MPs' travel bill reaches £62,000

The five Liberal Democrat MPs in Cornwall claimed about £62,000 for travel in the year 2005/2006.

The figures follow a two-year freedom of information battle with House of Commons authorities.

St Ives MP Andrew George topped the Cornish list at £17,000 and claimed for cycling expenses of 20p a mile, notching up £9.

Truro MP Matthew Taylor spent nearly £7,000 on car journeys, £4,000 on trains and more than £1,000 on flights.

South East Cornwall MP Colin Breed, claimed nearly £6,000 for train journeys and £5,000 on his car.

Falmouth and Camborne's Julia Goldsworthy claimed more than £11,000 and Dan Rogerson in north Cornwall more than £10,000.

The figures were published after a campaign by Lib Dem MP Norman Baker, who said the public ought to know how money was being spent.

Overall MPs spent about £2m on driving, £1.5m on trains and £1m on flights.