This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk_politics/7319972.stm
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Speaker's residence bill revealed | Speaker's residence bill revealed |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| Over £700,000 of public money has been spent on the Commons Speaker's official residence since 2001, figures show. | Over £700,000 of public money has been spent on the Commons Speaker's official residence since 2001, figures show. |
| A Freedom of Information request by the Daily Telegraph revealed that over £100,000 a year was spent on furniture, art and air-conditioning. | A Freedom of Information request by the Daily Telegraph revealed that over £100,000 a year was spent on furniture, art and air-conditioning. |
| Speaker Michael Martin's spokeswoman said the improvements were necessary. | Speaker Michael Martin's spokeswoman said the improvements were necessary. |
| Mr Martin has been criticised after his family used air miles from official flights, and his wife claimed cab fares for shopping trips. | |
| 'Free house' | 'Free house' |
| The figures show that £148,900 has been spent on furniture, £13,000 on art, £191,000 on installing a new air-conditioning system, and £291,000 on "building restoration and refurbishment". | The figures show that £148,900 has been spent on furniture, £13,000 on art, £191,000 on installing a new air-conditioning system, and £291,000 on "building restoration and refurbishment". |
| The Speaker should be setting a good example and he is not Martin BellFormer independent MP | The Speaker should be setting a good example and he is not Martin BellFormer independent MP |
| A further £992,000 has been spent on the Speaker's garden - although most of those costs are part of the effort to improve security in the Palace of Westminster since the 11 September 2001 attacks. | A further £992,000 has been spent on the Speaker's garden - although most of those costs are part of the effort to improve security in the Palace of Westminster since the 11 September 2001 attacks. |
| Former independent MP Martin Bell said he was "shocked" by the sums involved. | Former independent MP Martin Bell said he was "shocked" by the sums involved. |
| "The Speaker should be setting a good example and he is not - MPs have got to get their palace in order," he said. | "The Speaker should be setting a good example and he is not - MPs have got to get their palace in order," he said. |
| Mark Wallace, campaign director of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said the figures were "stupendous". | Mark Wallace, campaign director of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said the figures were "stupendous". |
| "The Speaker is well paid and receives generous allowances as well as a free house, so it is excessive for him to be billing so heavily for furniture, art and cooling systems." | "The Speaker is well paid and receives generous allowances as well as a free house, so it is excessive for him to be billing so heavily for furniture, art and cooling systems." |
| The revelations come as Michael Martin carries out a review into MPs' expenses, due to report in the autumn. | The revelations come as Michael Martin carries out a review into MPs' expenses, due to report in the autumn. |
| But his own expenses have been the subject of scrutiny and his spokesman, Mike Granatt, resigned in February after he wrongly rebutted some parts of a story claiming that the Speaker's wife had claimed more than £4,000 in taxi expenses since May 2004. | But his own expenses have been the subject of scrutiny and his spokesman, Mike Granatt, resigned in February after he wrongly rebutted some parts of a story claiming that the Speaker's wife had claimed more than £4,000 in taxi expenses since May 2004. |
| Mr Martin's spokeswoman said the spending on Speaker's House was part of a rolling programme of improvements. | Mr Martin's spokeswoman said the spending on Speaker's House was part of a rolling programme of improvements. |
| She added that the property was used for entertaining heads of state and needed to be maintained as part of Britain's heritage. | She added that the property was used for entertaining heads of state and needed to be maintained as part of Britain's heritage. |
| "Speaker's House is the official residence of the Speaker," she said. | "Speaker's House is the official residence of the Speaker," she said. |
| "Entertainment of visiting heads of state, parliamentarians and others take place in the State Apartments and the costs listed reflect environmental and heritage requirements and health and safety legislation." | "Entertainment of visiting heads of state, parliamentarians and others take place in the State Apartments and the costs listed reflect environmental and heritage requirements and health and safety legislation." |