MPs defend expenses for first class travel
ANORTH Wales MP has topped the Welsh list for MPs who claimed for first class and business class travel over a six-month period last year.
Elfyn Llwyd, the Plaid Cymru MP for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, spent more than £1,500 of taxpayers’ money on first and business class travel tickets between April and September last year.
He racked up first class travel expenses of £708 and business class expenses of £858.
As well as being top of the list for Welsh MPs, Mr Llwyd is ranked 20th of all Westminster MPs.
The figures from the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority show that the MP made 17 first class journeys and one business class journey between April and Sep tember.
Mr Llwyd, who i also Plaid Cymru’s Westminster group leader, claimed expenses for only one standard class journey in the same six-month period.
A spokeswoman from Mr Llwyd’s offic said: “As Elfyn is 64, buys the traveller’s senior citizens advanced first class tickets, as they are usually cheaper than standard fares.”
Guto Bebb (pictured), Conservative MP for Aberconwy, was the only other North Wales MP to claim for non-standard travel. He claimed £898.60. r Bebb said: “All my aims relate to dvance tickets, which are much cheaper than standard anytime travel. On average, my tickets are over £70 cheaper than andard anytime tions. is also the case that all my claims are 100% in accordance with strict new rules brought in by Parliament after AN artist inspired by the Tower of London’s spectacular display of ceramic poppies hopes to work with schools to create a North Wales version.
Laura Stenhouse will use plastic drinks bottles to create her poppies and help children to remember the fallen of World War I.
The display at the Tower of London consisted of 888,246 ceramic poppies, which represented each British fatality of the war.
Laura is working with schools including Ysgol Cynfran, Llysfaen, and Ysgol Llandrillo yn Rhos, and will also be raising money for the Royal British Legion. he said: “I love the work I do with dren, and I think my latest project will pire lots of youngsters. “My target is to make as many poppies with the children of Conwy as possible and for them to be exhibited.
“Ysgol Cynfran, for example, is quite a small school of 200 children, but it has a lovely green embankment for the poppies. They are then auctioned off to the parents and we donate the money to the Royal British Legion.” Laura is planning to make about 30 ppies a day with 30 schoolchildren in orkshop. or more information, visit astenhouse.moonfruit.com the expenses scandal.”
IPSA’s guidelines state that first class travel tickets will be reimbursed only if they can be purchased at or below the cost of a standard open ticket.
This means that MPs could abide by IPSA rules by picking a first class advance ticket, even though it is likely that a cheaper ticket may be available in the form of an advanced standard class ticket.
The vast majority of journeys claimed back by MPs are taken in standard or economy class.
In total, 121 MPs charged first class travel tickets to the taxpayer in the first six months of the current financial year.
The total cost of this luxury travel comes in at just over £90,000.
Six of these MPs - along with a further seven who did not claim any expenses for first class travel - have also claimed expenses for travelling in business or club class. This has cost the taxpayer a further £24,650.
John Thurso, MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, spent the most out of all MPs on non-standard class travel. He claimed £4,105 worth of business class travel and £305 of first class travel.
Graham Allen, MP for Nottingham North, was the most frequent luxury traveller in parliament, booking 28 first class journeys.