Paddy Tipping's Expenses

All MPs' expenses claims have now been released, so it can now be revealed that for 03-04, Paddy Tipping claimed £118,858 in expenses. (Presumably prior to the Freedom of Information Act which required their release, this had been kept Top Secret in case the Russkies got their hands on this sensitive material).

The breakdown of this is as follows:

1. Additional Costs Allowance
   Basically this is to pay for staying in London. He claimed £11,790 out of a possible £20,333
   
2. London Supplement
   For London MPs only. Obviously he doesn't qualify for this.
   
3. Incidental Expenses Provision
   To pay for other costs associated with office and surgery. He went right up to the limit here, claiming the maximum £18,799
   
4. Staffing allowance
   This came to £63,704. The maximum allowance is £64,273-£74,985 depending on staff based in London.
   
5. Members' Travel
   At £15,358, this looks pretty steep, particularly as it only covers UK and some European travel. However, at today's amazingly high rail prices, this would only buy 168 standard class open return train tickets between Nottingham and London.
   
6. Staff Travel
   A mere £301 as a maximum of 18 journeys are allowed.
   
7. Stationery, Postage and IT
   These came to £2,149, £6,064 and £693 respectively. Postage costs indicate that Paddy sends about double the average MP.
   

Spreadsheet of all MPs expenses

Explanation of categories

Empty property figures requested by Paddy Tipping

Paddy Tipping MP has received a Written Answer to his question:

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many empty homes there are in each local authority area in the East Midlands.

The full list by local authority district, can be seen here.

A potential motivation for him asking this question is his opposition to the Top Wighay development (see earlier posts). This is in the Ashfield district, which currently contains an estimated 1,580 empty homes, undermining the argument that the development is necessary.

Paddy Tipping sugar quota concern

Another appearance in the Commons when he quizzed Margaret Beckett about the renegotiation of EU sugar quotas:
Paddy Tipping (Sherwood, Lab)

"When she last met European Union colleagues to discuss the sugar regime."

Margaret Beckett (Derby South, Lab)

"At the Agriculture Council meeting on 19 July, Commissioner Fischler presented his latest communication setting out his preferred approach to reform of the EU sugar regime. EU Ministers will be resuming discussions at the November Agriculture Council meeting."

Paddy Tipping (Sherwood, Lab)

"In those discussions, will the Secretary of State argue strongly against equal quota cuts in all member states and in favour of taking out inefficient producers such as those in Greece and Finland, so that countries such as the United Kingdom, factories such as British Sugar's factory in Newark, and Nottinghamshire farmers can continue to prosper?"

Margaret Beckett (Derby South, Lab)

"I take my hon. Friend's point, and assure him that in our discussions I will, as ever, endeavour to safeguard and protect the competitive position of British farmers. I know he will understand, though, when I say that using the arguments he suggests may not work entirely to our advantage, certainly during a transitional period. Although qualified majority voting will apply, any proposals must carry a majority in the Council. However, I accept his underlying point: the present sugar regime is enormously distorting, and cannot be sustained."

Paddy Tipping advocates smoking education

At his first speech in the Commons this session, Paddy Tipping MP asked John Healey (Labour MP for Wentworth, and Economic Secretary)

"Are not health and education programmes the most appropriate way in which to help people—particularly people from low-income families—quit smoking, rather than simply pricing them out of the market?"

This followed a question for Anthony Steen MP, which implied that the Government had not banned smoking in public places because of the benefit to the Treasury from Tobacco Duty.

John Healey replied:

"Successive Governments, including this one, have used the high price of cigarettes to encourage people to reduce smoking. That policy has been successful after the past two decades, but it is not the only measure that we take. The education campaigns that my hon. Friend mentioned are, in part, responsible for the recent cut in young people's regular smoking. The Government are considering a wide range of measures as part of our public health consultation, and my hon. Friends in the Department of Health will take my hon. Friend's comments as a late representation to that process."

Personally, I don't know which is more effective - education or punitive taxation, although it's fairly obvious which is easier on the Treasury. Does anybody in the UK today really not know that smoking has serious health implications, which for me casts doubt on the potential effectiveness of education.

Parliamentary Question

Bill Rammell (Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs) has issued a Written Answer to Paddy Tipping's Parliamentary Question "What recent discussions he has had with North Korea on nuclear policy?"

The answer refers to his official report, which runs to less than a page. In essence, North Korea has been involved in six party talks on the dismantling of their nuclear programme, but they have been considering pulling out. Bill Rammell urged them not to do this, and to follow Libya's example of declaring and terminating their WMD programmes.

You can see the full Written Answer here at
theyworkforyou.com.

Bill Rammell's official report on the visit can be seen here on the Parliamentary Publications website

Criticism of job centre closure

Paddy Tipping has publicly criticised Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) plans to close Hucknall job centre as part of a proposed cutback of 30,000 jobs nationwide.
The closure would not occur till at least 2006, and a consultation process is currently in progress. If you have a view then you should write either to Hucknall Job Centre, or Paddy Tipping's constituency office.

Full article in Hucknall Today