Lancashire Telegraph: MP tops Parliamentary mileage list

DARWEN and Rossendale MP Janet Anderson claimed almost £14,000 in car mileage last year.   

Mrs Anderson topped the list for MPs' mileage for the second year running, with a claim for £13,851.   

The figures, released last night, reveal MPs' taxpayer-funded expenses bill rose by nearly three times the rate of inflation last year.

They claimed £87.6million for London housing, staff and office costs, travel, stamps, IT and stationery - around 5 per cent up on the like-for-like figure for 2005/6 and an average of £135,813.

Mrs Anderson's total expenses claim weighed in at £155,610, compared to the top entry of £185,421 for junior minister Shahid Malik, who represents Dewsbury in Yorkshire.

Blackburn MP and justice minister Jack Straw claimed a total of £122,520, while Nigel Evans, who represents Ribble Valley, came to £136,090.

Other local MPs were Chorley MP Lindsay Hoyle, £145,515, Greg Pope of Hyndburn at £148,800, Pendle MP Gordon Prentice (£132,752) and Burnely MP Kitty Ussher (£145,562).

Campaigning group the Taxpayers' Alliance has branded this years' figures "extortionate".