in May 2008. Also
claimed £1,850 on refurbishing new home that month
Alan Simpson claimed £4,000 towards the cost of replacing the boiler at second home in
Lambeth. In September 2007, claimed £10,000 towards £11,020 on stripping out old
kitchen
Marsha Singh claimed mortgage interest payments for London flat as second home. Claimed
for £750 television, £229 DVD player and £400 music player with handwritten receipt
Andrew Slaughter is not eligible to claim ACA. In 2007, claimed for a fountain pen nib
costing £90 using his IEP
Andrew Smith spent more than £30,000 of taxpayers’ money giving his house a makeover
Angela Smith sought payment for four beds for a one-bedroom London flat.
Angela C Smith spent nearly £11,000 over two years on setting up a second home in
London
Geraldine Smith spent £235 on picture and £185 on mirror for London flat in August
2005. Bought Bali table lamp, floor lamp and three cushions for total of £620 one month
later
Jacqui Smith claimed the costs of accountancy advice using expenses intended to fund
their parliamentary and constituency offices. Bought expensive gadgets
John Smith claimed £57,955 in second home expenses in four years without submitting a
single receipt.
Anne Snelgrove claimed £4,100 for furniture including a bedstead, sofa and chest of
drawers. Also claimed £499.97 for a television set, £454.70 for crockery and kitchen
equipment, £655 on a table, chairs and bookcase, and £55 on towels.
Sir Peter Soulsby fell behind with the rent at his offices but when the £472 bailiffs
bill arrived he billed the taxpayer
Helen Southworth claims rent on second home in London, which she shares with fellow MP
Christine Russell. Claimed £709 for a television, £259 for an air conditioning unit and
£239 for a Dyson cleaner
John Spellar claims for his constituency home in the West Midlands. Claimed £600 for a
tree surgeon, £1.99 for a washing up brush and 47p for a pair of rubber gloves
Caroline Spelman made no claims for mortgage interest or rent on her second home in
2006-07 and 2007-08
Phyllis Starkey claims for rent on home in consituency, along with utilities and
council tax. Also owns a house in Oxford from which rental income is received
Ian Stewart claims rent on flat in London. Also claimed for a £500 leather suite and a
£1,247 computer bought from the shopping channel QVC
Howard Stoate claimed thousands in DIY bills 'to ease the burden on the taxpayer'
Gavin Strang claims for his flat in London and for up to £400 per month in food. Also
receives rental income from farmland and woodland in Perthshire
Jack Straw only paid half the amount of council tax that he claimed on his
parliamentary allowances over four years but later rectified the over-claim. Used his
office expenses to pay for a degree studied by a member of his staff
Graham Stringer: hotel stays when in London and claims up to £4,800 per year for food.
Hotel bills have included snacks such as Pringles crisps at £1.75
Gisela Stuart claims for mortgage interest on constituency home in Birmingham and up to
£2,000 per year for food. Also owns a family home in Worcestershire and a flat in
London
Graham Stuart shares a flat in London with Conservative MP David Mundell, shares costs
with him and claims for rent, council tax and utilities. Bills for household items
included £426 for duvet, pillows and towels
Gerry Sutcliffe claims for mortgage interest on constituency home in Bingley. Claimed
£3,790 for fitted bedroom, £2,616 for new gutters and sofit boards, and £1,745 for two
sofas
Gareth Thomas used public money to settle a £1,000 accountancy bill to recover a tax
"over-payment" of £2,000. Has repaid more than £1,600 he claimed for gardening, £1,200
he overclaimed for council tax and mortgage interest payments and £30 for wine and
other personal items
Mark Tami has a second home in Bromley, Kent. Bought London home in Dec 2007, claimed
£9,000 stamp duty and mortgage interest rate increased to £1,300
Dari Taylor claimed flat in south-east London as second home and charged monthly
mortgage interest of £1,000 in 2008. Fees office asked for evidence of mortgage in
October 2007
Emily Thornberry is not entitled to claim for a second home as an inner London MP.
However, takes home the London Supplement, which was £2,812 last year
Stephen Timms is an outer London MP who chooses not to claim second homes allowance.
Claims the London Supplement which amounted to £2,812 last year
Paddy Tipping claimed mortgage interest payments of about £500 per month on a flat in
London. His overall claims were only just over half the maximum amount claimed by some
MPs
Mark Todd defended his expenses claims as "essentials" but included a marble table and
an espresso coffee machine
Don Touhig spent thousands of pounds redecorating his constituency home before
“flipping” his allowance to a flat in London
Jon Trickett claimed £761.68 per month in mortgage interest payments for a second home
in London. Also claimed for food, utilities and council tax
Paul Truswell stays in hotels in London while at Westminster, usually paying £119 for a
room, also claimed for £4.95 packets of nuts from the minibar. In 2007-08, claimed
£2,255 for food and £18 for laundry
Des Turner claimed mortgage interest payments of up to £450 per month on a flat in
London as his designated second home. Also claimed up to £400 per month food. Claimed
roughly half of the maximum available under the second homes allowance.
Neil Turner claimed for mortgage interest on flat in London, and up to £400 per month
for food some months. Also claims utilities, council tax and for small amounts of
furniture
Derek Twigg moved his designated second home from constituency to flat near Parliament
in 2004, now claims £1,343 a month in rent. Claimed £110 for an iron and radio in 2005,
and £77 for same items two years later
Kitty Ussher resigned as Treasury minister after he expenses files showed she avoided
paying up to £17,000 in tax on the sale of her constituency home
Keith Vaz claimed £75,500 for a second flat near Parliament even though he already
lived just 12 miles from Westminster
Rudi Vis receives second home allowance and claims £2,300 a month interest on a
mortgage he took out in 2006 on his constituency home. Says main home is in Suffolk
Joan Walley claimed for more than £4,400 of furniture in London flat in 2004-05 and a
£195 blanket. In 2005-06, claimed for £1,199 LCD Sony television. Fees office cut bill
to £750
Lynda Waltho claimed £1,680 for food in one year. Billed taxpayer for £472 bed, £81
sheets, towels and a pillow and £1,022 of electrical equipment. Also claimed for £380
armchair and £8.32 kettle
Claire Ward, the MP responsible for keeping the Queen informed about Parliament,
submitted monthly expense claims for hundreds of pounds of "petty cash" while claiming
maximum allowances.
Bob Wareing claimed for more than £4,000 in food bills in 2004-05. Then claimed for
£176 air conditioning unit, as well as a £19.99 kettle for his Westminster flat
Tom Watson and Iain Wright spent £100,000 of taxpayers' money on the London flat they
once shared
Dave Watts claimed for refurbishment to kitchen (£3,543), bathroom (£3,500) and £742
redecoration. Also claimed for £549 Philips LCD 26 in television
Alan Whitehead claimed mortgage interest payments of up to £730 per month on his second
home in London. Also claimed £1,942.98 for a replacement boiler
Malcolm Wicks was entitled to claim for a second home allowance because he is an outer
London MP but instead claimed for the more moderate London subsidy of £2,812
Alan Williams claimed just £5,221 on his second homes allowance in 2007/08
Betty Williams claimed mortgage interest payments of £519 per month on London flat.
Also claimed service charge, utilities, telephone and food but made few other claims
Michael Wills claims about £1,120 a month in interest for the mortgage on his house in
Wiltshire. On one occasion, the fees office agreed to pay £2,633 for a claim made two
months after the deadline for 2005-06 had passed. He said a “genuine mistake” had been
made by a “trusted and normally reliable member of staff”.
Phil Wilson claimed £1,250 per month in rent for a London flat, which he designated as
his second home. Also claimed £350 for a sofa bed
David Winnick claimed just £36,354 on his second homes allowance between 2004-8
Rosie Winterton submitted claims for “soundproofing” the bedroom of her London home and
received thousands of pounds for gardening and decorating. She paid back more than
£8,000 in mortgage payments that she claimed wrongly on her parliamentary expenses
Mike Wood claimed just over £500 per month to live in a flat in London. Also claimed
£3,421.76 for a central heating boiler, £599.99 for a television and £1,332 for a new
bathroom
Shaun Woodward received £100,000 to help pay mortgage
Phil Woolas submitted receipts including comics, nappies and women's clothing as part
of his claims for food
Anthony Wright claims rent for London flat, also claimed £498 for TV, £90 for trouser
press. Accepted £10,000 cash payment from owners of flat, which meant taxpayer-funded
rent went up
David Wright accepted a £16,787 payment from the owners of his flat in return for
giving up the right to cheap rent, then moved out. Claimed £599 for a TV but a £64.99
claim for a razor was turned down
Iain Wright and Tom Watson spent £100,000 of taxpayers' money on the London flat
Tony Wright claims for his rent in Dolphin Square complex in London, £995 for Venetian
blinds, £1,630 for a new sofa and chairs and £799 for a sideboard
could you please refer to me as gary of the smith family
Sincerely and without ill will, vexation or frivolity,
gary of the smith family
Dear Mr Smith,
Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 2009100000394
I write in connection with your request for information dated which was
received by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 2nd October 2009. I
note you seek access to the following information:
1) Can you tell me if you are considering any case regarding claiming of
expenses to which the House of Commons Authorities have decided they were
not entitled.
2) Could you please list any MPs that have cases pending .
3) If there is no current case, are you aware of any that may be being
prepared, and if not can you advise me on what would need to be done
for such a criminal case to be initiated?
Your request will now be considered in accordance with the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 (the Act). You will receive a response within the
statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by the Act, subject to
the information not being exempt or containing a reference to a third
party. In some circumstances the MPS may be unable to achieve this
deadline. If this is likely you will be informed and given a revised
time-scale at the earliest opportunity.
Some requests may also require either full or partial transference to
another public authority in order to answer your query in the fullest
possible way. Again, you will be informed if this is the case.
COMPLAINT RIGHTS
Your attention is drawn to the attached sheet, which details your right of
complaint.
Should you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please write
or contact James Young on telephone number 020 7230 2372 quoting the
reference number above.
Yours sincerely
James Young
SCD Information Manager
COMPLAINT RIGHTS
Are you unhappy with how your request has been handled or do you think the
decision is incorrect?
You have the right to require the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to
review their decision.
Prior to lodging a formal complaint you are welcome and encouraged to
discuss the decision with the case officer that dealt with your request.
Ask to have the decision looked at again –
The quickest and easiest way to have the decision looked at again is to
telephone the case officer that is nominated at the end of your decision
letter.
That person will be able to discuss the decision, explain any issues and
assist with any problems.
Complaint
If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision of
the MPS made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) regarding
access to information you can lodge a complaint with the MPS to have the
decision reviewed.
Complaints should be made in writing and addressed to:
FOI Complaint
Public Access Office
PO Box 57192
London
SW6 1SF
In all possible circumstances the MPS will aim to respond to your
complaint within 40 working days.
The Information Commissioner
After lodging a complaint with the MPS if you are still dissatisfied with
the decision you may make application to the Information Commissioner for
a decision on whether the request for information has been dealt with in
accordance with the requirements of the Act.
For information on how to make application to the Information Commissioner
please visit their website at www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk.
Alternatively, phone or write to:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Phone: 01625 545 700
Dear Mr Smith,
Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 2009100000394
I respond in connection with your request for information dated 2nd
October 2009 which was received by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)
on the same date. I note you seek access to the following information:
1) Can you tell me if you are considering any case regarding claiming of
expenses to which the House of Commons Authorities have decided they were
not entitled.
2) Could you please list any MPs that have cases pending .
3) If there is no current case, are you aware of any that may be being
prepared, and if not can you advise me on what would need to be done
for such a criminal case to be initiated?
DECISION
In accordance with Freedom of Information Act (2000) (The Act), this
letter represents a Refusal Notice for this particular request under
Section 17(4).
Section 17(4) of the Act provides:
(4) A public authority is not obliged to make a statement under subsection
(1)(c) or (3) if, or to the extent that, the statement would involve the
disclosure of information which would itself be exempt information.
In June 2009 it was announced by the MPS that there would be an
investigation into the alleged misuse of expenses by MP's. The following
web link confirms this and with official quotes from the police.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8110022.stm
Although Prime Minister Gordon Brown has confirmed in a recent interview
with the Daily Telegraph that the "worst offenders" in the scandal should
be prosecuted, and the panel headed by Sir Thomas Legg have asked Members
of Parliament to repay expenses, so far there is nothing confirmed in the
public domain about who will face criminal charges.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopi...
The MPS can neither confirm nor deny that it holds the information you
requested as the duty in Section 1(1)(a) of the Act does not apply, by
virtue of the following exemptions:
Section 30(3) provides Investigations and proceedings conducted by public
authorities
Section 40 (5)(b)(1) provides for Personal Information.
Section 30 is a class based qualified exemption and consideration must be
given as to whether there is a public interest in neither confirming nor
denying the information exists.
Harm and Public Interest Considerations with regard to Confirming or
Denying that the information is held.
Section 30(3)
The MPS is charged with enforcing the law, preventing and detecting crime
and protecting the communities we serve and there has to be a public
transparency of policing operations.
The MPS share information with other partnerships and agencies as part of
the investigation process. Irrespective of whether the information is or
isn't held, the MPS will never confirm details that could undermine the
investigation or undermine the sharing of information with other agencies.
Balancing test
As a high profile investigation, there is a high public interest factor in
the release of the information. However, disclosure or confirmation that
information is held would:
* Prejudice the investigation
* Undermine the right for any individual to have a fair trail
* Cause problems for maintaining a confidential source.
* Hinder the prevention or detection of crime
* Undermine the partnership approach to investigations.
Public safety and the ability to investigate without prejudice is of
paramount importance and the MPS will not divulge whether information is
or isn't held if to do so would place the safety of an individual at risk
or undermine investigations. Therefore, at this moment in time, it is our
opinion that for these issues the balancing test for disclosure is not
made.
No inference can be taken from this refusal that the information you have
requested does or does not exist.
Section 40(5)
We consider that Section 40 can be applied in this instance.
As the applicant is asking for third party personal information I will
need to consider whether disclosure contravenes the data protection
principles and the lawful processing of data.
To confirm or deny whether personal information exists under the Act,
would publicly reveal information about an individual(s), breaching the
right to privacy afforded to persons under the Data Protection Act 1998.
However, this notice does not confirm or deny that the MPS holds the
information that you have requested.
Should your request be in relation to your personal information, please
complete form 3019 (available from any MPS Station, or from
http://www.met.police.uk/information/req..., or by calling 020
7161 3500). Please note that a fee of **10.00 and proof of identification
is required to process a request. This process may also take up to 40 days
from receipt of your completed application.
Please note that if you require a prosecution/conviction history check and
your current address is outside the MPS area, you must apply to your local
Police Force. If you currently live outside the UK, you will need to apply
to the Police Force area in which you resided when you were in the UK. You
can contact them via the link page:http://www.police.uk/forces.htm and
click on the Police Force or Constabulary.
COMPLAINT RIGHTS
Your attention is drawn to the attached sheet which details your right of
complaint.
Should you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please write
or contact me on telephone number 020 7230 2372 quoting the reference
number above.
Yours sincerely,
James Young
SCD Information Manager
COMPLAINT RIGHTS
Are you unhappy with how your request has been handled or do you think the
decision is incorrect?
You have the right to require the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to
review their decision.
Prior to lodging a formal complaint you are welcome and encouraged to
discuss the decision with the case officer that dealt with your request.
Ask to have the decision looked at again ***
The quickest and easiest way to have the decision looked at again is to
telephone the case officer that is nominated at the end of your decision
letter.
That person will be able to discuss the decision, explain any issues and
assist with any problems.
Complaint
If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision of
the MPS made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) regarding
access to information you can lodge a complaint with the MPS to have the
decision reviewed.
Complaints should be made in writing and addressed to:
FOI Complaint
Public Access Office
PO Box 57192
London
SW6 1SF
In all possible circumstances the MPS will aim to respond to your
complaint within 40 working days.
The Information Commissioner
After lodging a complaint with the MPS if you are still dissatisfied with
the decision you may make application to the Information Commissioner for
a decision on whether the request for information has been dealt with in
accordance with the requirements of the Act.
For information on how to make application to the Information Commissioner
please visit their website at www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk.
Alternatively, phone or write to:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Phone: 01625 545 700
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