Office supplies cost Glasgow MPs £400k

MPs in Glasgow spent more than £440,000 on personal allowances and other expenses, it has been revealed.

Travel, telephone bills and office supplies were all cited as key expenses that Scottish MPs claimed last year.

The figures have been revealed on the Scottish parliament website and cover the 2005-06 financial year.

Politicians can legally claim £56,000 to pay staff wages, cover travel costs and marketing, as well as being paid around £52,000 a year.

The Scottish parliament has claimed that it has released the figures to show that it is one of the world’s most transparent governments.

Presiding officer George Reid said: "The public have a right to know how their representatives are spending the allowances provided to help them to their jobs.

"I believe we have developed what is probably the most open and accountable system of any parliament in the world."

Last year’s figures reveal that Scottish MPs claimed more than £300,000 more than the previous year, with the total bill for all 129 parliament members coming to £9.8 million.

Despite this, many of Glasgow’s MPs were reserved with their claims, with the most reclaimed being £53,548, with £38,381 being used to pay staff.

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