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Hull North MP opens book
on expenses to constituents
Hull North MP Diana Johnson
today published her allowances and expenses for the financial year
2005/06, ahead of their official publication by Parliament on 26
October 2006.
Diana Johnson MP said: “My
expenses and allowances for the financial year of 2005/06 were as
follows.
“I claimed £72,620 for staffing.
This was below the allocated maximum allowance of £84,081. As I was
elected for the first time in May 2005, it took some time to employ
staff and establish my two offices. I now employ one full-time
member of staff in my constituency office and two part-time
caseworkers.
“At my Westminster office in 2005/6, I employed one full-time
Parliamentary Researcher and one part-time Secretarial Assistant.
The Staffing Allowance covers their salaries, national insurance
contributions and other incidentals. Part of the balance on
staffing was transferred to the Incidental Expenses
budget.
“On Incidental Expenses
Provision, I claimed over the maximum amount of £20,000, which I
also needed to top up from my staffing budget – making a total of
£21,302. This represents the cost of establishing and running
offices in both Westminster and Hull. As far as the constituency
office is concerned, these costs include, for example, rent and
telephone bills and all the other costs of running a busy office.
Whilst the House of Commons provides office accommodation at
Westminster, all the usual office consumables have to be purchased
from this allowance.
“As an active constituency MP, I respond to letters and petitions
that I receive and work hard to keep Hull North people informed and
up to date. In 2005/06, the cost of my stationery was £2,412 and
postage £11,195. This represents around 37,500 letters sent
from my office. This sounds a lot, but it averages out at less than
one letter per resident over the course of the year! These costs
reflect my commitment to providing a proper response to the matters
raised with me, and keeping constituents fully up to
date.
”My Additional Cost Allowance
claim is for the additional costs of accommodation involved in
working in Westminster - and having to live in London - during the
weekdays when Parliament is sitting ; and living in Hull
North the rest of the time. I claimed £21,593. This is just under
the full allowance of £21,634.
”My total travelling expenses for 2005/06 came to £8,277. This was
for rail and road journeys travelling between Westminster,
the constituency and around Hull.
“Finally, I received the
standard IT allowance of £930, representing the loan cost of the
standard computer equipment provided to every MP.
”I believe in transparency and
accountability. This is why I have set out in full my allowances
for 2005/06, with a brief explanation behind each one.”
Ends
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25 October 2006: Parliamentary Allowance statement for 2005/06
