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Free lunch: The food expense claims of MPs revealed
Chris Laker18.06.09
More than 30 MPs claimed the maximum £400 allowance for food every month last year, with many billing the taxpayer for meals when the Commons was not sitting, it was reported today.
The amount spent on food by 646 MPs in 2007-08 totalled £1.197 million - an average of £154 a month per MP, the Daily Telegraph calculated.
The claims revealed appetites for snacks including Peperami sausages, Pot Noodles, pork pies, jellied eels and Farley's rusks.
Of the 32 MPs who claimed the full amount every month last year, 23 were from the Labour Party, the paper reported.
They included Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe, former Home Secretary Charles Clarke, and Home Office minister Phil Woolas.
Some claimed more than the maximum but had their claims pared back by the fees office.
Peter Bone, Conservative MP for Wellingborough, apparently claimed £5,100 in the 12 months to the end of March, while Graham Allen, Labour MP for Nottingham North, went over the £400 limit on four occasions.
Under the Commons additional costs allowance MPs were allowed to claim up to £400 for food every month - £4,800 a year - without having to submit receipts.
But this has now been replaced with a flat-rate sum of £25 "for any night which a member spends away from his or her main home on parliamentary business".
Reader views (1)
I worked in the Members Dining Rooms at H of C in the 1960s and couldn't beleive that the MPs and PM were subsidised on all thier Meals, Alcoholic Drinks/Wine, Cigars/Cigarettes. This also included thier Childrens Wedding Receptions in the Members Dining Room plus all the Banquets that were held there too.All on the Cheap too.
A State Opening ofParliament Dinner was then 12/6 per head which included a 3 Course Meal with Wine and all the trimmings included.?
I can remember my Head Waiter giving out Bills to be handed to MPs to every Waitress/Waiter and was promptly told by the MP's I was giving them to " Give it to my Secretary to deal withit". How the other half Live eh??
I earnt £12 per week and worked until 9.30pm or later if there was a Division called,getting home at 00.30am sometimes and all for the same money.
Tip's were not good,we had a Bank and it was divided out once a Month and if you were Lucky that Month got £5.00??
- Yvonne Reeves, Suffolk
