Duck feathers and door knobs, as paid for by the taxpayer

Some of the items you paid for:
£39.99: microwave
£25.60: pillows
£184.80: vacuum cleaner - paid for in April this year so does not relate to 08/09 expenses.

Mr Foster said: “People will look at my expenses and ask ‘why don’t you pay certain things out of your salary?’ but that is what I do and what we should all do when it’s for your first home.

“But if you’re going to run a second home, there are going to be costs. We don’t do it out of choice, they are born out of necessity – I have to live in London because of the job.”

However, Mr Foster admitted MPs had a duty to not be “extravagent” in what they spent money on.

“If anything, the lesson I think and hope MPs have learned over the last couple of months is that if they are to be trusted to spend taxpayers’ money, they have to be prudent.”

Mr Foster said he thought the Kelly recommendations would help to bring an end to the that in the future. “I think it will be a good thing for everybody,” he said.

PETER LUFF MP

HOW MUCH HE CLAIMED IN 2008/09: £23,029.48
Cost of hotel stays:
Mortgage/rent: £7,967.16
Food: £2,550
Utilities: £1,217.65
Council tax: £1,102.60
Telephone: £685.16
Cleaning: £650
Service/maintenance: £2,694.86
Repairs/insurance/ security: £219.30
Others: £5,942.75
TOTAL: £23,029.48

Some of the items you paid for:
£1,979.23 carpets
£676.70: bedding, including duck feather
pillows and a mattress
£540: washer dryer
£200: two lamps
£92.95: kitchen knives
£88.08: alarm clock radio
£47.95: iron
£39.80: retro acrylic and stainless steel salt and pepper mill
£39.60: kettle
£39: chopping boards
£28.25: salad bowl and server
£4.73: toilet tissue

Mr Luff said all of his claims were “in full compliance with the rules” but refuted claims MPs have not quite grasped the public anger over expenses.

“If we don’t get it then no one does,” he said. “This issue has haunted our lives for six or seven months and I absolutely think we get it.

“These figures for 08/09 relate to a time before the public fury. Changes have been made, although they will not be reflected until next year and we have changed.”

Meanwhile, Mr Luff has been told he does not need to repay anymore money for expenses he claimed since 2004.

Mr Luff said Sir Thomas Legg had written to him with the news following an investigation into some outstanding issues.

That found Mr Luff had a “complex mortgage arrangement” from April 2004 until March 2007, covering mortgages for his main and second home, offset by personal savings.

Within that, it found Mr Luff had been overpaid a total of £1,391.57 in two years, and was also overpaid by £255 for cleaning in 2004/05, and £523.77 for various kitchen accessories and china in January 2008. Although the total repayment recommended was £2,170.34, Mr Luff actually made repayments totalling £3,868.23 since April this year. As a result, he has been told he does not need to pay back any more money.

In a statement, Mr Luff said he still disputed some of the figures but was “satisfied” with the overall recommendation. He said his wife, Julia, would continue to work as his secretary “for as long as the rules permit her to do so”.

SIR MICHAEL SPICER

HOW MUCH HE CLAIMED IN 2008/09: £19,968.77
Cost of hotel stays:
Utilities: £2,095.94
Council tax: £2,681.73
Cleaning: £3,616.50
Service/maintenance: £4,440.55
Repairs/insurance/ security: £2,212.72
Others: £4,921.33
TOTAL: £19,968.77

Some of the items you paid for:
£3,025: decorating master bedroom, en-suite and front of house
£54: bathroom work, including the fixture of seven crystal knobs to units and wardrobe
£68: window cleaning
£55: chimney sweep
£40: pest control
£25: petrol for lawnmower
£23.45: tomato plants and compost
£6.49: one tin of wood preserve
£6.25: a hard broom
Sir Michael was unavailable for comment.