Chainsaw claim was a mere snip at £183 (From This is Hampshire)

Chainsaw claim was a mere snip at £183

12:00pm Thursday 25th June 2009 in

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TWELVE teaspoons costing £85, a chainsaw and a year’s subscription to The Gazette.

Those are just some of the claims that surfaced this week after a Hampshire MP’s expenses were finally published.

As previously reported in The Gazette, North East Hampshire MP James Arbuthnot apologised for claiming £1,471 during the 2006/7 financial year for garden and swimming pool maintenance at his constituency home.

He also admitted the expenses and allowances system had been regar-ded as a substitute for salary rises.

But examination of the newly-published files covering three years reveals claims that may further embarrass the 56-year-old.

This is despite heavy censorship that has obliterated many parts of MPs’ claims from public scrutiny.

In June 2006, Mr Arbuthnot, whose constituency includes Hook, Odiham and Hartley Wintney, tried to claim a staggering £1,063.91 for plants at a rented property.

In September 2007 the senior Conservative politician made a successful claim of £649.55 for fuel and £728.99 for a 45-inch LCD TV from Comet. The maximum MPs are allowed to claim for TVs was £750.

On more than one occasion the MP claimed almost double the accepted £400 for food expen-ses – claims which appear to have been reduced by the House of Commons Fees Office.

In July 2004, he submitted a claim for £738.13 for food, £162 for cleaning, £11.97 for wasp killer and a £1,043.47 claim for service and maintenance at his constituency home.

The following month, Mr Arbuthnot tried to claim £725.69 for food and £162 for cleaning.

Back in June 2004, Mr Arbuthnot put in a claim for the building of some steps totalling £515 at his second home. This also app-ears to have been rejected by the Fees Office.

More recently, the senior Conservative politician claimed £25.82 for vases and £183.39 on a chainsaw.

As previously reported, Mr Arbuthnot claimed £108,062 in second home allowance over the past five years – the maximum allo-wed. He has now moved to a £2million home in Stratfield Mortimer – which he reportedly bought without a mortgage two years ago. The MP was this week unavailable for comment.