gmb45
27th May, 2009, 06:02 AM
Here are the details of the MPs' expenses claims alleged so far in the Daily Telegraph.
LABOUR
The Prime Minister
Mr Brown used his expenses to pay his brother Andrew ?6,577 for cleaning work at his Westminster flat between 2004 and 2006. The brothers shared the cleaner at their two flats. Under the arrangement, Andrew Brown paid the cleaner and the Prime Minister reimbursed his share of the cost.
Alistair Darling
Mr Darling "switched" the location of his second home four times in four years, allowing him to claim thousands of pounds towards the cost of his Edinburgh home and for the London flat, it was reported. The taxpayer contributed almost ?10,000 towards the cost of furnishing the Chancellor's London flat, including ?2,074 for furniture and ?2,339 for "magnolia" carpets. The public also footed the bills for ?765 from Ikea and ?768 from Marks and Spencer for a bed.
Jack Straw
The Justice Secretary claimed for the full cost of council tax, even though he received a 50% discount from his local authority. He repaid the money last summer, shortly after a High Court ruling requiring the receipts to be published. In a note to the fees office he wrote: "Accountancy does not appear to be my strongest suit."
Lord Mandelson
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson claimed thousands of pounds for work on his constituency home in Hartlepool shortly after announcing his resignation as an MP, it was reported. He renovated the terrace house in 2004 and sold it for a ?136,000 profit. Lord Mandelson's spokesman insisted the expenditure was to repair the property, "not improve it".
David Miliband
The Foreign Secretary claimed almost ?30,000 for doing up his ?120,000 constituency home over five years, it was reported. He spent up to ?180 every three months on the garden at the property in South Shields. At the bottom of one receipt for ?132.96 in April 2008, his gardener wrote a note questioning whether some of the work was necessary.
Geoff Hoon
The Transport Secretary was able to switch his second home in a way which allowed him to improve his family home in Derbyshire at taxpayers' expense before buying a London townhouse. It was reported Mr Hoon did not pay capital gains tax on an estimated ?300,000 profit when he sold his London home in 2006.
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears
The Communities Secretary claimed for three different properties in a single year, spending almost ?5,000 of taxpayers' money on furniture in three months. Ms Blears told Commons authorities a flat in south London was her second home, meaning she was able to claim back thousands of pounds in mortgage interest and running costs. Yet when she sold the flat in Kennington, at a profit of ?45,000, she paid no capital gains tax (CGT) on the windfall, indicating the flat was simultaneously registered with the taxman as her primary residence. Ms Blears has since written out a cheque for more than ?13,000 to cover the notional CGT arising from the sale of the property.
Margaret Beckett
The Housing Minister found herself in trouble with the Fees Office after attempting to claim ?600 for hanging baskets and pot plants.
Andy Burnham
The Culture Secretary wrote a note to the fees office in which he pleaded for his expenses to be paid urgently and even wrote he "might be in line for a divorce" if the money did not materialise within days.
Shaun Woodward
Taxpayers contributed almost ?100,000 to help pay the mortgage on Mr Woodward's ?1.35 million flat - one of seven owned by the Northern Ireland Secretary.
Caroline Flint
The Europe minister put solicitors' fees and stamp duty totalling ?14,553 on her Parliamentary expenses after buying a central London flat.
Paul Murphy
The Welsh Secretary used his second home allowance to buy the freehold on a flat close to Parliament, putting the arrangement fees and stamp duty on his expenses. He also claimed for decorating and furnishing costs, including ?35 for a toilet roll holder, ?537 for an oven, a ?605 TV and a ?449 sound system.
Douglas Alexander
Mr Alexander's constituency home was damaged in a house fire in 2007 after he spent more than ?30,000 doing it up, the newspaper reported. The International Development Secretary told the fees office he was "under-insured" and claimed almost ?2,000 on items lost in the fire, which he later repaid when his insurers reimbursed him.
John Prescott
The taxpayer paid for the former deputy prime minister to fit the front of his home in Hull with mock Tudor boards and for his toilet seat to be repaired twice in two years.
Michael Martin
Mr Martin, who as Commons speaker fought to prevent MPs' expenses claims entering the public domain, spent more than ?1,400 on chauffeurs in his Glasgow constituency.
Barry Gardiner
The MP for Brent North made a profit of almost ?200,000 from a flat mortgaged and renovated with the help of taxpayers' cash, it was alleged.
Vera Baird QC
Mrs Baird, who as Solicitor General is one of the Government's top legal advisers, fell foul of expenses rules after trying to claim for Christmas decorations.
Stephen Byers
The former Trade Secretary used the expenses system to claim more than ?125,000 for the London flat owned by his partner, the paper said. Over the past five years, Mr Byers spent more than ?27,000 on redecoration, maintenance and appliances at the flat in Camden, north London. The claims included ?12,000 for extensive renovations to the outside of the flat.
John Reid
According to leaked receipts, the former Home Secretary appears to enjoy his creature comforts when in his Scottish constituency. Mr Reid's claims included a ?199 pouffe, a ?370 armchair, an ?899 sofa and a ?29.99 a "black glitter toilet seat".
Tony Blair
The former Prime Minister was able to use his parliamentary expenses to remortgage his constituency home for ?296,000 - nearly 10 times what he paid for it - just months before buying a west London house for ?3.65 million. The claims, some of which were revealed last year under a Freedom of Information request, showed interest repayments on his constituency home amounted to almost a third of the new mortgage - enough to cover the deposit on the new house. The London town house was one of five properties owned by Mr Blair - reportedly worth a total of ?10 million, the newspaper reported.
Kevin Brennan
The junior minister was said to have had a ?450 widescreen television delivered to his family home in Wales and then claimed it on his allowance for his second home in London.
Kitty Ussher
The Department for Work and Pensions minister drew up a list of renovations she hoped to make to her London house and asked Commons officials to "pay as much as you are able!"
Iain Wright and Tom Watson
Mr Wright, a junior housing minister, asked if he could buy furniture before he had even bought the property he shares with Mr Watson. He was told it would be better to wait until after the general election in case he lost his seat. He told the Commons authorities: "It seems stupid to carry it over into next year when a large chunk of my (allowance) would go unused."
Bob Marshall-Andrews
The left wing Labour MP has claimed ?118,000 for expenses at his second home, including stereo equipment, redecoration and a pair of Kenyan carpets, The Daily Telegraph said. In 2006 he claimed ?750 on a "multi-room audio system" and ?830 on a DVD recorder and other electrical goods. He has also claimed almost ?1,300 for an intercom, brass name plaque and other door adornments. Mr Marshall-Andrews said the claims for his TV and DVD recorder were "met" from second home allowances "in error". They were mainly for office use and should have been claimed accordingly, he told the paper. He added that all other claims were "within the spirit and letter of the law".
Elliot Morley
Former Agriculture minister Mr Morley claimed ?16,000 for interest on a mortgage he had already paid off. The MP for S****horpe claimed the sum for more than 18 months after the loan had been repaid. He said that he had repaid some of the money, but not how much. Mr Morley has been suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party pending sleaze watchdog probes into the claims. He has also stepped aside from chairing the Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee while the allegations are considered.
Fabian Hamilton
The Labour MP for Leeds North East declared his mother's home in London as his
main residence, allowing him to claim thousands of pounds to improve his family
home in Leeds, the Telegraph said. He also overcharged ?2,850 in 2004 by claiming for the full cost of his mortgage payments when he was entitled only to reimbursement of the interest, it added. When the claim was challenged by parliamentary authorities, Mr Hamilton offset some ?1,950 of the overpayment by submitting receipts for furniture, including a TV, which he had bought for the house, while agreeing that ?900 could be docked from his next month's claim to cover the rest. He defended the claim by saying he spent the majority of his time with his mother before her death, paying a "substantial" sum for the upkeep of the house.
Austin Mitchell
The veteran Labour backbencher is said to have submitted claims for food items including Ginger Crinkle biscuits worth 67p, Branston pickle worth 68p and a bottle of malt whisky costing ?22.99. He also had a ?1,296 claim for bespoke shutters turned down.
Harry Cohen
The Labour MP 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, the Telegraph said. Among other items he reportedly claimed were ?1,222 for new blinds, ?5,232 for furniture. The Leyton and Wanstead MP also claimed ?4.25 for baby wipes and ?8.75 for men's shaving oil. Toiletries are not an allowable expense. Mr Cohen said he was willing to pay back the cost of the toiletries.
Shahid Malik
Justice Minister Shahid Malik claimed for tens of thousands of pounds on his second home in London while renting his constituency home in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, for less than ?100 a week, according to the Daily Telegraph. Mr Malik's claims for his second home in Peckham, south London, amounted to ?66,827 over three years, the highest figure for any MP, the paper said. They were said to include ?2,600 for a home cinema system - which was cut in half by the Commons Fees Office - ?730 for a "massage chair", and ?65 for a court summons for the non-payment of council tax. The Telegraph said that his landlord, local businessman and landlord Tahir Zaman, confirmed that he was paying well below the market rent for his Dewsbury address. Mr Malik insisted he had acted within the rules.
Ed Balls and Yvette Cooper
The husband-and-wife Cabinet ministers "flipped" the designation of their second home to three different properties within the space of two years, the Telegraph said. Ms Cooper, who is Chief Secretary to the Treasury, changed her second home designation three times between 2005 and 2007, from a property in Castleford, West Yorkshire, to others in London. When she and Children's Secretary Mr Balls moved to a ?655,000 property in north London in 2007, they claimed for ?2,000 of removal costs, the disclosures added. At one point the couple also reportedly had their expenses docked after each submitted two monthly claims for mortgage interest of nearly ?1,300.
Ann and Alan Keen
The Labour MPs, who represent neighbouring constituencies in west London, have claimed almost ?40,000 a year on a central London flat less than 10 miles away from their family home, it was disclosed. It is also alleged the couple are claiming for interest on mortgages worth ?520,000, even though the apartment cost only ?500,000. And in some months they also both tried to claim back the full amount of council tax on the property, the Telegraph said.
Clare Short
The former Cabinet minister was paid ?8,000 too much after claiming for her full mortgage payments despite only being entitled to the interest, it was revealed. Ms Short - who now sits as an independent, having quit the Government in 2003 over the Iraq war - claimed the full cost of her mortgage for two and a half years despite being entitled to charge only for the interest. She paid back the money after the error was pointed out by the Commons Fees Office in 2006, but only after complaining that they should have spotted the mistake earlier. The MP for Birmingham Ladywood said that it had been an "honest mistake".
Hilary Armstrong
The former government chief whip claimed ?3,100 towards the cost of repointing
the gables and walls on her constituency home, it is alleged.
David Chaytor
The Labour MP for Bury North claimed almost ?13,000 of taxpayers' money for a non-existent mortgage. He is to pay back the sum after continuing to submit ?1,175 monthly bills for months after the loan was paid off. He has been suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party pending sleaze watchdog probes into the claims.
Sir Gerald Kaufman
The Labour former minister, who represents Manchester Gorton, is said to have charged ?1,851 for an antique rug imported from New York. He was also said to have submitted a claim for an ?8,865 television and was paid ?15,329 of a ?28,834 bill for improvements to a London flat after telling Commons authorities he was "living in a slum".
Chris Bryant
The deputy Commons Leader Chris Bryant "flipped" his second home twice in two years, it was reported.
Tam Dalyell
The former father of the House attempted to claim ?18,000 for bookcases two months before he retired as an MP in 2005. He said he did not claim the full cost of the cases and only part of the sum was returned to him. He could not remember the exact amount. Mr Dalyell said he bought the three bookcases before the end of his political career to transport more than 1,000 volumes from London to Scotland.
David Clelland
The Labour MP for Tyne Bridge is said to have "bought out" his partner's share of a joint mortgage at a cost of thousands of pounds to the taxpayer in higher claims for interest payments as well as legal fees. Mr Clelland said that there was "nothing illegal or improper" in the claims he has made.
Fraser Kemp
The Labour MP, who is a senior election co-ordinator, made repeated purchases of household items over the space of several weeks. He claimed for two DVD players one month, and 16 sheets in the space of seven weeks. He also claimed for two flat-screen TVs a year apart. Mr Kemp told the Telegraph he would be paying back some money.
Mike Hall
The Labour backbencher charged nearly ?15,000 in three years for his house in Kennington to be cleaned and for his clothes to be laundered and ironed.
Liz Blackman
The former Labour whip, who is MP for Erewash in Derbyshire, spent hundreds of pounds just before the end of the financial year to take her second home claim as close to the maximum as possible. Last-minute items she bought included a ?199 DVD player, a ?99 rug and a ?150 fax.
Maria Eagle
The junior justice minister spent thousands of pounds of expenses on refurbishing a bathroom at one of her flats before switching the designation to another property. Ms Eagle, who is MP for Liverpool Garston, was paid ?3,500 towards the cost of refurbishing the bathroom at the property in the Mossley Hill area of the city.
Joan Ryan
The Enfield North MP claimed more than ?4,500 of repairs at her constituency home before "flipping" her second home to another south London property.
George Mudie
The Labour MP for Leeds East has claimed ?62,000 for his London flat in four years despite having a mortgage of just ?26,000, the Telegraph said. He claimed almost ?17,000 from the taxpayer for furniture and refurbishments, including a dining room set he had delivered to his constituency home before claiming it on expenses for his second home in London. Mr Mudie, who sits on the influential Treasury Select Committee, said the dining room set was bought in Leeds where he prefers to shop with his wife, before being transported to London.
Ruth Kelly
The former Cabinet minister has claimed more than ?31,000 to redecorate and furnish her designated second home. She also tried to claim ?3,600 for a sofa, ?2,355 for a dining table and chairs and ?2,000 for a plasma TV set, but the claims were reduced for being excessive. In the latest revelations, she was said to have claimed thousands of pounds for flood damage at her second home despite the building being insured. Ms Kelly reportedly claimed ?31,000 for rebuilding, refurbishing and appliances at her house in her Bolton West constituency.Ms Kelly has said she is standing down at the next election.
Madeleine Moon
The Labour MP for Bridgend in Wales spent more than ?4,000 on furniture in shops near her constituency home before claiming it back on her London designated second home. She told the Telegraph that: "The Welsh shop in Wales even when it is for installation in London."
Claire Ward
The Labour MP for Watford claimed up to ?1,150 in petty cash over eight months on her second home allowance, of which ?850 was paid out by the Fees Office. Ms Ward, a senior government whip who, in her role as Chamberlain of Her Majesty's Household, keeps the Queen informed about Parliament, switched her second home to a flat a few minutes walk from her old property and more than doubled her mortgage interest payments. The extra cost was passed on to the taxpayer.
Ian Davidson
Mr Davidson, a member of the Commons public accounts committee, which monitors government spending, paid a family friend ?5,500 to renovate his London flat and took him on two shooting trips, the paper said. The MP for Glasgow South West also had reclining furniture worth ?1,459 delivered to his constituency home. Under the Additional Cost Allowance MPs must only submit claims incurred on their second homes. Mr Davidson told The Telegraph the furniture was later driven to his London flat. Commons officials questioned Mr Davidson's payments to a property search to help him find a new flat. A note revealed he "had already claimed ?1,000 of taxpayers' money with nothing to show for it. Concerned about how long this would go on for". The final bill for finding a new flat came to ?6,000, with the fees office agreeing to pay a proportion of this sum. Mr Davidson also charged the ?11,000 cost of the move to the taxpayer.
Ian Austin
The Labour whip tried to spread a claim for stamp duty on his second home in London across two financial years, it was reported. The Dudley North MP split the stamp duty on the purchase of a flat in Waterloo in March 2006 into two claims - ?6,770 on March 28 and ?1,344 on April 3. This enabled him to claim almost all his second home allowance for the financial year 2005-6. And while the ?1,344 claim was rejected by the fees office, Mr Austin was reimbursed for the legal costs of the move in 2006-7. He was also said to have "flipped" his second home weeks before buying the new flat.
Diana Johnson
Ms Johnson, a Labour whip, spent ?1,000 of taxpayers' money on hiring an architect for a decorating project at her second home. The MP for Hull North paid back the money in March - two years after making the claim, and months before MPs' expenses were due to be made public.
Stephen McCabe
Mr McCabe over-claimed on his mortgage by ?4,059, the newspaper said. For 10 months in 2005-06, the Labour whip claimed for capital repayments instead of interest on his mortgage, which is forbidden under expenses rules. The claims amounting to ?1,736 sparked a investigation by the fees office, which unearthed more over-claims of ?2,323 in 2004-05. The money was deducted from the Birmingham Hall Green MP's subsequent second home expense claims.
Dawn Butler
The government whip claimed thousands of pounds on renovating her second home in north London even though her main home is just 15 miles away in east London, it was reported. The Telegraph said that Ms Butler's claims included the fitting of a whirlpool bath. Ms Butler denied that particular claim and said she was taking legal advice. It also reported that Ms Butler, the MP for Brent South, claimed ?2,600 too much in rent, but was allowed by staff in the Fees Office to "dig out" other receipts to cover the over-claim.
John Austin
The Labour MP claimed more than ?10,000 for the redecoration of his London flat - which was just 11 miles from his main home - before selling for a profit, it was reported. Mr Austin, MP for Erith and Thamesmead, made ?30,000 when he sold the flat in Southwark, south London, in 2006, according to the newspaper. It said that he then bought a new flat just 1.5 miles away, claiming ?10,000 in stamp duty and other expenses incurred in the move and a further ?15,000 on a new bathroom, kitchen, carpets, and appliances. Both flats were said to be about 11 miles along the south of the River Thames from his constituency home in Belvedere, Kent, which he designates as his main home. In total, the paper reported that Mr Austin had claimed more than ?133,000 in second home expenses since 2001. Mr Austin called the newspaper's report "inaccurate and misleading" and said he was seeking legal advice.
Nick Brown
The Government Chief Whip submitted ?18,800 in unreceipted claims for food over a period of four years, the paper reported. Mr Brown - who last week suspended two Labour MPs for reportedly claiming thousands of pounds for mortgages that had been paid off - acknowledged he had claimed the full amount allowable in subsistence costs, but insisted that it was justified in the context of his working life. The MP for Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend also claimed ?200 a month for "repairs", ?200 a month for "service and maintenance" and ?250 a month for a cleaner, for which he did not submit receipts.
Tommy McAvoy
The Deputy Chief Whip and Labour MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West spent ?86,565 in second home expenses on his Westminster flat between 2004 and 2008. Most of these claims were mortgage interest payments of ?1,000 a month, council tax and ground rent payments.
Ian Lucas
The assistant Labour whip claimed around ?1,000 a month in mortgage interest payments on a London flat - and sold it for a ?45,000 profit, billing taxpayers for ?6,000 in sale fees. The Wrexham MP then claimed almost ?4,000 for staying in hotels before buying a new flat and claiming for stamp duty, purchasing fees, mortgage interest payments and new furniture.
Helen Jones
Ms Jones, assistant Labour whip and Warrington North MP, claimed a total of ?87,647 on her London flat between 2004 and 2008, most of which was taken up by mortgage interest repayments.
Helen Goodman
Ms Goodman claimed for a week's stay in a holiday cottage in her constituency over a bank holiday, the paper said. The Bishop Auckland MP submitted a claim of ?519.31 to the fees office for the cottage in the village of Romaldkirk in Teesdale between August 27 and September 3 2005.
Chris Mullin
While some of his colleagues used taxpayers' money to buy plasma screens and home cinema systems, the Labour backbencher gets by with a black and white television he has owned for three decades. The MP for Sunderland South - one of the 0.5% of the population who still own a black and white TV set - claims the ?45 cost of the licence fee on his second home expenses.
Ian Davidson
Mr Davidson, a member of the Commons public accounts committee, which monitors
government spending, paid a family friend ?5,500 to renovate his London flat and
took him on two shooting trips, the paper said. The MP for Glasgow South West also had reclining furniture worth ?1,459 delivered to his constituency home. Under the Additional Cost Allowance MPs must only submit claims incurred on their second homes. Mr Davidson told The Telegraph the furniture was later driven to his London flat. Commons officials questioned Mr Davidson's payments to a property search to
help him find a new flat. A note revealed he "had already claimed ?1,000 of
taxpayers' money with nothing to show for it. Concerned about how long this
would go on for". The final bill for finding a new flat came to ?6,000, with the fees office agreeing to pay a proportion of this sum. Mr Davidson also charged the ?11,000
cost of the move to the taxpayer.
Sarah McCarthy-Fry
The junior minister submitted a receipt for a ?100 pair of hair straighteners. Ms McCarthy-Fry, who is Under-Secretary for Schools and Learners, was told she would not be reimbursed because the fees office was "unable to allow costs relating to personal items, in this case hair stylers".
Ben Chapman
Mr Chapman became the first Labour MP to quit Westminster over the expenses scandal. The Daily Telegraph reported he had been given permission by the Fees Office to reclaim the interest payments on the full value of a mortgage despite paying off ?295,000 of the loan. Mr Chapman benefited by ?15,000 over 10 months from the arrangement, the paper said.
Margaret Moran
The Labour MP for Luton - who spent ?22,500 on treating dry rot at her partner's seafront property 100 miles from her constituency - "flipped" her second home repeatedly so she could renovate three properties with public money, it was alleged. Ms Moran is also facing questions over whether she helped her partner's company to win a ?10,000 contract to put up festive lights in a Luton park, the paper said.
Frank Field
The claims of the independent-minded Labour backbencher suggest he is a relatively modest spender, compared to many of his parliamentary colleagues. Mr Field, tipped as an early front-runner for Speaker, claimed just ?9,573 on his Birkenhead constituency home.
Ian Gibson
The Norwich North MP claimed ?80,000 in taxpayers' money for a flat where his daughter lived with her partner, it was revealed. He then sold the west London property to his daughter and her partner William Turner in April this year for ?162,000 - less than he bought it for in 1999 and well below the current market rate. The Telegraph reported that Dr Gibson published his expenses on his Internet website earlier this week, but blacked out key details. Dr Gibson said he was ready to stand down if his constituents demanded it.
Paul Goggins
The Northern Ireland Minister allowed a friend to live rent-free at his second
home while claiming almost ?45,000 from the taxpayer for it. Mr Goggins, MP for Wythenshawe and Sale East, designated the house he shares in south-east London with Chris Bain as a second home three years ago. He did not inform the fees office that he shared it and claimed the entire ?600 a month mortgage interest, plus council tax and utility bills. The pair told the Telegraph they would repay a sum of money based on how many nights Mr Bain, a director of Roman Catholic aid agency Cafod, stayed there. Mr Goggins also paid Mr Bain ?3,829 for the installation of a new kitchen. It emerged the money was given to Mr Bain's brother who carried out the work.
Khalid Mahmood
Mr Mahmood checked into a five-star London hotel with his then girlfriend at taxpayers' expense. After separating from his wife, the Birmingham Perry Barr MP reportedly used the hotel as a second home. Mr Mahmood stayed with his former girlfriend at The Bentley in Kensington for nine nights over a four-week period in 2004 at a cost of ?1,350. He spent a further five nights at the luxurious hotel last year and claimed ?1,225.
Mark Todd
The backbench MP for South Derbyshire put ?24,877 on expenses to refurbish his
second home in London Taxpayers footed the bill for kitchen units, bathroom items, lighting, carpets, tiles and furniture, including leather chairs and a marble table. He said he would refund the Fees Office for an amount reflecting the items' depreciation when he retires at the next general election. In total, he has claimed more than ?90,000 in second homes allowance over the past five years. Mr Todd announced his intention to stand down from Parliament two years ago.
Michael Clapham
The backbencher bought a ?210 pair of glasses for his wife, Yvonne, who is
employed as his office assistant. The fees office reduced the claim to ?50, informing him: "this is the maximum sum which is allowable for spectacles under this allowance".
He also spent ?64 on dinner services and ?19.97 for an iron on his office allowance.
Sir Peter Soulsby
Sir Peter, who employs his wife as a secretary, claimed for bailiffs' fees
after the rent on his constituency office fell into arrears. The fees office said the Leicester South MP was not liable for the ?472.59 bill and refunded him.
Bob Laxton
The MP for Derby North claimed ?1,049 for a flat screen TV and spent ?1,456 on
a double bed for his second home in London. Mr Laxton, who employs his wife as his office manager, told the Telegraph: "I didn't really particularly have the time to run around and get deals on a TV or beds."
Quentin Davies
The former Tory frontbencher who defected to Labour was said to have spent more
than ?10,000 on repairing window frames at his historic home in Lincolnshire.
Mr Davies, a defence minister and MP for Grantham and Stamford, claimed close
to the maximum allowable on his second home expenses between 2004 and 2008.
His expenses included buildings and contents insurance for the 18th-century
mansion. He employs his wife as his parliamentary assistant.
Andrew Smith
The MP for Oxford East charged the taxpayer more than ?30,000 for renovations
and repairs to his south London home. The make-over included a new kitchen and bathroom, new windows, flooring doors and hallway. Some of the invoices were address to his constituency home, but Mr Smith, whose wife works part-time for him, insisted the work was carried out at his London property.
Angela Smith
The MP for Sheffield Hillsborough bought four beds for her one-bedroom London
flat, it was reported. Miss Smith, who employs her husband as a researcher, claimed ?7,800 in 2005 to kit out her flat, including for a king-size bed and two futons.
In 2006, she bought a ?950 sofa bed and a chair worth ?550 because she said the
two futons were broken.
Tom Levitt
The MP for High Peak submitted a ?16.50 receipt for the cost of a poppy wreath
he laid during Remembrance Sunday commemorations. The Fees Office rejected the claim, and Mr Levitt, who employs his wife as his parliamentary assistant, said it had been made in error. After receiving a ?5,281 bill for renovations, officials asked Mr Levitt to justify the claim. The later reimbursed him for it, but refused to refund the full ?8,013.77 cost of installing a new bathroom.
CONSERVATIVES
John Gummer
The former Tory cabinet minister claimed ?9,000 a year for gardening, charging the taxpayer hundreds of pounds for treating insect "infestations" and removing moles and jackdaw nests from his Suffolk property, and for an annual "rodent service".
Greg Barker
Mr Barker - the first prominent Tory to be caught up in the expenses row - reportedly made a ?320,000 profit on a flat he bought at the taxpayers' expense.
David Willetts
The shadow innovation, universities and skills secretary claimed ?115 plus VAT to replace 25 light bulbs at his second home in west London. On the same claim - part of a ?2,191 invoice for odd jobs that included cleaning a shower head - Mr Willetts charged another ?80 to "change light bulbs in bathroom". But parliamentary authorities pared the bill back by more than ?1,000, refusing to refund ?175 for a dog enclosure and ?750 for a shed base. According to the Telegraph, the fees office frequently cut his claims because of errors or overclaims.
Chris Grayling
Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling
The shadow home secretary received thousands of pounds to renovate a London flat 17 miles from his constituency home. Mr Grayling, who already apparently owned three properties within the M25, bought the flat with loans subsidised by the taxpayer. In an unusual move, Mr Grayling negotiated an arrangement with the fees office that allowed him to claim ?625 a month for mortgages on two separate properties - the main home in Ashtead, Surrey, and the new flat. An exception to the rules was made for the Epsom and Ewell MP because he was unable to obtain a 100% mortgage on the flat. He is also alleged to have delayed putting in claims for decorating and refurbishing costs so he could receive the maximum in Additional Costs Allowance (ACA) over consecutive years.
Francis Maude
The shadow Cabinet Office minister claimed almost ?35,000 over two years for a mortgage on a London flat a few minutes walk from a house he already owned and then rented out. The taxpayer footed the ?387.50 bill for moving his effects down the road. He also tried to claim mortgage interest on his family home in Sussex, but the arrangement was reportedly rejected by the Fees Office.
George Osborne
The parliamentary authorities considered the shadow chancellor's personal website too "political" to be publicly funded, the newspaper said. After claiming ?30 for a private company to host the site, Mr Osborne was told by an official: "I draw your attention to the 'Latest News' section of your webpage. This includes some articles ... which contain clearly political content and are therefore not acceptable on a publicly funded website." He also put a ?440.62 bill for a chauffeur company to drive him from Cheshire to London on November 11 2005 on expenses. While the invoice offered a 5% discount for "prompt settlement", Mr Osborne received the full amount. The records showed he also claimed hundreds of pounds for cleaning and remortgaged his second home in Cheshire, increasing his monthly mortgage interest bill from ?1,560 a month to nearly ?1,900.
David Cameron
The Tory leader claimed a total of ?82,450 on his second home allowance over five years. The majority of Mr Cameron's claims were for mortgage interest and utility bills for his Oxfordshire constituency home. One exception was a ?680 bill for repairs to the property, which included clearing wisteria and vines from a chimney, replacing outside lights and resealing his conservatory's roof. The newspaper reported Mr Cameron's expenses appeared relatively straightforward compared to other members of the shadow cabinet.
Cheryl Gillan
The shadow Welsh Secretary spent taxpayers' money on dog food. She said the ?4.47 claim was an error and promised to repay the money. The fees office also reduced two claims for gas bills because statements showed Ms Gillan's account was in credit.
Oliver Letwin
Mr Letwin, who is in charge of drawing up the Conservative general election manifesto, claimed more than ?2,000 to replace a leaking pipe under his tennis court. He said he had been ordered to mend the pipe by the local water company and did not make any improvements to the court or his garden. The taxpayer also picked up the tab for regular services to his Aga cooker.
Nick Herbert
The shadow environment secretary claimed back ?10,000 of the ?14,700 stamp duty when he bought a home with his partner in his constituency. He also charged for fees and a survey of the property in Arundel, West Sussex and claimed for the entire monthly mortgage interest even though his partner's name was on the deeds.
Alan Duncan
The shadow leader of the Commons claimed thousands of pounds for his garden before agreeing with the fees office that the spending "could be considered excessive". Millionaire Mr Duncan recouped ?4,000 over three years. However, a ?3,194 bill for gardening in March 2007 was not paid after officials responded suggesting that the claim might not be "within the spirit" of the rules, according to the Daily Telegraph. In a letter to the MP for Rutland and Melton, the fees office said that it expected gardening costs "to cover only basic essentials such as grass cutting". In March 2007, Mr Duncan claimed ?598 to overhaul a ride-on lawn-mower and then a further ?41 to fix a puncture a month later. Mr Duncan is also said to have claimed ?1,400 a month for mortgage interest on his home in Rutland.
Andrew Lansley
The shadow health secretary spent thousands of pounds renovating a thatched Tudor country cottage - and sold it shortly afterwards. He redecorated with premium paint in some rooms at a cost of ?2,000 and spent more than ?500 having the driveway re-shingled. He is then said to have "flipped" his expenses to a Georgian flat in London, and claimed for thousands of pounds in furnishings, including a Laura Ashley sofa.
Michael Gove
Mr Gove - a close ally of Mr Cameron - spent more than ?7,000 in five months furnishing a London property in 2006 before "flipping" his second home designation to a new property he bought in Surrey. He then apparently claimed more than ?13,000 in stamp duty and other fees from his Parliamentary expenses for this property.
Ken Clarke
The former Chancellor's book-keeping skills "leave much to be desired" according to the newspaper. Mr Clarke, now shadow business secretary, was apparently asked repeatedly to submit receipts for thousands of pounds in claims for security and cleaning at his second home in London. The records also revealed he does not claim a council tax discount of up to 10% to which he should be entitled having designated the property as his second home.
Theresa Villiers
The shadow transport secretary claimed nearly ?16,000 in stamp duty and fees for a London flat, despite already having another house in the capital only 14 miles from Westminster, it was reported.
David Heathcoat-Amory
The MP for Wells in Somerset reportedly claimed ?388.80 for horse manure between 2004 and 2007. He also submitted a bill of ?986.17 for heating oil in January 2008, and between July and September 2007 Mr Heathcoat-Amory also claimed ?1,792.50 worth of invoices from a gardening firm.
Sir Michael Spicer
Sir Michael, who is chairman of the influential 1922 Committee of back bench MPs, has claimed ?620 for the installation of a chandelier and rewiring work and more than ?1,000 for servicing an oven, The Daily Telegraph said. He also claimed more than ?5,650 for gardening work at his Worcestershire manor house, as well as ?4,000 for council tax on two homes. Other items reportedly claimed included ?3,000 for roof repairs and ?2,350 for work on his chimney.
Stewart Jackson
The Tory communities spokesman has claimed more than ?66,000 for his family home in Peterborough, the paper said. He billed the taxpayer for ?304.10 for work on the swimming pool, and more than ?11,000 in professional fees and costs incurred with the move to the property in 2005. According to the report, household items claimed include a ?3,000 berber carpet, a ?741 king size bed and ?775 for plumbing work in his summer room. He said he would be repaying the money claimed for the swimming pool work.
David Davis
The former shadow Home Secretary spent more than ?10,000 of taxpayers' money on home improvements in four years, including a ?5,700 portico at his home in Yorkshire, it was disclosed. He also claimed more than ?2,000 for the cost of mowing and rolling two paddocks at his home.
James Arbuthnot
According to the Telegraph, Mr Arbuthnot claimed ?1,471 for "grass, trim, pool, fuel" costs associated with the garden of his property in Hampshire. During the period May to October 2007, he also submitted a claim for ?2,433 "for the expense of our housekeeper". Furnishing he asked to be reimbursed included ?728 for a new television and ?100 for a sign at his new home. In total, the chairman of the Defence Select Committee has claimed ?108,062 over the past five years - the maximum amount possible according to the paper. He said he would be repaying the money claimed for the swimming pool work. "I'm sorry I made them and will repay them in full," he told the paper.
Sir Alan Haselhurst
The Deputy Speaker has charged taxpayers almost ?12,000 for gardening bills at his Essex farmhouse, the report said. He told the paper that the gardener "does all the heavy work which I don't have the opportunity to do when I'm in London."
Douglas Hogg
Former Agriculture minister Mr Hogg has been paid more than ?20,000 a year between 2004 and 2008 in second home allowances, it has been revealed. Among the costs itemised were ?2,115 for having a moat cleared, ?646.25 for "general repairs, stable etc" and ?40 for piano tuning, the Telegraph said. He will stand down at the next election.
Michael Ancram
The former Conservative deputy leader charged the cost of having his swimming pool boiler serviced to his parliamentary allowances, it was reported. Records seen by the paper show ?98.58 was claimed for the boiler repair, as well as more than ?3,000 in cleaning costs and ?1,250 of gardening expenses in a single year. He said none of his items claimed "could be considered extravagant or luxurious".
John Maples
According to the Telegraph, the deputy chairman of the Conservative party declared a private members club as his main home to the parliamentary authorities. Mr Maples claimed the maximum second home allowance possible while registering the RAC in London's Pall Mall as his principal residence. He denied declaring the club, which features bars, restaurants and sports facilities, as his main home, saying it had been his London "base".
Stephen Crabb
The Preseli Pembrokeshire MP reportedly claimed his main home was a room in a flat rented by another MP after buying a new family home in Wales, claiming ?9,300 in stamp duty. He had previously "flipped" the property designated as his second home to the family house from another London flat that was sold for a profit after more than ?8,000 in taxpayer-funded refurbishment, it was disclosed. Mr Crabb said his claims were "always within the letter and spirit of the rules".
James Clappison
The Shadow work and pensions minister has claimed more than ?100,000 in expenses including thousands for gardening and redecoration, it was disclosed. He has claimed a total of ?3,166 for regular work on his garden since 2004, the Telegraph said. Also among the items charged to the taxpayer include a typical ?300 per month for food, up to ?125 per month for a cleaner and ?31 cable TV bill. Mr Clappison said he voluntarily submitted my his claims to the Fees Office for review. "They found that my claims were not only entirely within the rules but also within the spirit of the rules," he said.
Sir Nicholas and Ann Winterton
The Tory backbench couple are said to have claimed more than ?80,000 for a London flat owned by a trust controlled by their children.
Greg Barker
The shadow climate change minister is said to have made ?320,000 in little over two years by buying and selling a property bought with the help of parliamentary expenses. Mr Barker bought the flat in Chelsea for ?480,000 in November 2004 before While it was designated as his second home for parliament, it was his main residence for tax purposes enabling him to avoid any Capital Gains Tax.
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown
The shadow minister for international development "flipped" his second home designation from London to his Gloucestershire home, before buying a ?2.75 million house, the Telegraph said. He also claimed ?87 a month for laundry and dry cleaning, and up to ?400 a month for food.
Nadine Dorries
Tory MP Nadine Dorries is said to have claimed for a New Year's Eve hotel room and a second home allowance while only having one home. She also got taxpayers to foot the bill for a lost ?2,190 deposit on a rented flat. Ms Dorries, the MP for Mid Bedfordshire, denied the allegations about the hotel room and the second home, but admitted the lost deposit claim.
David Maclean
The Tory MP, who represents Penrith and The Border in Cumbria, is said to have used ?20,000 of taxpayers' cash to do up a property before selling it. Mr Maclean, who introduced a Bill to exempt parliament from aspects of freedom of information law, then avoided paying capital gains tax on the sale by telling the taxman it was his main home, the newspaper alleged. He denied switching designations to avoid paying tax.
Julian Lewis
The shadow defence minister claimed more than ?7,000 from the taxpayer for redecorating his second home and installing new kitchen appliances. He also asked if he could claim ?6,000 in expenses for a wooden floor, but was told it could be seen as extravagant. Mr Lewis said the Westminster expenses system was "rotten" but insisted he had only used it to carry out essential maintenance and had not abused the system.
David Ruffley
Tory frontbencher Mr Ruffley is reported to have "flipped" his second home from London to his constituency before claiming back thousands for furniture and fittings, including a ?1,674 sofa. He was said to have been refused the full amount when he claimed for a ?2,175 television from Harrods, and also had a ?6,765 claim for bedroom furniture and equipment reduced.
Greg Knight
Tory backbencher Mr Knight, who has a collection of classic cars, claimed ?2,600 for repair work on the driveway at his designated second home as part of a ?21,793 bill for maintenance and security. He said none of his claims was related to the cost of keeping his car collection.
Bernard Jenkin
The former Conservative Party deputy chairman claimed ?50,000 for renting his sister-in-law's farmhouse which is across the road from a property part-owned by his wife. Mr Jenkin, the North Essex MP, also faces questions over the amount of money he gave to his wife's sister for staying in the house, which does not have a mortgage on it, the paper said.
Mike Penning
The former Grenadier Guard who once said the Army fed its dogs better than its soldiers claimed for a bowl for his own four-legged friend. Mr Penning, the shadow health minister, put a ?2.99 stainless steel dog bowl on his second home expenses. The Hemel Hempstead MP told the Telegraph: "This was claimed for mistakenly, for which I apologise sincerely and will pay back."
Jonathan Djanogly
The multi-millionaire shadow business minister claimed nearly ?5,000 on his taxpayer-funded expenses to install automatic gates at his home. He also spent ?13,962 on cleaning and ?12,951 for gardening from his second home allowance. Mr Djanogly has now agreed to repay ?25,000 of the ?77,104 he has apparently spent maintaining the property out of his Commons expenses. The wooden gates, which he can open with a touchpad without leaving his car, cost ?4,936 to install at his Huntingdon constituency home. They were put in to improve security amid concern about animal rights extremists who have targeted nearby Huntingdon Life Sciences, he said. Other claims by Mr Djanogly included a ?846 bill for two television digital boxes - although that was reduced by the Commons Fees Office to ?517 - and the cost of a chimney sweep to clean three open fires.
Ed Vaizey
Mr Vaizey, who is Tory MP for Wantage in Oxfordshire, is reported to have had ?2,000 of furniture delivered to his London home when he was claiming an allowance on a second home in Oxfordshire. The items - including a ?467 sofa and ?544 chair and a ?280 low table - were from Oka, co-founded by Tory leader David Cameron's mother-in-law, the Telegraph said. He said he has paid back the claims for the Oka furniture, as they were deemed "higher quality than necessary".
Robert Syms
The Tory MP for Poole in Dorset is said to have claimed more than ?2,000 worth of furniture on expenses for his second home in London, but had it all delivered to his parents' address in Wiltshire. Mr Syms sent the bed, mattress, sofa and chair to the Wiltshire property. He said his parents' address was the best of delivery for the items, and he had then taken up to London afterwards.
John Redwood
The former Conservative leadership candidate has admitted being paid twice after submitting an identical ?3,000 decorating bill on his designated second home. The duplicate claim for ?3,275.31 was made in April 2007 and not spotted for four months. It is also alleged that Mr Redwood moved the designation of his second home three times between 2004 and 2008. "On no occasion have I sought to profit from a second home," he said.
Patrick McLoughlin
Mr McLoughlin, the Conservative Chief Whip charged with examining Tory expenses, was said to have claimed ?3,000 for the fitting of new windows at his second home - a detached country house in Derbyshire.
Alistair Burt
The assistant chief whip and deputy chairman of the Conservative Party claimed ?1,000 too much for his rent over a period of five months. He was allowed to keep the extra money because he told the fees office he had not submitted expenses for food in that time, the newspaper said.
James Gray
The MP for North Wiltshire claimed ?2,000 for future decorations to his second home on the day his lease on the property ended. Mr Gray, who admitted cheating on his wife while she was being treated for breast cancer, wrote to the fees office in June 2007 to inform them that he would pay ?2,000 towards renovations his ex-wife planned to carry out to the property. He then claimed ?5,000 to cover the cost of moving into a property nearby with his new partner. He also asked if he could be reimbursed for ?2,500 a month in rent - an increase of ?1,155 - until he had used up his second home allowance.
Sir Peter Viggers
The veteran Tory MP was forced to announce his retirement following revelations of his expenses claims, reported to include a ?1,645 taxpayer-funded floating "duck island" for his pond. Sir Peter, a former banker who has represented Gosport since 1974, will step down at the next election and pay back a sum believed to be in five figures after his claims were ruled excessive by a Tory panel. His ?30,000 claims for gardening included ?500 for manure and ?1,645 on a "floating duck island" for his pond.
Sir Paul Beresford
The Conservative MP designated his London property - which includes a dental practice where he works up to three days a week - as his second home and billed the taxpayer for three-quarters of the running costs.
Michael Fallon
The senior Tory claimed ?8,300 too much for the mortgage on his second home. Mr Fallon, deputy chairman of the Treasury Select Committee, put his entire mortgage payments on expenses when MPs are only allowed to claim for interest charges. His error was spotted by the fees office in September 2004.
Bill Wiggin
The Tory whip made an ?11,000 mortgage claim against the wrong property. He said he had inadvertently filled in the wrong address on several claim forms but had not benefited financially in any way from the error - which was discovered by officials in 2006.
Anthony Steen
The Totnes MP claimed more than ?80,000 from the taxpayer over four years for work at his ?1m Devon mansion. His receipts included payments for tree surgery, guarding shrubs against rabbits, maintaining a separate cottage and overhauling his private sewerage system. The veteran Tory said he would stand down to avoid distracting the party from its general election fight.
Peter Luff
The Conservative MP for Mid-Worcestershire spent ?17,000 of taxpayers' money on furniture and other household items over a four-year period. They included three lavatory seats, three food mixers, two microwaves, four beds, five tables, two ironing boards, three kettles and 10 sets of bed linen. He twice claimed for china dinner services, buying a ?625 set in 2005 for his flat, before purchasing another for ?367 less than three years later. In the months before switching his designated second home from Worcester to London, he charged more than ?5,000 for decorating and repairs, including the cost of having his Aga stove fixed, according to records seen by the paper. He reportedly submitted receipts for furniture or decorating almost every month over the four-year period, some of which were challenged by the Fees Office. Mr Luff said he was ready to repay any claims identified as unreasonable by the scrutiny panel set up by Conservative leader David Cameron.
Keith Simpson
The Mid Norfolk MP has spent almost ?200 on light bulbs for his rented flat near Westminster over the past four years, it was reported.
Sir George Young
The Conservative MP and Old Etonian put a total of ?127,159 in second home expenses on his London flat between 2001 and 2008, claiming the maximum allowance on the property over the past two years, the paper said. His expenditure included ?699 on a washer-dryer and ?449 on a dishwasher - both claims were reduced by the Fees Office. Sir George also failed to claim a council tax discount to which he was entitled, instead charging the taxpayer for the full amount.
John Bercow
Mr Bercow, another potential successor to the Speaker's chair, "flipped" his second home from his constituency to a ?540,000 flat in London and then claimed the maximum allowable amount for it.
Anne Main
The Tory MP for St Albans claimed a 10% second home discount on her council tax for a flat where her daughter was living rent-free, the paper said. This discount can only be claimed if there is no full-time occupant of the property. Mrs Main also charged the taxpayer ?1,095.68 a month in mortgage interest payments for the flat, along with service charges, utility bills and furnishing costs. Her principal residence is 25 miles away in Beaconsfield, Bucks, and just six miles further away from Westminster than the St Albans flat.
David Lidington
The Tory MP for Aylesbury put nearly ?1,300 for dry-cleaning on his second home expenses and claimed for toothpaste, shower gel, body spray and vitamin supplements. Mr Lidington even sent his bath mat and towel to the cleaners, it was reported. Under expenses rules MPs are not allowed to claim for toiletries, but two Boots receipts totalling ?51.09 submitted by Mr Lidington in May 2006 were accepted.
Angela Browning
The MP for Tiverton & Honiton used ?10,000 in public money to set up and run
her website. Mrs Browning, a former agriculture minister in John Major's government, also spent ?7,300 on decorating and furnishing her second home, including a ?1,000
bill for two radiator covers.
Christopher Chope
Mr Chope, MP for Christchurch, in Dorset, put ?881 for reupholstering a Chesterfield sofa and ?10,377 for repairing the roof of the London house he shares with his wife on his second home expenses. He also billed taxpayers ?2,600 for a new bathroom at the property.
Small spenders
Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative leader and chairman of the Social Justice Policy Group, commutes to Westminster from his Chingford and Woodford Green constituency even though he is eligible for a second home.
LIBERAL DEMOCRATS
Andrew George
The Liberal Democrat MP has claimed ?847 a month for a riverside flat in London used by his student daughter, according to the Telegraph. Mr George, who is MP for St Ives in Cornwall, said his daughter Morvah, 21, had access to the property in Rotherhithe but was not the sole user.
Sir Menzies Campbell
Former Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies spent nearly ?10,000 of taxpayer funds refurbishing his central London flat. Among the items claimed were a new king-size bed worth ?1,024, bed linen worth ?373 and five cushions costing ?176.25. He also claimed thousands of pounds of food over the summer recess.
Chris Huhne
The Lib Dem's home affairs spokesman regularly submits claims for food and groceries including pints of milk, fluffy dusters and chocolate biscuits. Millionaire Mr Huhne, who is MP for Eastleigh in Hampshire, also expensed a ?119 trouser press which was delivered to his main London home. He said he has repaid the cost of the press.
Nick Clegg
The current Lib Dem leader reported had his second home allowance docked last year after exceeding the ?23,083 maximum by more than ?100. Other claims made included ?1,657.32 for food, and phone bills which included calls to Colombia and Vietnam. He said that when he sells his second home, any profit will go back to the taxpayer. Mr Clegg also said he had paid back the ?80.20 cost of the international calls.
Julia Goldsworthy
The Lib Dem local government spokesman spent thousands of pounds on furniture just days before the deadline for using up parliamentary allowances, it was reported. She bought a ?999 TV, ?1,500 of furniture in House of Fraser and a ?1,200 leather rocking chair from upmarket furniture store Heal's on March 28 and 29, 2006, the paper said. The House of Commons financial year ends at the beginning of April, after which expenses incurred must be set against a new allowance. Ms Goldsworthy told the paper that she had claimed "reasonable" costs for furnishings.
Lembit Opik
Lib Dem housing spokesman Mr Opik billed a ?40 summons for the non-payment of council tax on a flat to his second home expenses. He told the Telegraph that he would pay back the sum.
Alan Reid
The Lib Dem MP for Argyll and Bute in Scotland has claimed more than ?1,500 for staying in hotels and bed and breakfasts in his constituency, according to the Telegraph. The paper said he put in receipts for eight nights in Scottish lodgings during 2005/06, but was told by the Commons fees office that stays in constituency hotels could not be claimed. In 2007/08, he also claimed for three stays in Scottish hotels including one overlooking Loch Etive and one of the Isle of Bute, 38 miles from his designated second home. Mr Reid told the paper it was sometimes impractical for him to travel home at night from various locations in Scotland due to lack of ferries and adequate transport.
Norman Baker
Campaigning Lib Dem MP Norman Baker asked the Commons fees office if he could claim for a bicycle for use between his London flat and Parliament. The request was denied.
Nick Harvey
Lib Dem MP Mr Harvey, who is nominated as the spokesman for the House of Commons, had to be reminded twice by officials to submit receipts with his expenses.
Richard Younger-Ross
The Liberal Democrat MP claimed more than ?4,000 of taxpayer-funded expenses for furnishings. The items included ?1,200 on mirrors, ?500 on a bookcase and ?1,475 chest of drawers for his second home in Westminster. Mr Younger-Ross admitted his work as a middle-class architectural consultant on wealthy people's homes had blinded him to what struggling voters would consider "luxury items".
Phil Willis
The Lib-Dem MP spent around ?15,000 of taxpayers' money on mortgage interest payments and refurbishing a flat in which his daughter now lives, according to the newspaper. Mr Willis, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, then bought another property next door and went on to claim more than ?2,500 in stamp duty and legal fees and ?3,000 on decorating and furnishings. The taxpayer also forked out for increased mortgage interest payments on the new flat.
Jo Swinson
Ms Swinson, the youngest MP in the Commons, was said to have put a raft of small claims on expenses, including eyeliner, a ?19.10 "tooth flosser" and 29p dusters. The Lib-Dem MP, who was just 25 when she was elected, denied claiming for cosmetics but admitted using expenses to pay for dozens of everyday items.
Sir Alan Beith
Sir Alan, a possible contender for the post of Speaker, claimed ?117,000 on his second home while his wife, Baroness Maddock, put ?60,000 on her House of Lords expenses for the same property. The Liberal Democrat MP for Berwick-on-Tweed billed taxpayers for rent, food and cleaning at the flat and Lady Maddock has claimed an average of ?10,000 per year in "overnight" allowances, the Telegraph reported.
OTHERS
Peter and Iris Robinson
The couple, who are both Democratic Unionist Party MPs, are said to have both claimed expenses based on the same ?1,223 bill when they submitted claims in 2007. They also had claims for ?10,860 of mortgage interest rejected because no mortgage interest statements had been submitted to back up the claim, it was reported.
Derek Conway
The disgraced former Tory whip was able to spend thousands of pounds in public
money on two homes by designating his main residence as an office. Mr Conway, who was expelled from the Conservative Party last year over payments to his sons for parliamentary work, claimed mortgage interest and household bills for his designated second home in London. The independent MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup also purchased items including a ?573.99 television, a ?199 Zanussi fridge freezer, a ?174 "low radiation" telephone and a ?399 sat nav device on office expenses for his family house in Morpeth, Northumberland. Mr Conway, who employs his wife as his PA, also had a home in his Bexley constituency in south-east London - more than 300 miles away from his Northumberland "office", the paper reported.
Malcolm Bruce
The president of the Scottish Liberal Democrats claimed running costs for his
family home because his wife worked there as his office manager and diary
secretary. Mr Bruce claimed ?3,100 towards the cost of electricity, heating and cleaning for the couple's house in Deeside, north east Scotland, between April 2006 and March 2008 under the Incidental Expenditure Provision (IEP) which is designed to
cover office costs. Mr Bruce's constituency office in Inverurie is 22 miles from his home. During the same period, Mr Bruce claimed ?61,186 from the additional costs
allowance (ACA) for his flat in London which was registered as his second home.
SINN FEIN
Five Sinn Fein MPs raked in expenses of almost ?500,000 for running a second home - despite not taking up their seats in the Commons. The party's two most senior figures, president Gerry Adams and Northern Ireland deputy first minister Martin McGuinness, were said to have jointly claimed ?3,600 a month to rent a shared two-bedroom flat in the capital, which a local estate agent suggested would be worth ?1,400 a month. The three other MPs together claimed ?5,400 a month to rent a shared town house estimated to be worth around ?1,800 a month.
SMALL SPENDERS
Low claimers mentioned in the Telegraph were Malcolm Wicks, John Randall, David Drew, and Caroline Spelman who allegedly put the cost of a nanny on parliamentary expenses last year. Laura Moffatt, MP for Crawley, was said to have given up the comfort of a London flat she used to put on parliamentary expenses for a camp bed in her Westminster office.
LABOUR
The Prime Minister
Mr Brown used his expenses to pay his brother Andrew ?6,577 for cleaning work at his Westminster flat between 2004 and 2006. The brothers shared the cleaner at their two flats. Under the arrangement, Andrew Brown paid the cleaner and the Prime Minister reimbursed his share of the cost.
Alistair Darling
Mr Darling "switched" the location of his second home four times in four years, allowing him to claim thousands of pounds towards the cost of his Edinburgh home and for the London flat, it was reported. The taxpayer contributed almost ?10,000 towards the cost of furnishing the Chancellor's London flat, including ?2,074 for furniture and ?2,339 for "magnolia" carpets. The public also footed the bills for ?765 from Ikea and ?768 from Marks and Spencer for a bed.
Jack Straw
The Justice Secretary claimed for the full cost of council tax, even though he received a 50% discount from his local authority. He repaid the money last summer, shortly after a High Court ruling requiring the receipts to be published. In a note to the fees office he wrote: "Accountancy does not appear to be my strongest suit."
Lord Mandelson
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson claimed thousands of pounds for work on his constituency home in Hartlepool shortly after announcing his resignation as an MP, it was reported. He renovated the terrace house in 2004 and sold it for a ?136,000 profit. Lord Mandelson's spokesman insisted the expenditure was to repair the property, "not improve it".
David Miliband
The Foreign Secretary claimed almost ?30,000 for doing up his ?120,000 constituency home over five years, it was reported. He spent up to ?180 every three months on the garden at the property in South Shields. At the bottom of one receipt for ?132.96 in April 2008, his gardener wrote a note questioning whether some of the work was necessary.
Geoff Hoon
The Transport Secretary was able to switch his second home in a way which allowed him to improve his family home in Derbyshire at taxpayers' expense before buying a London townhouse. It was reported Mr Hoon did not pay capital gains tax on an estimated ?300,000 profit when he sold his London home in 2006.
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears
The Communities Secretary claimed for three different properties in a single year, spending almost ?5,000 of taxpayers' money on furniture in three months. Ms Blears told Commons authorities a flat in south London was her second home, meaning she was able to claim back thousands of pounds in mortgage interest and running costs. Yet when she sold the flat in Kennington, at a profit of ?45,000, she paid no capital gains tax (CGT) on the windfall, indicating the flat was simultaneously registered with the taxman as her primary residence. Ms Blears has since written out a cheque for more than ?13,000 to cover the notional CGT arising from the sale of the property.
Margaret Beckett
The Housing Minister found herself in trouble with the Fees Office after attempting to claim ?600 for hanging baskets and pot plants.
Andy Burnham
The Culture Secretary wrote a note to the fees office in which he pleaded for his expenses to be paid urgently and even wrote he "might be in line for a divorce" if the money did not materialise within days.
Shaun Woodward
Taxpayers contributed almost ?100,000 to help pay the mortgage on Mr Woodward's ?1.35 million flat - one of seven owned by the Northern Ireland Secretary.
Caroline Flint
The Europe minister put solicitors' fees and stamp duty totalling ?14,553 on her Parliamentary expenses after buying a central London flat.
Paul Murphy
The Welsh Secretary used his second home allowance to buy the freehold on a flat close to Parliament, putting the arrangement fees and stamp duty on his expenses. He also claimed for decorating and furnishing costs, including ?35 for a toilet roll holder, ?537 for an oven, a ?605 TV and a ?449 sound system.
Douglas Alexander
Mr Alexander's constituency home was damaged in a house fire in 2007 after he spent more than ?30,000 doing it up, the newspaper reported. The International Development Secretary told the fees office he was "under-insured" and claimed almost ?2,000 on items lost in the fire, which he later repaid when his insurers reimbursed him.
John Prescott
The taxpayer paid for the former deputy prime minister to fit the front of his home in Hull with mock Tudor boards and for his toilet seat to be repaired twice in two years.
Michael Martin
Mr Martin, who as Commons speaker fought to prevent MPs' expenses claims entering the public domain, spent more than ?1,400 on chauffeurs in his Glasgow constituency.
Barry Gardiner
The MP for Brent North made a profit of almost ?200,000 from a flat mortgaged and renovated with the help of taxpayers' cash, it was alleged.
Vera Baird QC
Mrs Baird, who as Solicitor General is one of the Government's top legal advisers, fell foul of expenses rules after trying to claim for Christmas decorations.
Stephen Byers
The former Trade Secretary used the expenses system to claim more than ?125,000 for the London flat owned by his partner, the paper said. Over the past five years, Mr Byers spent more than ?27,000 on redecoration, maintenance and appliances at the flat in Camden, north London. The claims included ?12,000 for extensive renovations to the outside of the flat.
John Reid
According to leaked receipts, the former Home Secretary appears to enjoy his creature comforts when in his Scottish constituency. Mr Reid's claims included a ?199 pouffe, a ?370 armchair, an ?899 sofa and a ?29.99 a "black glitter toilet seat".
Tony Blair
The former Prime Minister was able to use his parliamentary expenses to remortgage his constituency home for ?296,000 - nearly 10 times what he paid for it - just months before buying a west London house for ?3.65 million. The claims, some of which were revealed last year under a Freedom of Information request, showed interest repayments on his constituency home amounted to almost a third of the new mortgage - enough to cover the deposit on the new house. The London town house was one of five properties owned by Mr Blair - reportedly worth a total of ?10 million, the newspaper reported.
Kevin Brennan
The junior minister was said to have had a ?450 widescreen television delivered to his family home in Wales and then claimed it on his allowance for his second home in London.
Kitty Ussher
The Department for Work and Pensions minister drew up a list of renovations she hoped to make to her London house and asked Commons officials to "pay as much as you are able!"
Iain Wright and Tom Watson
Mr Wright, a junior housing minister, asked if he could buy furniture before he had even bought the property he shares with Mr Watson. He was told it would be better to wait until after the general election in case he lost his seat. He told the Commons authorities: "It seems stupid to carry it over into next year when a large chunk of my (allowance) would go unused."
Bob Marshall-Andrews
The left wing Labour MP has claimed ?118,000 for expenses at his second home, including stereo equipment, redecoration and a pair of Kenyan carpets, The Daily Telegraph said. In 2006 he claimed ?750 on a "multi-room audio system" and ?830 on a DVD recorder and other electrical goods. He has also claimed almost ?1,300 for an intercom, brass name plaque and other door adornments. Mr Marshall-Andrews said the claims for his TV and DVD recorder were "met" from second home allowances "in error". They were mainly for office use and should have been claimed accordingly, he told the paper. He added that all other claims were "within the spirit and letter of the law".
Elliot Morley
Former Agriculture minister Mr Morley claimed ?16,000 for interest on a mortgage he had already paid off. The MP for S****horpe claimed the sum for more than 18 months after the loan had been repaid. He said that he had repaid some of the money, but not how much. Mr Morley has been suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party pending sleaze watchdog probes into the claims. He has also stepped aside from chairing the Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee while the allegations are considered.
Fabian Hamilton
The Labour MP for Leeds North East declared his mother's home in London as his
main residence, allowing him to claim thousands of pounds to improve his family
home in Leeds, the Telegraph said. He also overcharged ?2,850 in 2004 by claiming for the full cost of his mortgage payments when he was entitled only to reimbursement of the interest, it added. When the claim was challenged by parliamentary authorities, Mr Hamilton offset some ?1,950 of the overpayment by submitting receipts for furniture, including a TV, which he had bought for the house, while agreeing that ?900 could be docked from his next month's claim to cover the rest. He defended the claim by saying he spent the majority of his time with his mother before her death, paying a "substantial" sum for the upkeep of the house.
Austin Mitchell
The veteran Labour backbencher is said to have submitted claims for food items including Ginger Crinkle biscuits worth 67p, Branston pickle worth 68p and a bottle of malt whisky costing ?22.99. He also had a ?1,296 claim for bespoke shutters turned down.
Harry Cohen
The Labour MP 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, the Telegraph said. Among other items he reportedly claimed were ?1,222 for new blinds, ?5,232 for furniture. The Leyton and Wanstead MP also claimed ?4.25 for baby wipes and ?8.75 for men's shaving oil. Toiletries are not an allowable expense. Mr Cohen said he was willing to pay back the cost of the toiletries.
Shahid Malik
Justice Minister Shahid Malik claimed for tens of thousands of pounds on his second home in London while renting his constituency home in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, for less than ?100 a week, according to the Daily Telegraph. Mr Malik's claims for his second home in Peckham, south London, amounted to ?66,827 over three years, the highest figure for any MP, the paper said. They were said to include ?2,600 for a home cinema system - which was cut in half by the Commons Fees Office - ?730 for a "massage chair", and ?65 for a court summons for the non-payment of council tax. The Telegraph said that his landlord, local businessman and landlord Tahir Zaman, confirmed that he was paying well below the market rent for his Dewsbury address. Mr Malik insisted he had acted within the rules.
Ed Balls and Yvette Cooper
The husband-and-wife Cabinet ministers "flipped" the designation of their second home to three different properties within the space of two years, the Telegraph said. Ms Cooper, who is Chief Secretary to the Treasury, changed her second home designation three times between 2005 and 2007, from a property in Castleford, West Yorkshire, to others in London. When she and Children's Secretary Mr Balls moved to a ?655,000 property in north London in 2007, they claimed for ?2,000 of removal costs, the disclosures added. At one point the couple also reportedly had their expenses docked after each submitted two monthly claims for mortgage interest of nearly ?1,300.
Ann and Alan Keen
The Labour MPs, who represent neighbouring constituencies in west London, have claimed almost ?40,000 a year on a central London flat less than 10 miles away from their family home, it was disclosed. It is also alleged the couple are claiming for interest on mortgages worth ?520,000, even though the apartment cost only ?500,000. And in some months they also both tried to claim back the full amount of council tax on the property, the Telegraph said.
Clare Short
The former Cabinet minister was paid ?8,000 too much after claiming for her full mortgage payments despite only being entitled to the interest, it was revealed. Ms Short - who now sits as an independent, having quit the Government in 2003 over the Iraq war - claimed the full cost of her mortgage for two and a half years despite being entitled to charge only for the interest. She paid back the money after the error was pointed out by the Commons Fees Office in 2006, but only after complaining that they should have spotted the mistake earlier. The MP for Birmingham Ladywood said that it had been an "honest mistake".
Hilary Armstrong
The former government chief whip claimed ?3,100 towards the cost of repointing
the gables and walls on her constituency home, it is alleged.
David Chaytor
The Labour MP for Bury North claimed almost ?13,000 of taxpayers' money for a non-existent mortgage. He is to pay back the sum after continuing to submit ?1,175 monthly bills for months after the loan was paid off. He has been suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party pending sleaze watchdog probes into the claims.
Sir Gerald Kaufman
The Labour former minister, who represents Manchester Gorton, is said to have charged ?1,851 for an antique rug imported from New York. He was also said to have submitted a claim for an ?8,865 television and was paid ?15,329 of a ?28,834 bill for improvements to a London flat after telling Commons authorities he was "living in a slum".
Chris Bryant
The deputy Commons Leader Chris Bryant "flipped" his second home twice in two years, it was reported.
Tam Dalyell
The former father of the House attempted to claim ?18,000 for bookcases two months before he retired as an MP in 2005. He said he did not claim the full cost of the cases and only part of the sum was returned to him. He could not remember the exact amount. Mr Dalyell said he bought the three bookcases before the end of his political career to transport more than 1,000 volumes from London to Scotland.
David Clelland
The Labour MP for Tyne Bridge is said to have "bought out" his partner's share of a joint mortgage at a cost of thousands of pounds to the taxpayer in higher claims for interest payments as well as legal fees. Mr Clelland said that there was "nothing illegal or improper" in the claims he has made.
Fraser Kemp
The Labour MP, who is a senior election co-ordinator, made repeated purchases of household items over the space of several weeks. He claimed for two DVD players one month, and 16 sheets in the space of seven weeks. He also claimed for two flat-screen TVs a year apart. Mr Kemp told the Telegraph he would be paying back some money.
Mike Hall
The Labour backbencher charged nearly ?15,000 in three years for his house in Kennington to be cleaned and for his clothes to be laundered and ironed.
Liz Blackman
The former Labour whip, who is MP for Erewash in Derbyshire, spent hundreds of pounds just before the end of the financial year to take her second home claim as close to the maximum as possible. Last-minute items she bought included a ?199 DVD player, a ?99 rug and a ?150 fax.
Maria Eagle
The junior justice minister spent thousands of pounds of expenses on refurbishing a bathroom at one of her flats before switching the designation to another property. Ms Eagle, who is MP for Liverpool Garston, was paid ?3,500 towards the cost of refurbishing the bathroom at the property in the Mossley Hill area of the city.
Joan Ryan
The Enfield North MP claimed more than ?4,500 of repairs at her constituency home before "flipping" her second home to another south London property.
George Mudie
The Labour MP for Leeds East has claimed ?62,000 for his London flat in four years despite having a mortgage of just ?26,000, the Telegraph said. He claimed almost ?17,000 from the taxpayer for furniture and refurbishments, including a dining room set he had delivered to his constituency home before claiming it on expenses for his second home in London. Mr Mudie, who sits on the influential Treasury Select Committee, said the dining room set was bought in Leeds where he prefers to shop with his wife, before being transported to London.
Ruth Kelly
The former Cabinet minister has claimed more than ?31,000 to redecorate and furnish her designated second home. She also tried to claim ?3,600 for a sofa, ?2,355 for a dining table and chairs and ?2,000 for a plasma TV set, but the claims were reduced for being excessive. In the latest revelations, she was said to have claimed thousands of pounds for flood damage at her second home despite the building being insured. Ms Kelly reportedly claimed ?31,000 for rebuilding, refurbishing and appliances at her house in her Bolton West constituency.Ms Kelly has said she is standing down at the next election.
Madeleine Moon
The Labour MP for Bridgend in Wales spent more than ?4,000 on furniture in shops near her constituency home before claiming it back on her London designated second home. She told the Telegraph that: "The Welsh shop in Wales even when it is for installation in London."
Claire Ward
The Labour MP for Watford claimed up to ?1,150 in petty cash over eight months on her second home allowance, of which ?850 was paid out by the Fees Office. Ms Ward, a senior government whip who, in her role as Chamberlain of Her Majesty's Household, keeps the Queen informed about Parliament, switched her second home to a flat a few minutes walk from her old property and more than doubled her mortgage interest payments. The extra cost was passed on to the taxpayer.
Ian Davidson
Mr Davidson, a member of the Commons public accounts committee, which monitors government spending, paid a family friend ?5,500 to renovate his London flat and took him on two shooting trips, the paper said. The MP for Glasgow South West also had reclining furniture worth ?1,459 delivered to his constituency home. Under the Additional Cost Allowance MPs must only submit claims incurred on their second homes. Mr Davidson told The Telegraph the furniture was later driven to his London flat. Commons officials questioned Mr Davidson's payments to a property search to help him find a new flat. A note revealed he "had already claimed ?1,000 of taxpayers' money with nothing to show for it. Concerned about how long this would go on for". The final bill for finding a new flat came to ?6,000, with the fees office agreeing to pay a proportion of this sum. Mr Davidson also charged the ?11,000 cost of the move to the taxpayer.
Ian Austin
The Labour whip tried to spread a claim for stamp duty on his second home in London across two financial years, it was reported. The Dudley North MP split the stamp duty on the purchase of a flat in Waterloo in March 2006 into two claims - ?6,770 on March 28 and ?1,344 on April 3. This enabled him to claim almost all his second home allowance for the financial year 2005-6. And while the ?1,344 claim was rejected by the fees office, Mr Austin was reimbursed for the legal costs of the move in 2006-7. He was also said to have "flipped" his second home weeks before buying the new flat.
Diana Johnson
Ms Johnson, a Labour whip, spent ?1,000 of taxpayers' money on hiring an architect for a decorating project at her second home. The MP for Hull North paid back the money in March - two years after making the claim, and months before MPs' expenses were due to be made public.
Stephen McCabe
Mr McCabe over-claimed on his mortgage by ?4,059, the newspaper said. For 10 months in 2005-06, the Labour whip claimed for capital repayments instead of interest on his mortgage, which is forbidden under expenses rules. The claims amounting to ?1,736 sparked a investigation by the fees office, which unearthed more over-claims of ?2,323 in 2004-05. The money was deducted from the Birmingham Hall Green MP's subsequent second home expense claims.
Dawn Butler
The government whip claimed thousands of pounds on renovating her second home in north London even though her main home is just 15 miles away in east London, it was reported. The Telegraph said that Ms Butler's claims included the fitting of a whirlpool bath. Ms Butler denied that particular claim and said she was taking legal advice. It also reported that Ms Butler, the MP for Brent South, claimed ?2,600 too much in rent, but was allowed by staff in the Fees Office to "dig out" other receipts to cover the over-claim.
John Austin
The Labour MP claimed more than ?10,000 for the redecoration of his London flat - which was just 11 miles from his main home - before selling for a profit, it was reported. Mr Austin, MP for Erith and Thamesmead, made ?30,000 when he sold the flat in Southwark, south London, in 2006, according to the newspaper. It said that he then bought a new flat just 1.5 miles away, claiming ?10,000 in stamp duty and other expenses incurred in the move and a further ?15,000 on a new bathroom, kitchen, carpets, and appliances. Both flats were said to be about 11 miles along the south of the River Thames from his constituency home in Belvedere, Kent, which he designates as his main home. In total, the paper reported that Mr Austin had claimed more than ?133,000 in second home expenses since 2001. Mr Austin called the newspaper's report "inaccurate and misleading" and said he was seeking legal advice.
Nick Brown
The Government Chief Whip submitted ?18,800 in unreceipted claims for food over a period of four years, the paper reported. Mr Brown - who last week suspended two Labour MPs for reportedly claiming thousands of pounds for mortgages that had been paid off - acknowledged he had claimed the full amount allowable in subsistence costs, but insisted that it was justified in the context of his working life. The MP for Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend also claimed ?200 a month for "repairs", ?200 a month for "service and maintenance" and ?250 a month for a cleaner, for which he did not submit receipts.
Tommy McAvoy
The Deputy Chief Whip and Labour MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West spent ?86,565 in second home expenses on his Westminster flat between 2004 and 2008. Most of these claims were mortgage interest payments of ?1,000 a month, council tax and ground rent payments.
Ian Lucas
The assistant Labour whip claimed around ?1,000 a month in mortgage interest payments on a London flat - and sold it for a ?45,000 profit, billing taxpayers for ?6,000 in sale fees. The Wrexham MP then claimed almost ?4,000 for staying in hotels before buying a new flat and claiming for stamp duty, purchasing fees, mortgage interest payments and new furniture.
Helen Jones
Ms Jones, assistant Labour whip and Warrington North MP, claimed a total of ?87,647 on her London flat between 2004 and 2008, most of which was taken up by mortgage interest repayments.
Helen Goodman
Ms Goodman claimed for a week's stay in a holiday cottage in her constituency over a bank holiday, the paper said. The Bishop Auckland MP submitted a claim of ?519.31 to the fees office for the cottage in the village of Romaldkirk in Teesdale between August 27 and September 3 2005.
Chris Mullin
While some of his colleagues used taxpayers' money to buy plasma screens and home cinema systems, the Labour backbencher gets by with a black and white television he has owned for three decades. The MP for Sunderland South - one of the 0.5% of the population who still own a black and white TV set - claims the ?45 cost of the licence fee on his second home expenses.
Ian Davidson
Mr Davidson, a member of the Commons public accounts committee, which monitors
government spending, paid a family friend ?5,500 to renovate his London flat and
took him on two shooting trips, the paper said. The MP for Glasgow South West also had reclining furniture worth ?1,459 delivered to his constituency home. Under the Additional Cost Allowance MPs must only submit claims incurred on their second homes. Mr Davidson told The Telegraph the furniture was later driven to his London flat. Commons officials questioned Mr Davidson's payments to a property search to
help him find a new flat. A note revealed he "had already claimed ?1,000 of
taxpayers' money with nothing to show for it. Concerned about how long this
would go on for". The final bill for finding a new flat came to ?6,000, with the fees office agreeing to pay a proportion of this sum. Mr Davidson also charged the ?11,000
cost of the move to the taxpayer.
Sarah McCarthy-Fry
The junior minister submitted a receipt for a ?100 pair of hair straighteners. Ms McCarthy-Fry, who is Under-Secretary for Schools and Learners, was told she would not be reimbursed because the fees office was "unable to allow costs relating to personal items, in this case hair stylers".
Ben Chapman
Mr Chapman became the first Labour MP to quit Westminster over the expenses scandal. The Daily Telegraph reported he had been given permission by the Fees Office to reclaim the interest payments on the full value of a mortgage despite paying off ?295,000 of the loan. Mr Chapman benefited by ?15,000 over 10 months from the arrangement, the paper said.
Margaret Moran
The Labour MP for Luton - who spent ?22,500 on treating dry rot at her partner's seafront property 100 miles from her constituency - "flipped" her second home repeatedly so she could renovate three properties with public money, it was alleged. Ms Moran is also facing questions over whether she helped her partner's company to win a ?10,000 contract to put up festive lights in a Luton park, the paper said.
Frank Field
The claims of the independent-minded Labour backbencher suggest he is a relatively modest spender, compared to many of his parliamentary colleagues. Mr Field, tipped as an early front-runner for Speaker, claimed just ?9,573 on his Birkenhead constituency home.
Ian Gibson
The Norwich North MP claimed ?80,000 in taxpayers' money for a flat where his daughter lived with her partner, it was revealed. He then sold the west London property to his daughter and her partner William Turner in April this year for ?162,000 - less than he bought it for in 1999 and well below the current market rate. The Telegraph reported that Dr Gibson published his expenses on his Internet website earlier this week, but blacked out key details. Dr Gibson said he was ready to stand down if his constituents demanded it.
Paul Goggins
The Northern Ireland Minister allowed a friend to live rent-free at his second
home while claiming almost ?45,000 from the taxpayer for it. Mr Goggins, MP for Wythenshawe and Sale East, designated the house he shares in south-east London with Chris Bain as a second home three years ago. He did not inform the fees office that he shared it and claimed the entire ?600 a month mortgage interest, plus council tax and utility bills. The pair told the Telegraph they would repay a sum of money based on how many nights Mr Bain, a director of Roman Catholic aid agency Cafod, stayed there. Mr Goggins also paid Mr Bain ?3,829 for the installation of a new kitchen. It emerged the money was given to Mr Bain's brother who carried out the work.
Khalid Mahmood
Mr Mahmood checked into a five-star London hotel with his then girlfriend at taxpayers' expense. After separating from his wife, the Birmingham Perry Barr MP reportedly used the hotel as a second home. Mr Mahmood stayed with his former girlfriend at The Bentley in Kensington for nine nights over a four-week period in 2004 at a cost of ?1,350. He spent a further five nights at the luxurious hotel last year and claimed ?1,225.
Mark Todd
The backbench MP for South Derbyshire put ?24,877 on expenses to refurbish his
second home in London Taxpayers footed the bill for kitchen units, bathroom items, lighting, carpets, tiles and furniture, including leather chairs and a marble table. He said he would refund the Fees Office for an amount reflecting the items' depreciation when he retires at the next general election. In total, he has claimed more than ?90,000 in second homes allowance over the past five years. Mr Todd announced his intention to stand down from Parliament two years ago.
Michael Clapham
The backbencher bought a ?210 pair of glasses for his wife, Yvonne, who is
employed as his office assistant. The fees office reduced the claim to ?50, informing him: "this is the maximum sum which is allowable for spectacles under this allowance".
He also spent ?64 on dinner services and ?19.97 for an iron on his office allowance.
Sir Peter Soulsby
Sir Peter, who employs his wife as a secretary, claimed for bailiffs' fees
after the rent on his constituency office fell into arrears. The fees office said the Leicester South MP was not liable for the ?472.59 bill and refunded him.
Bob Laxton
The MP for Derby North claimed ?1,049 for a flat screen TV and spent ?1,456 on
a double bed for his second home in London. Mr Laxton, who employs his wife as his office manager, told the Telegraph: "I didn't really particularly have the time to run around and get deals on a TV or beds."
Quentin Davies
The former Tory frontbencher who defected to Labour was said to have spent more
than ?10,000 on repairing window frames at his historic home in Lincolnshire.
Mr Davies, a defence minister and MP for Grantham and Stamford, claimed close
to the maximum allowable on his second home expenses between 2004 and 2008.
His expenses included buildings and contents insurance for the 18th-century
mansion. He employs his wife as his parliamentary assistant.
Andrew Smith
The MP for Oxford East charged the taxpayer more than ?30,000 for renovations
and repairs to his south London home. The make-over included a new kitchen and bathroom, new windows, flooring doors and hallway. Some of the invoices were address to his constituency home, but Mr Smith, whose wife works part-time for him, insisted the work was carried out at his London property.
Angela Smith
The MP for Sheffield Hillsborough bought four beds for her one-bedroom London
flat, it was reported. Miss Smith, who employs her husband as a researcher, claimed ?7,800 in 2005 to kit out her flat, including for a king-size bed and two futons.
In 2006, she bought a ?950 sofa bed and a chair worth ?550 because she said the
two futons were broken.
Tom Levitt
The MP for High Peak submitted a ?16.50 receipt for the cost of a poppy wreath
he laid during Remembrance Sunday commemorations. The Fees Office rejected the claim, and Mr Levitt, who employs his wife as his parliamentary assistant, said it had been made in error. After receiving a ?5,281 bill for renovations, officials asked Mr Levitt to justify the claim. The later reimbursed him for it, but refused to refund the full ?8,013.77 cost of installing a new bathroom.
CONSERVATIVES
John Gummer
The former Tory cabinet minister claimed ?9,000 a year for gardening, charging the taxpayer hundreds of pounds for treating insect "infestations" and removing moles and jackdaw nests from his Suffolk property, and for an annual "rodent service".
Greg Barker
Mr Barker - the first prominent Tory to be caught up in the expenses row - reportedly made a ?320,000 profit on a flat he bought at the taxpayers' expense.
David Willetts
The shadow innovation, universities and skills secretary claimed ?115 plus VAT to replace 25 light bulbs at his second home in west London. On the same claim - part of a ?2,191 invoice for odd jobs that included cleaning a shower head - Mr Willetts charged another ?80 to "change light bulbs in bathroom". But parliamentary authorities pared the bill back by more than ?1,000, refusing to refund ?175 for a dog enclosure and ?750 for a shed base. According to the Telegraph, the fees office frequently cut his claims because of errors or overclaims.
Chris Grayling
Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling
The shadow home secretary received thousands of pounds to renovate a London flat 17 miles from his constituency home. Mr Grayling, who already apparently owned three properties within the M25, bought the flat with loans subsidised by the taxpayer. In an unusual move, Mr Grayling negotiated an arrangement with the fees office that allowed him to claim ?625 a month for mortgages on two separate properties - the main home in Ashtead, Surrey, and the new flat. An exception to the rules was made for the Epsom and Ewell MP because he was unable to obtain a 100% mortgage on the flat. He is also alleged to have delayed putting in claims for decorating and refurbishing costs so he could receive the maximum in Additional Costs Allowance (ACA) over consecutive years.
Francis Maude
The shadow Cabinet Office minister claimed almost ?35,000 over two years for a mortgage on a London flat a few minutes walk from a house he already owned and then rented out. The taxpayer footed the ?387.50 bill for moving his effects down the road. He also tried to claim mortgage interest on his family home in Sussex, but the arrangement was reportedly rejected by the Fees Office.
George Osborne
The parliamentary authorities considered the shadow chancellor's personal website too "political" to be publicly funded, the newspaper said. After claiming ?30 for a private company to host the site, Mr Osborne was told by an official: "I draw your attention to the 'Latest News' section of your webpage. This includes some articles ... which contain clearly political content and are therefore not acceptable on a publicly funded website." He also put a ?440.62 bill for a chauffeur company to drive him from Cheshire to London on November 11 2005 on expenses. While the invoice offered a 5% discount for "prompt settlement", Mr Osborne received the full amount. The records showed he also claimed hundreds of pounds for cleaning and remortgaged his second home in Cheshire, increasing his monthly mortgage interest bill from ?1,560 a month to nearly ?1,900.
David Cameron
The Tory leader claimed a total of ?82,450 on his second home allowance over five years. The majority of Mr Cameron's claims were for mortgage interest and utility bills for his Oxfordshire constituency home. One exception was a ?680 bill for repairs to the property, which included clearing wisteria and vines from a chimney, replacing outside lights and resealing his conservatory's roof. The newspaper reported Mr Cameron's expenses appeared relatively straightforward compared to other members of the shadow cabinet.
Cheryl Gillan
The shadow Welsh Secretary spent taxpayers' money on dog food. She said the ?4.47 claim was an error and promised to repay the money. The fees office also reduced two claims for gas bills because statements showed Ms Gillan's account was in credit.
Oliver Letwin
Mr Letwin, who is in charge of drawing up the Conservative general election manifesto, claimed more than ?2,000 to replace a leaking pipe under his tennis court. He said he had been ordered to mend the pipe by the local water company and did not make any improvements to the court or his garden. The taxpayer also picked up the tab for regular services to his Aga cooker.
Nick Herbert
The shadow environment secretary claimed back ?10,000 of the ?14,700 stamp duty when he bought a home with his partner in his constituency. He also charged for fees and a survey of the property in Arundel, West Sussex and claimed for the entire monthly mortgage interest even though his partner's name was on the deeds.
Alan Duncan
The shadow leader of the Commons claimed thousands of pounds for his garden before agreeing with the fees office that the spending "could be considered excessive". Millionaire Mr Duncan recouped ?4,000 over three years. However, a ?3,194 bill for gardening in March 2007 was not paid after officials responded suggesting that the claim might not be "within the spirit" of the rules, according to the Daily Telegraph. In a letter to the MP for Rutland and Melton, the fees office said that it expected gardening costs "to cover only basic essentials such as grass cutting". In March 2007, Mr Duncan claimed ?598 to overhaul a ride-on lawn-mower and then a further ?41 to fix a puncture a month later. Mr Duncan is also said to have claimed ?1,400 a month for mortgage interest on his home in Rutland.
Andrew Lansley
The shadow health secretary spent thousands of pounds renovating a thatched Tudor country cottage - and sold it shortly afterwards. He redecorated with premium paint in some rooms at a cost of ?2,000 and spent more than ?500 having the driveway re-shingled. He is then said to have "flipped" his expenses to a Georgian flat in London, and claimed for thousands of pounds in furnishings, including a Laura Ashley sofa.
Michael Gove
Mr Gove - a close ally of Mr Cameron - spent more than ?7,000 in five months furnishing a London property in 2006 before "flipping" his second home designation to a new property he bought in Surrey. He then apparently claimed more than ?13,000 in stamp duty and other fees from his Parliamentary expenses for this property.
Ken Clarke
The former Chancellor's book-keeping skills "leave much to be desired" according to the newspaper. Mr Clarke, now shadow business secretary, was apparently asked repeatedly to submit receipts for thousands of pounds in claims for security and cleaning at his second home in London. The records also revealed he does not claim a council tax discount of up to 10% to which he should be entitled having designated the property as his second home.
Theresa Villiers
The shadow transport secretary claimed nearly ?16,000 in stamp duty and fees for a London flat, despite already having another house in the capital only 14 miles from Westminster, it was reported.
David Heathcoat-Amory
The MP for Wells in Somerset reportedly claimed ?388.80 for horse manure between 2004 and 2007. He also submitted a bill of ?986.17 for heating oil in January 2008, and between July and September 2007 Mr Heathcoat-Amory also claimed ?1,792.50 worth of invoices from a gardening firm.
Sir Michael Spicer
Sir Michael, who is chairman of the influential 1922 Committee of back bench MPs, has claimed ?620 for the installation of a chandelier and rewiring work and more than ?1,000 for servicing an oven, The Daily Telegraph said. He also claimed more than ?5,650 for gardening work at his Worcestershire manor house, as well as ?4,000 for council tax on two homes. Other items reportedly claimed included ?3,000 for roof repairs and ?2,350 for work on his chimney.
Stewart Jackson
The Tory communities spokesman has claimed more than ?66,000 for his family home in Peterborough, the paper said. He billed the taxpayer for ?304.10 for work on the swimming pool, and more than ?11,000 in professional fees and costs incurred with the move to the property in 2005. According to the report, household items claimed include a ?3,000 berber carpet, a ?741 king size bed and ?775 for plumbing work in his summer room. He said he would be repaying the money claimed for the swimming pool work.
David Davis
The former shadow Home Secretary spent more than ?10,000 of taxpayers' money on home improvements in four years, including a ?5,700 portico at his home in Yorkshire, it was disclosed. He also claimed more than ?2,000 for the cost of mowing and rolling two paddocks at his home.
James Arbuthnot
According to the Telegraph, Mr Arbuthnot claimed ?1,471 for "grass, trim, pool, fuel" costs associated with the garden of his property in Hampshire. During the period May to October 2007, he also submitted a claim for ?2,433 "for the expense of our housekeeper". Furnishing he asked to be reimbursed included ?728 for a new television and ?100 for a sign at his new home. In total, the chairman of the Defence Select Committee has claimed ?108,062 over the past five years - the maximum amount possible according to the paper. He said he would be repaying the money claimed for the swimming pool work. "I'm sorry I made them and will repay them in full," he told the paper.
Sir Alan Haselhurst
The Deputy Speaker has charged taxpayers almost ?12,000 for gardening bills at his Essex farmhouse, the report said. He told the paper that the gardener "does all the heavy work which I don't have the opportunity to do when I'm in London."
Douglas Hogg
Former Agriculture minister Mr Hogg has been paid more than ?20,000 a year between 2004 and 2008 in second home allowances, it has been revealed. Among the costs itemised were ?2,115 for having a moat cleared, ?646.25 for "general repairs, stable etc" and ?40 for piano tuning, the Telegraph said. He will stand down at the next election.
Michael Ancram
The former Conservative deputy leader charged the cost of having his swimming pool boiler serviced to his parliamentary allowances, it was reported. Records seen by the paper show ?98.58 was claimed for the boiler repair, as well as more than ?3,000 in cleaning costs and ?1,250 of gardening expenses in a single year. He said none of his items claimed "could be considered extravagant or luxurious".
John Maples
According to the Telegraph, the deputy chairman of the Conservative party declared a private members club as his main home to the parliamentary authorities. Mr Maples claimed the maximum second home allowance possible while registering the RAC in London's Pall Mall as his principal residence. He denied declaring the club, which features bars, restaurants and sports facilities, as his main home, saying it had been his London "base".
Stephen Crabb
The Preseli Pembrokeshire MP reportedly claimed his main home was a room in a flat rented by another MP after buying a new family home in Wales, claiming ?9,300 in stamp duty. He had previously "flipped" the property designated as his second home to the family house from another London flat that was sold for a profit after more than ?8,000 in taxpayer-funded refurbishment, it was disclosed. Mr Crabb said his claims were "always within the letter and spirit of the rules".
James Clappison
The Shadow work and pensions minister has claimed more than ?100,000 in expenses including thousands for gardening and redecoration, it was disclosed. He has claimed a total of ?3,166 for regular work on his garden since 2004, the Telegraph said. Also among the items charged to the taxpayer include a typical ?300 per month for food, up to ?125 per month for a cleaner and ?31 cable TV bill. Mr Clappison said he voluntarily submitted my his claims to the Fees Office for review. "They found that my claims were not only entirely within the rules but also within the spirit of the rules," he said.
Sir Nicholas and Ann Winterton
The Tory backbench couple are said to have claimed more than ?80,000 for a London flat owned by a trust controlled by their children.
Greg Barker
The shadow climate change minister is said to have made ?320,000 in little over two years by buying and selling a property bought with the help of parliamentary expenses. Mr Barker bought the flat in Chelsea for ?480,000 in November 2004 before While it was designated as his second home for parliament, it was his main residence for tax purposes enabling him to avoid any Capital Gains Tax.
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown
The shadow minister for international development "flipped" his second home designation from London to his Gloucestershire home, before buying a ?2.75 million house, the Telegraph said. He also claimed ?87 a month for laundry and dry cleaning, and up to ?400 a month for food.
Nadine Dorries
Tory MP Nadine Dorries is said to have claimed for a New Year's Eve hotel room and a second home allowance while only having one home. She also got taxpayers to foot the bill for a lost ?2,190 deposit on a rented flat. Ms Dorries, the MP for Mid Bedfordshire, denied the allegations about the hotel room and the second home, but admitted the lost deposit claim.
David Maclean
The Tory MP, who represents Penrith and The Border in Cumbria, is said to have used ?20,000 of taxpayers' cash to do up a property before selling it. Mr Maclean, who introduced a Bill to exempt parliament from aspects of freedom of information law, then avoided paying capital gains tax on the sale by telling the taxman it was his main home, the newspaper alleged. He denied switching designations to avoid paying tax.
Julian Lewis
The shadow defence minister claimed more than ?7,000 from the taxpayer for redecorating his second home and installing new kitchen appliances. He also asked if he could claim ?6,000 in expenses for a wooden floor, but was told it could be seen as extravagant. Mr Lewis said the Westminster expenses system was "rotten" but insisted he had only used it to carry out essential maintenance and had not abused the system.
David Ruffley
Tory frontbencher Mr Ruffley is reported to have "flipped" his second home from London to his constituency before claiming back thousands for furniture and fittings, including a ?1,674 sofa. He was said to have been refused the full amount when he claimed for a ?2,175 television from Harrods, and also had a ?6,765 claim for bedroom furniture and equipment reduced.
Greg Knight
Tory backbencher Mr Knight, who has a collection of classic cars, claimed ?2,600 for repair work on the driveway at his designated second home as part of a ?21,793 bill for maintenance and security. He said none of his claims was related to the cost of keeping his car collection.
Bernard Jenkin
The former Conservative Party deputy chairman claimed ?50,000 for renting his sister-in-law's farmhouse which is across the road from a property part-owned by his wife. Mr Jenkin, the North Essex MP, also faces questions over the amount of money he gave to his wife's sister for staying in the house, which does not have a mortgage on it, the paper said.
Mike Penning
The former Grenadier Guard who once said the Army fed its dogs better than its soldiers claimed for a bowl for his own four-legged friend. Mr Penning, the shadow health minister, put a ?2.99 stainless steel dog bowl on his second home expenses. The Hemel Hempstead MP told the Telegraph: "This was claimed for mistakenly, for which I apologise sincerely and will pay back."
Jonathan Djanogly
The multi-millionaire shadow business minister claimed nearly ?5,000 on his taxpayer-funded expenses to install automatic gates at his home. He also spent ?13,962 on cleaning and ?12,951 for gardening from his second home allowance. Mr Djanogly has now agreed to repay ?25,000 of the ?77,104 he has apparently spent maintaining the property out of his Commons expenses. The wooden gates, which he can open with a touchpad without leaving his car, cost ?4,936 to install at his Huntingdon constituency home. They were put in to improve security amid concern about animal rights extremists who have targeted nearby Huntingdon Life Sciences, he said. Other claims by Mr Djanogly included a ?846 bill for two television digital boxes - although that was reduced by the Commons Fees Office to ?517 - and the cost of a chimney sweep to clean three open fires.
Ed Vaizey
Mr Vaizey, who is Tory MP for Wantage in Oxfordshire, is reported to have had ?2,000 of furniture delivered to his London home when he was claiming an allowance on a second home in Oxfordshire. The items - including a ?467 sofa and ?544 chair and a ?280 low table - were from Oka, co-founded by Tory leader David Cameron's mother-in-law, the Telegraph said. He said he has paid back the claims for the Oka furniture, as they were deemed "higher quality than necessary".
Robert Syms
The Tory MP for Poole in Dorset is said to have claimed more than ?2,000 worth of furniture on expenses for his second home in London, but had it all delivered to his parents' address in Wiltshire. Mr Syms sent the bed, mattress, sofa and chair to the Wiltshire property. He said his parents' address was the best of delivery for the items, and he had then taken up to London afterwards.
John Redwood
The former Conservative leadership candidate has admitted being paid twice after submitting an identical ?3,000 decorating bill on his designated second home. The duplicate claim for ?3,275.31 was made in April 2007 and not spotted for four months. It is also alleged that Mr Redwood moved the designation of his second home three times between 2004 and 2008. "On no occasion have I sought to profit from a second home," he said.
Patrick McLoughlin
Mr McLoughlin, the Conservative Chief Whip charged with examining Tory expenses, was said to have claimed ?3,000 for the fitting of new windows at his second home - a detached country house in Derbyshire.
Alistair Burt
The assistant chief whip and deputy chairman of the Conservative Party claimed ?1,000 too much for his rent over a period of five months. He was allowed to keep the extra money because he told the fees office he had not submitted expenses for food in that time, the newspaper said.
James Gray
The MP for North Wiltshire claimed ?2,000 for future decorations to his second home on the day his lease on the property ended. Mr Gray, who admitted cheating on his wife while she was being treated for breast cancer, wrote to the fees office in June 2007 to inform them that he would pay ?2,000 towards renovations his ex-wife planned to carry out to the property. He then claimed ?5,000 to cover the cost of moving into a property nearby with his new partner. He also asked if he could be reimbursed for ?2,500 a month in rent - an increase of ?1,155 - until he had used up his second home allowance.
Sir Peter Viggers
The veteran Tory MP was forced to announce his retirement following revelations of his expenses claims, reported to include a ?1,645 taxpayer-funded floating "duck island" for his pond. Sir Peter, a former banker who has represented Gosport since 1974, will step down at the next election and pay back a sum believed to be in five figures after his claims were ruled excessive by a Tory panel. His ?30,000 claims for gardening included ?500 for manure and ?1,645 on a "floating duck island" for his pond.
Sir Paul Beresford
The Conservative MP designated his London property - which includes a dental practice where he works up to three days a week - as his second home and billed the taxpayer for three-quarters of the running costs.
Michael Fallon
The senior Tory claimed ?8,300 too much for the mortgage on his second home. Mr Fallon, deputy chairman of the Treasury Select Committee, put his entire mortgage payments on expenses when MPs are only allowed to claim for interest charges. His error was spotted by the fees office in September 2004.
Bill Wiggin
The Tory whip made an ?11,000 mortgage claim against the wrong property. He said he had inadvertently filled in the wrong address on several claim forms but had not benefited financially in any way from the error - which was discovered by officials in 2006.
Anthony Steen
The Totnes MP claimed more than ?80,000 from the taxpayer over four years for work at his ?1m Devon mansion. His receipts included payments for tree surgery, guarding shrubs against rabbits, maintaining a separate cottage and overhauling his private sewerage system. The veteran Tory said he would stand down to avoid distracting the party from its general election fight.
Peter Luff
The Conservative MP for Mid-Worcestershire spent ?17,000 of taxpayers' money on furniture and other household items over a four-year period. They included three lavatory seats, three food mixers, two microwaves, four beds, five tables, two ironing boards, three kettles and 10 sets of bed linen. He twice claimed for china dinner services, buying a ?625 set in 2005 for his flat, before purchasing another for ?367 less than three years later. In the months before switching his designated second home from Worcester to London, he charged more than ?5,000 for decorating and repairs, including the cost of having his Aga stove fixed, according to records seen by the paper. He reportedly submitted receipts for furniture or decorating almost every month over the four-year period, some of which were challenged by the Fees Office. Mr Luff said he was ready to repay any claims identified as unreasonable by the scrutiny panel set up by Conservative leader David Cameron.
Keith Simpson
The Mid Norfolk MP has spent almost ?200 on light bulbs for his rented flat near Westminster over the past four years, it was reported.
Sir George Young
The Conservative MP and Old Etonian put a total of ?127,159 in second home expenses on his London flat between 2001 and 2008, claiming the maximum allowance on the property over the past two years, the paper said. His expenditure included ?699 on a washer-dryer and ?449 on a dishwasher - both claims were reduced by the Fees Office. Sir George also failed to claim a council tax discount to which he was entitled, instead charging the taxpayer for the full amount.
John Bercow
Mr Bercow, another potential successor to the Speaker's chair, "flipped" his second home from his constituency to a ?540,000 flat in London and then claimed the maximum allowable amount for it.
Anne Main
The Tory MP for St Albans claimed a 10% second home discount on her council tax for a flat where her daughter was living rent-free, the paper said. This discount can only be claimed if there is no full-time occupant of the property. Mrs Main also charged the taxpayer ?1,095.68 a month in mortgage interest payments for the flat, along with service charges, utility bills and furnishing costs. Her principal residence is 25 miles away in Beaconsfield, Bucks, and just six miles further away from Westminster than the St Albans flat.
David Lidington
The Tory MP for Aylesbury put nearly ?1,300 for dry-cleaning on his second home expenses and claimed for toothpaste, shower gel, body spray and vitamin supplements. Mr Lidington even sent his bath mat and towel to the cleaners, it was reported. Under expenses rules MPs are not allowed to claim for toiletries, but two Boots receipts totalling ?51.09 submitted by Mr Lidington in May 2006 were accepted.
Angela Browning
The MP for Tiverton & Honiton used ?10,000 in public money to set up and run
her website. Mrs Browning, a former agriculture minister in John Major's government, also spent ?7,300 on decorating and furnishing her second home, including a ?1,000
bill for two radiator covers.
Christopher Chope
Mr Chope, MP for Christchurch, in Dorset, put ?881 for reupholstering a Chesterfield sofa and ?10,377 for repairing the roof of the London house he shares with his wife on his second home expenses. He also billed taxpayers ?2,600 for a new bathroom at the property.
Small spenders
Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative leader and chairman of the Social Justice Policy Group, commutes to Westminster from his Chingford and Woodford Green constituency even though he is eligible for a second home.
LIBERAL DEMOCRATS
Andrew George
The Liberal Democrat MP has claimed ?847 a month for a riverside flat in London used by his student daughter, according to the Telegraph. Mr George, who is MP for St Ives in Cornwall, said his daughter Morvah, 21, had access to the property in Rotherhithe but was not the sole user.
Sir Menzies Campbell
Former Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies spent nearly ?10,000 of taxpayer funds refurbishing his central London flat. Among the items claimed were a new king-size bed worth ?1,024, bed linen worth ?373 and five cushions costing ?176.25. He also claimed thousands of pounds of food over the summer recess.
Chris Huhne
The Lib Dem's home affairs spokesman regularly submits claims for food and groceries including pints of milk, fluffy dusters and chocolate biscuits. Millionaire Mr Huhne, who is MP for Eastleigh in Hampshire, also expensed a ?119 trouser press which was delivered to his main London home. He said he has repaid the cost of the press.
Nick Clegg
The current Lib Dem leader reported had his second home allowance docked last year after exceeding the ?23,083 maximum by more than ?100. Other claims made included ?1,657.32 for food, and phone bills which included calls to Colombia and Vietnam. He said that when he sells his second home, any profit will go back to the taxpayer. Mr Clegg also said he had paid back the ?80.20 cost of the international calls.
Julia Goldsworthy
The Lib Dem local government spokesman spent thousands of pounds on furniture just days before the deadline for using up parliamentary allowances, it was reported. She bought a ?999 TV, ?1,500 of furniture in House of Fraser and a ?1,200 leather rocking chair from upmarket furniture store Heal's on March 28 and 29, 2006, the paper said. The House of Commons financial year ends at the beginning of April, after which expenses incurred must be set against a new allowance. Ms Goldsworthy told the paper that she had claimed "reasonable" costs for furnishings.
Lembit Opik
Lib Dem housing spokesman Mr Opik billed a ?40 summons for the non-payment of council tax on a flat to his second home expenses. He told the Telegraph that he would pay back the sum.
Alan Reid
The Lib Dem MP for Argyll and Bute in Scotland has claimed more than ?1,500 for staying in hotels and bed and breakfasts in his constituency, according to the Telegraph. The paper said he put in receipts for eight nights in Scottish lodgings during 2005/06, but was told by the Commons fees office that stays in constituency hotels could not be claimed. In 2007/08, he also claimed for three stays in Scottish hotels including one overlooking Loch Etive and one of the Isle of Bute, 38 miles from his designated second home. Mr Reid told the paper it was sometimes impractical for him to travel home at night from various locations in Scotland due to lack of ferries and adequate transport.
Norman Baker
Campaigning Lib Dem MP Norman Baker asked the Commons fees office if he could claim for a bicycle for use between his London flat and Parliament. The request was denied.
Nick Harvey
Lib Dem MP Mr Harvey, who is nominated as the spokesman for the House of Commons, had to be reminded twice by officials to submit receipts with his expenses.
Richard Younger-Ross
The Liberal Democrat MP claimed more than ?4,000 of taxpayer-funded expenses for furnishings. The items included ?1,200 on mirrors, ?500 on a bookcase and ?1,475 chest of drawers for his second home in Westminster. Mr Younger-Ross admitted his work as a middle-class architectural consultant on wealthy people's homes had blinded him to what struggling voters would consider "luxury items".
Phil Willis
The Lib-Dem MP spent around ?15,000 of taxpayers' money on mortgage interest payments and refurbishing a flat in which his daughter now lives, according to the newspaper. Mr Willis, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, then bought another property next door and went on to claim more than ?2,500 in stamp duty and legal fees and ?3,000 on decorating and furnishings. The taxpayer also forked out for increased mortgage interest payments on the new flat.
Jo Swinson
Ms Swinson, the youngest MP in the Commons, was said to have put a raft of small claims on expenses, including eyeliner, a ?19.10 "tooth flosser" and 29p dusters. The Lib-Dem MP, who was just 25 when she was elected, denied claiming for cosmetics but admitted using expenses to pay for dozens of everyday items.
Sir Alan Beith
Sir Alan, a possible contender for the post of Speaker, claimed ?117,000 on his second home while his wife, Baroness Maddock, put ?60,000 on her House of Lords expenses for the same property. The Liberal Democrat MP for Berwick-on-Tweed billed taxpayers for rent, food and cleaning at the flat and Lady Maddock has claimed an average of ?10,000 per year in "overnight" allowances, the Telegraph reported.
OTHERS
Peter and Iris Robinson
The couple, who are both Democratic Unionist Party MPs, are said to have both claimed expenses based on the same ?1,223 bill when they submitted claims in 2007. They also had claims for ?10,860 of mortgage interest rejected because no mortgage interest statements had been submitted to back up the claim, it was reported.
Derek Conway
The disgraced former Tory whip was able to spend thousands of pounds in public
money on two homes by designating his main residence as an office. Mr Conway, who was expelled from the Conservative Party last year over payments to his sons for parliamentary work, claimed mortgage interest and household bills for his designated second home in London. The independent MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup also purchased items including a ?573.99 television, a ?199 Zanussi fridge freezer, a ?174 "low radiation" telephone and a ?399 sat nav device on office expenses for his family house in Morpeth, Northumberland. Mr Conway, who employs his wife as his PA, also had a home in his Bexley constituency in south-east London - more than 300 miles away from his Northumberland "office", the paper reported.
Malcolm Bruce
The president of the Scottish Liberal Democrats claimed running costs for his
family home because his wife worked there as his office manager and diary
secretary. Mr Bruce claimed ?3,100 towards the cost of electricity, heating and cleaning for the couple's house in Deeside, north east Scotland, between April 2006 and March 2008 under the Incidental Expenditure Provision (IEP) which is designed to
cover office costs. Mr Bruce's constituency office in Inverurie is 22 miles from his home. During the same period, Mr Bruce claimed ?61,186 from the additional costs
allowance (ACA) for his flat in London which was registered as his second home.
SINN FEIN
Five Sinn Fein MPs raked in expenses of almost ?500,000 for running a second home - despite not taking up their seats in the Commons. The party's two most senior figures, president Gerry Adams and Northern Ireland deputy first minister Martin McGuinness, were said to have jointly claimed ?3,600 a month to rent a shared two-bedroom flat in the capital, which a local estate agent suggested would be worth ?1,400 a month. The three other MPs together claimed ?5,400 a month to rent a shared town house estimated to be worth around ?1,800 a month.
SMALL SPENDERS
Low claimers mentioned in the Telegraph were Malcolm Wicks, John Randall, David Drew, and Caroline Spelman who allegedly put the cost of a nanny on parliamentary expenses last year. Laura Moffatt, MP for Crawley, was said to have given up the comfort of a London flat she used to put on parliamentary expenses for a camp bed in her Westminster office.