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                           <title><![CDATA[Publication of Legg Review and next set of allowances information ]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[The House of Commons has published the next set of information about MPs allowances. This includes the report of the independent audit of MPs allowances by Sir Thomas Legg, and the full information on the 2008-09 financial year and the first quarter of the 2009-10 financial year. I strongly welcome this report because it is an important part of sorting out the whole system and delivering the radical reform we need. Already the expenses system is being radically changed for the future with tough new independent checks and lower limits. But I also think it was right to do an...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov -0001 12:00:00</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[Additional Costs Allowance]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[My family home is in Castleford with Ed and my children but I do need to be in London when Parliament is sitting. We believe strongly that the family needs to stay together during the week, so as a result, we all make the 300 mile round trip between Castleford and London each week. Currently I claim around half of the allowance &ndash; putting me 528th out of 645 MPs last year. As MPs, Ed and I are each able to use up to the full allowance, however we have chosen to reduce our claims, to only claim around half...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:18:25</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[Incidental Expenses Provision (IEP)]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[The IEP is in place so that MP&rsquo;s offices can function properly. It includes, for example, rent costs, payment for utilities at constituency offices, repairs, and the purchase of office equipment. This allowance is not paid directly to me and instead goes directly to the office landlord, utility companies, office suppliers and to reimburse staff for some of their costs. It also includes the purchase of office resources, such as paper, printer toner and other stationery. These items are necessary to allow me and my office to work on over 3,000 cases I take up on behalf of my constituents...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:26:21</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[Communications Allowance]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[The Communications Allowance was introduced in 2007 to enable MPs to communicate better with constituents. I use this to keep constituents up to date with the work that I do and ensure people know how to get in touch with me. For example I have used this allowance to send out an Annual Report to every home in the constituency, updating constituents on my work as their local MP and providing them with information about how to contact me....]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:24:46</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[MPs call for further allowance reform]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[Local MPs Yvette Cooper and Jon Trickett are calling for further radical reform to MPs allowances to cut costs for taxpayers, prevent abuse and restore public trust. Yvette and Jon are backing Gordon Brown's proposals for immediate reform: New independent checks and audits of all MPs expense claims over the last four years with all overclaims to be paid back
MPs should not be able to use allowances for furniture and fittings
MPs should not be able to switch homes to pay for refurbishment or get financial advantage They also believe reforms should go further: All allowances should now be published as...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:14:24</pubDate>
                           
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