2:31pm Friday 29th October 2004
EPPING Forest MP Eleanor Laing spent more than £20,000 on running a London home last year according to newly released figures, despite living only 18 miles from Westminster.
Mrs Laing, pictured, received £20,333, the maximum an MP is allowed for additional costs incurred when staying away from their main home to perform parliamentary duties.
Figures giving accurate details of MPs' allowance claims have been published by the government for the first time, in a move aimed at making government more open.
MPs can claim for a variety of expenses, including staff costs and travel, stationery, postage, and IT provisions.
From 2003 to 2004 they could also pick up a maximum of £18,799 for incidental expenses, such as accommodation, equipment and supplies for their office or surgery, work commissioned, and certain communications and travel.
Mrs Laing, who claimed £18,607 in incidental expenses, £63,643 for staff costs, £2,972 for travel, as well as £487 for stationery and £1,567 for postage costs, said it would "not be reasonable" for her to travel back from Westminster at midnight and return for 8.30am the next morning.
She said: "My answer is simple, an MP's day usually starts early in the morning and finishes very late at night.
"I still have a lot of evening meetings and we are often voting up until 11pm or later.
"It's not a job where you can walk out of the House of Commons at 7.30pm."
She said having a constituency office in the district was vital to make her accessible to residents and that her postage costs were a "direct reflection" of how many letters she sends.
She said: "I reply to absolutely every letter that is sent to me."
In total, Mrs Laing received £109,638 in allowances for 2003-2004, on top of her annual salary.
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