MPs expenses published

At long last Parliament is starting to embrace the digital age and is publishing the documentation regarding MPs expenses. Of course there are complaints that some information has been redacted, but our very own Dr Richard Taylor MP has already published some of his documentation allowing for a direct comparison of the removed information.

The redacted version can be seen here and the full version here. The list of MPs can be seen here.

According to the list information has been redacted

to remove information which could cause serious security issues and breach the privacy of the MP, their staff and other third parties

So I would expect addresses, NI and tax codes to be removed as well as account numbers, phone numbers and signatures. For the most part that's what we get. They are also removing the "For Office Use Only" information too which is interesting it's not a privacy issue and could it be considered a security risk? After all knowing that a claim for BT has an "Allow or A/c Code" of 514510 and an "Exp/Cat5" of 614500 only makes sense if you know what the codes represent or even what "Exp/Cat5" means. What is interesting is how the expenses can be claimed.

Looking at Dr Taylor's claims and moving to page 5 we see three claims for the same business "Banner Business Supplies" the supporting documentation on page 11 however is simply a statement there is no information provided as to exactly what was purchased and its relevance to Dr Taylor's work as an MP.

I ma not criticising Dr Taylor I'm criticising the system, if it allows statements to be treated as invoices then MPs can avoid demonstrating exactly what they have bought simply by doing what was done here and submit the statement.

Okay so what about the house flipping? Nope you can't see that from these reports because the addresses have been redacted.

Checking out Douglas Hogg MP (he of the moat cleaning) and we can see statements being submitted here to we also get some credit card reciepts with pretty much zero information including the amount - what are they for? Who knows. Also something interesting shows up on the ACA list in that the invoices for the IEP are duplicated here at times. Also that every month the ACA claim is exactly £2050 for... well I'm not sure as it appears that it groups together Hotel stays, Mortgage payments, or rent, food and possibly utilities. Now call me crazy but I would consider at least two of those to be variables month on month. Having exactly the same claim each time denotes a level of control I would find quite worrying.

Ah well at least it's a start and well overdue. Anyway for something that hasn't hit the news it may be well worth reading through the Register of MPs interests.

Recent entries from Call me Dave include a pair of tickets to the Conservatives Black and White Party paid for by Prince Rupert Loewenstein (tcch you'd have thought he'd have paid for it himself), a decorative sterling silver sasket from Lord and Lady Harris and a fountain-pen and half-suite cufflinks and studs from His Majesty Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain.

Golden Bruun on the other hand has registered... nothing. Ah no-one loves him [sniffle] nah I'm being disingenous here as gifts to him as Prime Minster are probably classed as gifts to the country/office.

For recent stuff only the final leg of the tripod Cleggy got some pro bono communications consultancy from Electric Airwaves Limited, London. Interesting as he also had some communications consultancy paid for by a Mr Tim Ward both for 2008 and both registered January 2009. So was that two sets of consultancy one paid for one free, or one set of consultancy paid for by someone else or partly paid-for? Just curious.

Oh and Our Richard didn't have anything to register.

Don't miss Part 2 at the end which details those MPs who employ family members.