MPs' expenses

I campaigned for some time for the public to have the right to see the full details of MPs' receipts and expenses and am glad a system is now in place to do so - it is vital that people can see where their money goes.

In 2007, Penrith Conservative MP David Maclean sponsored a bill in the House of Commons to exempt MPs from having to release any information under the Freedom of Information Act, though thankfully neither he nor the Government could find a sponsor for the bill in the House of Lords. During the debate on the bill back in May 2007 I said:

"The Minister says that 110,000 public bodies are subject to the Freedom of Information Act. Does she not think it peculiar that here we are in the House of Commons considering the exclusion of just one of them - this one? Does she not believe that that is an utterly self-regarding proposal which brings MPs and Parliament into disrepute?"

Tim Farron MP, Hansard, 18 May 2007

The new system is run by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Agency (IPSA). IPSA was created by the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009 and was tasked with bringing independent oversight and control over MPs' expenses. IPSA put in place new rules which are a clean break from the past. IPSA operates transparently by regularly publishing details of MPs' expense claims.

You can find details of my expenses from 2005 to 2009/10

http://mpsallowances.parliament.uk/mpslordsandoffices/hocallowances/allowances-by-mp/tim-farron/

From second quarter of 2009/2010 the expenses system has been managed by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority and the details can be found here

http://www.parliamentary-standards.org.uk/default.aspx 2

Unlike most other jobs, an MPs' salary is public knowledge - in 2011 it is £65,738. On 24 May 2011, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) was made responsible for determining MPs' pay and setting the level of any increase in their salary. Before that, MPs had the chance to vote on their own pay increases - latterly following recommendations from an independent body - the Senior Salaries Review Board - who consider the job to be comparable to a secondary school headteacher or a police chief superintendent. I don't know of any other job where you get to vote on your own pay rise, and that is why I have refused to take part in any of the votes on MPs' pay in the House of Commons.

Media coverage often lumps MPs' expenses in with their salary, and many people think that the expenses go into MPs' back pockets - or the back pockets of their family members. However, in my experience most MPs (from all parties) are well intentioned people who believe in public service and are most definitely not abusing their expenses.

The expenses are intended to enable an MP to serve their 80,000 or so constituents. The biggest areas of expenditure in my expenses budget are staffing and office expenses.

Staffing budget

Between my Kendal and Westminster offices I employ the equivalent of 4½ full time staff, all of whom have standard House of Commons / IPSA contracts and none of whom are related to me. Employing these members of staff enables me to respond promptly to the dozens of people who write, email or call the office each day, whether with a problem they would like my assistance with, or a policy issue or piece of legislation they are concerned about. The salary and national insurance costs included in my staffing total are paid directly from IPSA to my staff. Staffing is by far the biggest portion of my expenses, but absolutely essential to enable me to take up cases on behalf of constituents. Local people who have been in contact with my staff frequently comment on how helpful they have found them.

Office costs

Every MP is provided with office space in Parliament without charge, but the running costs of the constituency office are included in the expenses figures. Some MPs do not have a constituency casework office - I however firmly believe that it is essential that I base my casework team in the constituency to enable face to face access as well as facilitating greater understanding of local issues. The expenses cover the rent and bills for the office in Kendal, the cost of hiring rooms for advice surgeries, and bills for the telephone, photocopier, printers, stationery and other miscellaneous office costs from computer equipment to tea, coffee and paperclips.

Travel costs

Living around 250 miles from Westminster, and representing one of the largest rural constituencies in England means I spend quite a lot of my time travelling. I travel to and from London each week by train, and attempt to keep those costs down by booking most tickets in advance.

Accommodation costs ('Additional Costs Allowance' or 'Personal Additional Accommodation Expenditure' from 2009)

During the week in London, I stay overnight in a one-bedroom rented flat about 30 minutes walk from Parliament. Parliament still sits until after 10pm two nights each week. The rental cost makes up the bulk of the Additional Costs Allowance expenses figure. IPSA have a copy of my lease agreement, which they had to agree to before I signed it.

Compared to accommodation costs in South Lakeland, London property prices came as quite a shock, and despite the small size of my flat, the rent is market rate. Indeed, I have moved flat twice since becoming an MP to try and keep these costs as low as possible.

Some MPs have bought a second home in London and use their allowance to pay the interest on their mortgage. This scheme is coming to an end in August 2012 details can be found here:

http://www.parliamentarystandards.org.uk/IPSAMPs/Schemeold/Schemeannexa/Pages/default.aspx

I have often wondered whether it would be a lot less hassle for me to just stay in a hotel when I am in London, but it could cost the taxpayer up to twice as much if I were to do so. Personally, I would favour a 'hall of residence' or 'head tenancy scheme' so that I would not have to claim any accommodation allowance at all.

Communications Allowance

Between 2007 to 2009 a Communications Allowance was introduced to cover the cost of printing and delivering constituency annual reports and surveys, advertising advice surgeries and for writing to constituents who wish to be regularly updated on long running issues (such as the closure of acute services at the Westmorland General and the Equitable Life scandal). This information had to be approved by the House of Commons authorities before it could be sent out across the constituency.

No party political literature is paid for out of this money. The regular local literature that you receive from the Liberal Democrats is paid for entirely from voluntary donations. This Allowance is no longer available.

There is a huge amount of relatively complex information contained within the details of my expenses, so you may well have questions about them. Please do not hesitate to contact me and I will try and help.

Address: Acland House, Yard 2, Stricklandgate, Kendal LA9 4ND

Telephone: 01539 723403

Email: tim@timfarron.co.uk