Forest MP comments on publication of allowances
18 June 2009
“The House of Commons has published the details of MPs’ allowances this morning on the Parliament website which I welcome. I have published some further information about allowances on my own website particularly some details of my approach to claiming the Additional Costs Allowance, the so-called second home allowance, and a breakdown of the amount claimed by category.
The tests I have always applied to anything I claim for are first, is it within the rules? Second, and probably more important, is it reasonable? I hope that, when they look at the full details of my expenses and allowances, my constituents will consider that I have indeed been reasonable in all that I have claimed.
I am also pleased to note that, in a recent article, the Sunday Telegraph calculated that I was the 29th ‘best value’ MP in the country by comparing the amount I claim in expenses and allowances with the amount of work I do for my constituents.”
