MPs ARE allowed to claim up to £10,000 for a new kitchen, more than £6,000 for a bathroom and £750 for a television for their second homes on their parliamentary allowances, it was disclosed last night.
They can also claim reimbursement from the taxpayer for stereos worth up to £750, £300 air-conditioning units and £2,000 for a suite of furniture.
The figures came as the Commons released the so-called "John Lewis list", which finance officials us
e to approve or reject MPs' expenses claims.
It is a list of precedents for spending on household items under the parliamentary second-homes allowance, based on prices at the department store.
The document, released under the Freedom of Information Act, was not even known to most MPs until recently.
Andrew Walker, the Commons' director-general of resources, had previously refused to release the document – for fear that MPs would take advantage if they knew how much they could claim for certain items.
"My concern would be that if we say what the maximum price we will allow for such an item is, it will become the going rate," he told a recent Information Tribunal hearing.
The document lists the prices for more than 30 household items which MPs can claim under the Additional Costs Allowance, a £22,000-a-year pot to meet the expense of maintaining a second residence.
The Commons has fiercely resisted disclosure of MPs' claims under the allowance, arguing it would be an invasion of their privacy.
The John Lewis list shows how much MPs have been able to claim under their controversial expenses regime, without naming individual claimants.
A note to clerks instructs that dry cleaning for both clothes and household items is permitted "within reasonable limits".
It refers to the "Green Book" setting out the rules on MPs' expenses which says that "antique, luxury or premium-grade" furnishings are not allowed. Neither are "extravagant or luxurious" items.
The document says that John Lewis is used as a guide because it "came out top of all retail shops" in the February 2007 edition of Which?, on cost, customer service and variety of goods.
Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the Taxpayers' Alliance, said: "John Lewis is a perfectly good company but it hardly offers the best value for taxpayers. MPs should realise that every penny counts when they're spending other people's money. How many taxpayers can afford to spend £1,500 on a TV and stereo?"
Labour MP David Winnick urged a review of MPs' expenses – which is being carried out by the members' estimate committee, chaired by the Speaker Michael Martin – to look into the list.
Mr Winnick said: "The public need to be absolutely reassured that MPs are not exploiting the situation."
THE PRICE IS RIGHTAir-conditioning unit £299
Bed £1,000
Bedside cabinet £100
Bookcase/shelf £200
Bookcase/cabinet £500
Carpet £35 per sq m
Coffee maker/machine £100
Coffee table £250
Dining armchairs £150 each
Dining chairs £90 each
Dining table £600
Dishwasher £375
Drawer chest £500
Dressing table £500
Food mixer £200
Free-standing mirror £300
Fridge/freezer combi £550
Gas cooker £650
Hi Fi/stereo £750
New bathroom £6,335
New kitchen £10,000
Nest of tables £200
Recordable DVD £270
Rugs £300
Shredder £50
Sideboard £795
Suite of furniture £2,000
Television set £750
Tumble dryer £250
Wardrobe £700
Washer dryer £500
Washing machine £350
Workstation £150
The full article contains 579 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
