More information about my MP’s second home allowance

Since April 2008 I have been publishing on my website a detailed breakdown of payments, as they have been claimed and made, to cover the costs incurred for:

• Staff salaries

• Travel between Rotherham and London

• Running my constituency office

• Maintaining a small flat in London as my second home

• Communications with constituents.

Under Freedom of Information legislation the House of Commons will soon be publishing copies of claims and receipts for the allowances paid to all MPs, from 2004/5 to 2007/8. 

It is the Additional Costs Allowance – or second home allowance – which has caused the most controversy recently. 

In advance of the publication of papers from the House of Commons, I am therefore also now publishing a detailed breakdown of my claims and payments for the ACA for these years. You can see this for yourself below.

My approach is straightforward: my home and family are in Rotherham, so this is my main home; we have a small flat in central London because being an MP requires us to work in Westminster for part of the time. 

If I was not an MP, I would not need and would not have this flat. My claims made for the second home allowance are for actual costs incurred in running the flat and being away from home in London, and I keep a record of all receipts, invoices and bank statements for such costs. Beyond the running costs which I believe are reasonable and right to claim, we have also borne further expenses ourselves in purchasing and maintaining this flat.

Click here to see a detailed breakdown of the my claims and payments for the Additional Costs Allowance from 2004/05 to 2008/09.