MPs' travel bill reaches £80,000

Devon MPs claimed more than £80,000 in travelling expenses for the year 2005/2006.

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

Alison Seabeck, Labour MP for Plymouth Devonport, claimed £7,293 for rail tickets and only £203 in car expenses.

Angela Browning, the Conservative member for Tiverton & Honiton, claimed £6,255 for car use against £127 for using the railways.

MP campaign

Exeter MP and environment minister Ben Bradshaw claimed a total of £3,601 for rail travel and none for car travel as he does not own a car.

North Devon MP Nick Harvey claimed £6,708 for a car, more than any other Devon MP and £1,110 for rail travel.

Adrian Sanders, the Torbay MP, claimed £7,169 on rail travel and £3,243 for car travel, while Totnes MP Anthony Steen claimed £5,944 on car travel and £3,542 on rail travel.

Plymouth MP Linda Gilroy claimed £4,384 for car travel and £3,007 on rail travel, while Teignbridge MP Richard Younger-Ross claimed £5,872 on car travel and £1,706 on rail.

East Devon MP Hugo Swire claimed £5,330 for car travel and £2,132 for train travel while Torridge and West Devon MP Geoffrey Cox claimed £6,071 for car travel and £5,070 for rail travel.

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.