County MPs claimed more than £800,000

Worcester MP Mike Foster and Leominster's Bill Wiggin came top of the list with claims weighing in at more than £130,000 each - on top of salaries worth more than £57,000.

The expenses cover the costs of London accommodation, running a constituency office, employing support staff, travel, stationery and IT.

Mr Foster claimed £131,512 last year, including £18,922 towards the cost of his second home in London, the full £18,779 entitlement towards running his constituency surgery in Worcester and £68,056 for support staff.

He spent £12,737 on travel, £343 for staff travel, £2,543 on stationery, £8,146 on postage costs, and £1,966 on IT.

Mr Wiggin claimed £132,017, Mid-Worcestershire MP Peter Luff £119,410 and West Worcestershire's Sir Michael Spicer £115,566.

After Mr Wiggin and Mr Foster, Bromsgrove MP Julie Kirkbride submitted the biggest claim with £127,878, Redditch's Jacqui Smith with £125,552.

The lowest claim in the county came from Richard Taylor, the independent MP for Wyre Forest, whose expenses totalled just £92,303.

Outside Worcestershire, Hereford's Paul Keetch claimed £129,158.

Mr Foster said that he had "nothing to hide" and welcomed the publication of MPs' expenses, saying the discrepancies between MPs' expenses were down to the different workload and responsibilities taken on by each.

"Having looked at local colleagues' claims there are areas where I spend more on some items and they spend more on others," he said.

Congressmen

Mr Foster claims more than his county colleagues for travel, but less for his London accommodation, suggesting he moves between Westminster and Worcester more frequently.

He also spends at least £4,000 more on correspondence than all of his neighbours, which he said was due to a heavier mailbag from his constituents.

He added: "If you look at US Congressmen, they claim £515,000 a year on average, MEPs cost about £170,000. So that gives a fair comparison about what MPs cost the taxpayer."

Mr Luff said: "The figures speak for themselves, but without these expenses I wouldn't be able to do my job."

The additional cost allowance towards rent or mortgage expenses on a second home are limited to £20,333. Constituency office expenditure is capped at £18,799 and staff costs at £74,985.

But travel expenditure, with motoring expenses set at 57.7p a mile and first-class rail travel, is unlimited. Expenses for stationery or IT provision are not capped either.

The expenses claimed by each MP are on top of their £57,485 basic salaries and any additional ministerial salaries worth between £28,688 for a junior minister and £72,862 for a member of the cabinet.

The Prime Minister earns £121,437 in addition to his basic MP's salary. MPs also have pension entitlements worth one-fortieth of their final salary for every year that they serve.

The total cost of the 659 MPs' salaries, pensions and expenses is £130m a year, working out at an average of £120,000 per MP.

But yesterday was the first time MPs' individual expenses have been published for public scrutiny.

EXPENSES: Foster and Wiggin come at the top of the list

A B C D E F G H I J

Bill Wiggin, Con, Leominster - £132,017

£20,333 £0 £18,178 £74,985 £11,435 £0 £965 £4,378 £1,743 £0

Mike Foster, Lab, Worcester - £131,512

£18,922 £0 £18,799 £68,056 £12,737 £343 £2,543 £8,146 £1,966 £0

Paul Keetch, Lib Dem, Hereford - £129,158

£20,315 £0 £18,799 £68,017 £12,672 £1,048 £875 £5,436 £1,996 £0

Peter Luff, Con, Mid-Worcestershire - £119,410

£19,016 £1,574 £18,433 £64,273 £9,537 £0 £1,142 £3,395 £2,040 £0

Sir Michael Spicer, Con, West Worcestershire - £115,566

£20,333 £0 £18,320 £65,627 £7,012 £75 £716 £1,540 £1,943 £0

Dr Richard Taylor, Ind, Wyre Forest - £92,303

£18,233 £0 £7,245 £58,781 £5,617 £63 £280 £1,266 £818 £0

KEY

A Additional cost allowance

B London supplement

C Incidental Expenses Provision

D Staff Costs

E Members travel

F Members Staff travel

G Centrally purchased stationery

H Stationery: associated package costs

I Central IT provision

J Other costs.