LAWS CLEARED IN MP’S EXPENSES INQUIRY AND BECOMES

David Laws, MP for Yeovil Constituency, today received the results of the investigation into MPs expenses by Sir Thomas Legg.

David has not been asked to pay back any expenses paid out to him. So far, over a third of MPs are believed to have been asked to make re-payments.

The only routine request made of David by the Review Team is for a copy of a council tax receipt – which David will be providing this week.

David has also today become the first MP to publish a full breakdown of his parliamentary expenses for the first six months of the 2009/10 year – April 2009 to September 2009. David is making this information public three months before other MPs are expected to do so. David has published figures for Office Costs, Staffing, Communications Allowance, Postage, London living costs for his rented property in London, and travel expenses.

The figures show that of David’s spending in the last 6 months, 65% is on staff costs (pay directly to David’s staff); 10% is on Office Costs for David’s office in Yeovil; 6% is on Communications (including adverts for Advice Centres); 4% is on Postage and envelopes; 6% is on travel costs; and just 9% is on the costs of David living in London when Parliament is sitting. David is dramatically under-spending his budget for London living costs at present, and is likely to finish the year with over one third of this allowance unclaimed (most eligible MPs claim the entire allowance).    

David Laws MP said:

“I am, of course, very pleased that the Independent Inquiry into MPs expenses has not required me to reimburse any of the amounts I have claimed.

“Indeed, the only additional information which the inquiry team has requested from me is a copy of a council tax bill, and I will be very happy to provide this.

“I believe strongly that all expenditure by MPs – whether it is on staffing and office costs, or for reimbursement of our own expenses – should be made available regularly for the scrutiny of those we are accountable to, our constituents.

“To keep my promise to be accountable and transparent, I am today publishing my full expense details for the first 6 months of this financial year, even though the formal publication of this information is not due for another 3 months.

“The vast majority of my spending against my allowances is on the costs of delivering a good quality of service to my constituents. That is why around 85% of my spending is on staff, office costs, advice centres and postage. My expenditure on the costs of living in London while Parliament is sitting is well below the allowable amount, and I intend to keep things that way. For the rest of this Parliament and the next, I intend to keep my spending to at least 20% lower than the amount presently set by Parliament, as a commitment to prudent management of public funds at a time when tough decisions have to be made to hold down overall public spending.

“I will continue to regularly publish my expenses figures, and I will continue to observe my five key pledges as MP – including working full time as Yeovil’s MP, maintaining my main home in our area, and never making extravagant claims.”

ENDS.

Note to Editors: David’s Expense claims for April-September 2009 are attached.

Communications

PAAE
 

Staffing

Stationery

Travel

Category: MP Press Releases