Bucks MPs claim £75,000 for living away from home, figures show (From Bucks Free Press)

Bucks MPs claim £75,000 for living away from home, figures show

9:49pm Monday 30th March 2009 in Search By Oliver Evans

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE MPs claimed £75,000 in costs for staying away from their main home in 12 months, figures released today show.

The four MPs claimed £75,026 for the “additional costs allowance”.

This is paid to cover “necessary costs incurred when staying overnight away from their main home for the purpose of performing parliamentary duties”.

The fee – a maximum £23,083 that is offered only to those constituencies outside of inner London – should be scrapped, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said today.

The figures, for the 12 months from April 2007, come as the row over MPs expenses deepens.

Overall, the MPs used £527,073 in travel and allowances. This includes staff, office and housing costs.

Wycombe MP Paul Goodman claimed £13,831 additional costs allowance.

Chesham and Amersham MP Cheryl Gillan claimed £23,057 and Beaconsfield MP Dominic Grieve claimed £18,668.

Aylesbury MP David Lidington – responsible for Princes Risborough – claimed £19,470.

To view the full allowances figures click here.

To view the full travel figures click here.

The figures also show the four claimed £5,155 in mileage for trips from their constituencies to Westminster.

Most of this, £3,384, was by Mrs Gillan, who also claimed £81 in rail trips from her constituency to the Commons.

Mr Goodman, Mr Grieve and Mr Lidington claimed £1,546, £1,624 and £1,138 in these fares respectively.

The figures also show the MPs spent £2,889 on stationary.