The "John Lewis List"

If you were to try to claim anything you would have to take out a loan from the Social, if for some unfortunate reason you became unemployed. They would not give us a thing, but may give you a loan which you would have to payback at an agreed weekly amount.So enjoy the read & when it next comes time to vote remember what your MPs are claiming, so vote BNP as they will not be claiming for second houses or the money to furnish them.

According to yesterday’s Guardian:

This article was first published on guardian.co.uk on Thursday March 13 2008. It was last updated at 17:46 on March 13 2008.

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 on their parliamentary allowances, it was disclosed today.

They can also claim reimbursement from the taxpayer for stereos worth up to £750, £300 air-conditioning units and £2,000 for a furniture suite for their second homes.

The figures came as the Commons released the so-called "John Lewis list" that finance officials use 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 John Lewis department store.

The document, released to the Press Association news agency under the Freedom of Information Act, was not even known to most MPs until recently.

Andrew Walker, the Commons' director general of resources, has previously declined 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.

Under the Freedom of Information Act, passed by MPs in 2000, the Commons had until Monday to respond to the Press Association's request for sight of the document.

But, while acknowledging on Monday that it would release the information, it did not do so until this afternoon, as most MPs are returning to their constituencies for the weekend.

The figures were released a day after the members estimate committee announced that MPs would in the future have to provide receipts for all expenses claims above £25 from April 1.

Previously MPs were able to claim up to £250 without receipts.

The committee also said that the level of petty cash available for office expenses would be reduced from £250 to £50.
The 'John Lewis list'

Claims MPs can make on their parliamentary expenses to furnish their second homes:

Air conditioning unit: £299.99
Bed: £1,000
Bedside cabinet: £100
Book case/shelf: £200
Bookcase/cabinet: £500
Carpet: £35 per square metre
Carpet fitting: £6.50 per square metre
Coffee maker/machine: £100
Coffee table: £250
Dining armchairs: £150 each
Dining chairs: £90 each
Dining table: £600
Dishwasher: £375
Drawer chest (5): £500
Dressing table: £500
Food mixer: £200
Free-standing mirror: £300
Fridge/freezer: £550
Gas cooker: £650
Hi-fi/stereo: £750
Installation of new bathroom: £6,335
Installation of new kitchen: £10,000
Lamp table: £200
Nest of tables: £200
Recordable DVD player: £270
Rugs: £300
Shredder: £50
Sideboard: £795
Suite of furniture: £2,000
Television set: £750
Tumble dryer: £250
Underlay (basic): £6.99 per square metre
Wardrobe: £700
Washer-dryer: £500
Washing machine: £350
Wooden flooring/carpets: £35 per square metre
Workstation: £150