Parliamentary Expenses 2007/2008

MPs' offices are entitled to money to pay for staff and office running costs. These are rather confusingly called expenses but they do not go into the pocket of MPs and can only be spent on actual costs. Some expenses are taxable.

Below is a detailed breakdown of my parliamentary expenses for the 2007/08 allowance period.

Cost of staying away from main home, £0
London Supplement (this is London Weighting), £2,812

Office running costs
Called 'Incidental Expenses Provision' by the House of Commons authorities. This covers everything from paperclips to computers.

Stationary, £ 1,661
Postage costs, £5,320
IT (computers for staff), £882
Other (including phone bills, additional IT running costs, staff training and volunteer expenses), £5,725
Communications costs (This covers things such as printing of advice surgery notices and newsletters, website and delivery costs), £18,645

Previously much of this expenditure was deemed to come under office costs but the House authorities advised that this should be transferred to the new communications allowance.

Staffing Costs (including salaries and employers National Insurance contributions), £90,514
Travel, £928
Staff travel, £0

Further information on Members' allowances can be found on the Houses of Parliament website