Wholly, exclusively and necessarily

The long awaited MPs' expenses claims forms are published on the Parliament website today, albeit in a redacted format. It seems that a lot of MPs had moments of temporary blindness when completing their claims and failed to read, or understand, what they were signing.

On the ACA2 Additional Costs Allowance Member's Claim Form there is a warning statement at the beginning of the form -

You can only claim for

costs you have actually paid

additional expenses wholly, exclusively and necessarily incurred to enable you to stay away from your main home for the purpose of performing your Parliamentary duties.

Similarly, at the end of the form where the MP signs off the claim, there is an additional warning statement.

For the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 the House of Commons Administration is a Public Authority and therefore the information it holds will fall within the scope of that Act.

The only reason we know anything about all those claims for light bulbs and moat cleaning is that campaigning journalist Heather Brooke has spent the last five years fighting tooth and nail for MPs to come clean about their expenses.

Westminster Goblin

Thursday 18 June 2009