DORSET’S MPs have put in more than £7,000 worth of expenses claims for utilities costs from the year 2021 to 2022.
Figures available on IPSA, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, show how much MPs claimed for a variety of expenses.
MPs are entitled to claim utility bills on expenses, but not all MPs in Dorset have claimed it.
We have contacted all MPs for responses.
MPs receive expenses to cover the costs of running an office, employing staff, having somewhere to live in London or their constituency and travelling between Parliament and their constituency. The basic annual salary for an MP is £84,144.
Here is what Dorset’s eight MPs claimed for utility bills, including electricity, water and gas.
Conor Burns, MP for Bournemouth West:
Mr Burns has put in three expenses claims for electricity since April 2021 totalling £950.67.
He put in a claim of £382.24 for electricity in April 2021 to SSE Electricity, £344.25 in June 2021 and £224.18 in September 2021.
Sir Christopher Chope, MP for Christchurch:
Sir Christopher has put in expenses claims for utilities for the years 2021/2022 totalling £4,108.81.
He put in a claim of £739.72 for heating oil in December 2021, £378.20 in May 2021 to Wessex Water for water and a further £137.25 for water in the same month for his accommodation.
In November he put in a claim for £404.22 of electricity used in his office from mid-June to mid-October. In total his office utilities bill for the year 2021/22 was £2853.64.
This was for a mix of his home office and Bargates office, IPSA states.
Tobias Ellwood, MP for Bournemouth East:
Mr Ellwood has put in the lowest expenses claim for utilities for 2021 to 2022.
He has put in two claims for electricity totalling £60.44.
He told the Echo: “The process for making claims is so complex with danger and fear of claiming the wrong thing that I claim the bare minimum.
“It’s fraught with danger and it is not a great system. Consequently and understandably, it comes under ruthless criticism. I focus on the rent because that’s the main outlay.”
Sir Robert Syms, MP for Poole:
There are no expenses claims for utilities. When asked why, Sir Robert told the Echo: “The budget is limited and the rent in London takes up most of my expenses. I think the last time I claimed for expenses was about 10 or 12 years ago. To be honest, it isn’t worth the hassle of claiming for it.
“There is a lot of excitement on Twitter about MPs claiming expenses, but what they don’t realise is MPs have to have two homes.
“The real problem is if you have a system where if you're not careful and keep saying that MPs can't claim things, you end up with only rich people in politics and that isn't necessarily a good thing.”
Michael Tomlinson, MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole:
Mr Tomlinson has put in expenses claims worth £224.75 for 2021 to 2022. This was for electricity.
Chris Loder, MP for West Dorset:
Mr Loder has put in claims of £510.48 for utilities in 2021 to 2022. This includes £420.17 on electricity and £90.31 for water.
Simon Hoare, MP for North Dorset:
Mr Hoare has put in claims worth £1,422.49 for utility bills. This includes £446.70 to Ford Fuel Oils, believed to be heating. Nearly £1,000 is on electricity.
Richard Drax, MP for South Dorset:
Mr Drax has not put in any claims for utilities in 2021 to 2022.
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