The cost of running an MP's office, paying their staff, funding expenses and reimbursing travel can come to £250,000 a year.
There are significant differences between the business costs incurred by Wales' 40 MPs which largely reflects the distances they have to travel and the costs of their accommodation.
We've looked at the costs incurred by all of Wales' MPs which have just been published on the website of Ipsa, the independent body responsible for overseeing pay and expenses for elected Parliamentarians.
We've used the figures for the MPs posted on the website under each of their names. The figures on a separate spreadsheet the body publishes differ marginally. We queried the discrepancy with Ipsa who said that any differences were likely to only be caused by the dates invoices were submitted and paid and the financial years some bills had therefore fallen into.
In total, the costs of Wales' 40 MPs, not including their salary, in the financial year of 2020-21, was £8.16m.
The MPs with the highest total costs were:
1. Virginia Crosbie, Conservative MP for Ynys Mon: £252,875.01
2. Chris Elmore, Labour MP for Ogmore: £245,937.85
3. David Jones, Conservative MP for Clwyd West: £238,558.61
4. Jamie Wallis, Conservative MP for Bridgend: £234,360.35
5. Alex Davies Jones, Labour MP for Pontypridd: £234,128.85
Excluding staffing, the MPs with the highest travel, expenses and office costs were:
1. Virginia Crosbie, Conservative MP for Ynys Mon. £71,010.15
2. Craig Williams, Conservative MP for Monmouth: £64,681.31
3. Beth Winter, Labour MP for Cynon Valley: £62,852.03
4. Jamie Wallis, Conservative MP for Bridgend: £62,643.20
5. Robin Millar, Conservative MP for Aberconwy: £58,488.50
Find your MP's costs and a breakdown in the list at the bottom of the article
All MPs mentioned above were contacted for comment. The only one who responded with a statement was Anglesey MP Ms Crosbie.
She said: "Inheriting 19 years of Labour doing absolutely nothing for this island takes money and effort to sort out.
"I have employed high-calibre staff – the vast majority based here on Ynys Môn - to ensure I achieve my aims, which are more jobs and investment for Anglesey so young people can stay here, get a good job and raise their families.
"This is already bearing fruit with the £4.8 million hydrogen hub at Holyhead and the HMRC Inland border Facility where more than 200 good, well-paid jobs have been brought to the island on my watch - almost all of which have been taken by local people. More is to come as I press for SMR nuclear reactors, a freeport and Wylfa Newydd reborn as my priorities.
"I have a budget as an MP and I have kept within that budget. I have used the money to do my absolute best for the island. I think that is a good use of the funds I have been allocated for the job and I will continue to use every penny to improve my constituents' lives.
"I’m also one of the few MPs that does not have any party support at council level - there is not one Conservative councillor at Anglesey Council. This means my caseworkers, in particular, have increased workload in that area.
"Of course, I am working hard to rectify this and hope to have several Conservative councillors after the 5th May local elections. "
What MPs can claim for and who checks it
Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) regulates MPs expenses. They have a detailed guide about how the amount MPs claim and why it differs so much.
Because MPs are classed as having two places of work - their constituency and Westminster. The location and size of their constituency impacts their costs. For example, someone travelling from say north Wales to London will have higher travel costs than London MPs, but London MPS will have a larger office or staffing budget because the cost of living in London is much higher.
If an MP has a large constituency, they may have two offices, and rural MPs may claim more for travel because they have to travel further to see people. Costs also increase is there is a crisis such as flooding, as extra staff and overtime can be claimed.
When an MP is elected, they become an employer, and the majority of their budget is spent on the staff they need to help support and represent their constituents. There is also funding within an MP's staffing budget for training and welfare. MPs are encouraged to use this money so their teams are well placed to carry out their work.
At the start of the pandemic, MPs were given £10,000 to meet Covid requirements.
IPSA says: "It’s tempting to look at the total amount an MP claims in a year as a measure of their value, but there are too many variables within an MP’s staffing and business costs to make this a meaningful assessment.
"A hard-working MP will incur costs while carrying out their parliamentary work and delivering value for their constituents. At IPSA, we regulate MPs’ spending so they can focus on parliamentary work and increase their effectiveness in supporting the people they represent."
MPs can claim accommodation costs if they are not London MPs or if they hold "grace and favour" accommodation in London. It can be for either London or their constituency. Inside London, the budget is £23,100 a year, for outside London it is £16,120. They can claim either hotel costs, rental payments and associated costs or, if they own a property, specific costs. The hotel budget is £175 in London and £150 elsewhere.
They can claim utility bills, council tax, ground rent and service charges, security measures, landline phone and broadband charges. They cannot claim for cleaning, gardening, furniture or insurance.
The amount all Wales' MPs claimed in 2020-21:
Tonia Antoniazzi
Accommodation: £19,583.86
MP Travel: £3,444.90
Office Costs: £23,582.46
Staffing: £186,441.36
Total : £233,052.58. Without staffing : £46,611.22
Sarah Atherton
Accommodation: £22,374.02
Dependant Travel: £348.75
MP Travel: £4,306.66
Office Costs: £13,393.49
Staff Travel: £1,007.15
Staffing: £180,533.71
Total: £221,963.78. Without staffing: £41,430.07
Simon Baynes
Accommodation: £4,339.99
MP Travel: £4,171.70
Office Costs: £24,602.55
Staffing: £162,829.45
Total: £195,943.69. Without staffing : £33,114.24
Kevin Brennan
Accommodation: £18,882.34
MP Travel: £3,309.00
Office Costs: £23,759.12
Staffing: £176,245.02.
Total: £222,195.48. Without staffing : £45,950.46
Chris Bryant
Accommodation: £10,409.32
MP Travel: £3,766.87
Office Costs: £18,425.44
Staff Travel: £253.26
Staffing: £172,596.21
Total :£205,451.10 Without staffing : £32,854.89
Alun Cairns
Accommodation: £18,334.97
MP Travel: £4,786.70
Miscellaneous: £131.14
Office Costs: £21,422.37
Staff Travel: £2,383.58
Staffing: £139,789.21
Total : £186,847.97. Without staffing : £47,058.76
Stephen Crabb
Accommodation: £26,200.07
Dependant Travel: £1,469.83
MP Travel: £6,693.63
Office Costs: £20,277.47
Staffing: £156,621.09
Total : £211,262.09. Without staffing : £54,641.00
Virginia Crosbie
Accommodation: £22,741.01
Dependant Travel: £1,252.23
MP Travel: £3,950.28
Miscellaneous: £2,450.01
Office Costs: £38,552.49
Staff Travel: £2,064.13
Staffing: £181,864.86
Total : £252,875.01. Without staffing : £71,010.15
Wayne David
Accommodation: £8,269.57
MP Travel: £4,127.20
Office Costs: £17,849.98
Staff Travel: £2.70
Staffing: £168,459.96
Total: £198,709.41. Without staffing : £30,249.45
Geraint Davies
Accommodation: £20,214.25
MP Travel: £186.80
Miscellaneous: £480.00
Office Costs: £24,563.43
Staffing: £141,856.34
Total : £187,300.82. Without staffing : £45,444.48
David TC Davies
Accomodation: £14,660.35
Dependant Travel: £23.90
MP Travel: £6,760.30
Office Costs: £19,679.35
Staff Travel: £44.96
Staffing: £188,332.16
Total : £229,501.02. Without staffing : £41,168.86
James Davies
Accommodation: £20,997.30
Dependant Travel: £236.04
MP Travel: £6,328.51
Miscellaneous: £1,423.24
Office Costs: £19,590.31
Staff Travel: £237.44
Staffing: £170,133.67
Total : £218,945.51. Without staffing : £48,812.84
Alex Davies-Jones
Accommodation: £29,326.09
MP Travel: £3,292.97
Office Costs: £36,647.01
Staff Travel: £821.42
Staffing: £163,990.80
Total: £234,078.29. Without staffing: £70,087.49
Stephen Doughty
Accommodation: £23,211.08
MP Travel: £3,358.02
Office Costs: £26,094.74
Staff Travel: £22.52
Staffing: £178,442.49
Total : £231,128.85. Without staffing : £52,686.36
Jonathan Edwards
Accommodation: £10,642.80
MP Travel: £3,196.88
Office Costs: £14,605.95
Staff Travel: £427.40
Staffing: £133,375.23
Total: £162,248.26. Without staffing : £28,873.03
Chris Elmore
Accommodation: £21,912.31
MP Travel: £5,456.70
Office Costs: £24,756.61
Staff Travel: £1,029.56
Staffing: £192,782.67
Total : £245,937.85. Without staffing : £53,155.18
Chris Evans
Accommodation: £115.34
MP Travel: £6,857.74
Office Costs: £9,862.75
Staffing: £153,873.95
Total : £170,709.78. Without staffing : £16,835.83
Nia Griffith
MP Travel: £3,665.40
Miscellaneous: £804.00
Office Costs: £24,435.84
Staff Travel: £20.25
Staffing: £171,009.07
Total: £199,934.56. Without staffing: £28,925.49
Carolyn Harris
Accommodation: £19,012.00
MP Travel: £5,186.00
Office Costs: £27,644.46
Staff Travel: £279.98
Staffing: £181,881.42
Total: £234,003.86. Without staffing: £52,122.44
Simon Hart
Accommodation: £22,352.03
MP Travel: £337.45
Office Costs: £13,752.10
Staff Travel: £143.80
Staffing: £168,397.26
Total : £204,982.64. Without staffing : £36,585.38
David Jones
Accommodation: £22,835.51
MP Travel: £3,900.70
Office Costs: £21,672.99
Staffing: £157,946.92
Total : £206,356.12, Without staffing : £48,409.20
Fay Jones
Accommodation: £20,735.00
MP Travel: £3,613.15
Office Costs: £30,612.11
Staff Travel: £392.50
Staffing: £183,205.85
Total : £238,558.61. Without staffing: £55,352.76
Gerald Jones
Accommodation: £21,840.00
MP Travel: £2,729.00
Office Costs: £21,604.20
Staffing: £171,637.18
Total : £217,810.38. Without staffing : £46,173.20
Ruth Jones
Accommodation: £16,575.93
MP Travel: £2,385.90
Office Costs: £26,117.30
Staffing: £181,757.73
Total : £226,528.06. Without staffing : £45,079.13
Stephen Kinnock
Accommodation: £22,848.00
MP Travel: £900.95
Office Costs: £20,137.02
Staffing: £163,584.27
Total: £207,470.24. Without staffing: £43,885.97
Ben Lake
MP Travel: £1,447.05
Office Costs: £17,931.34
Staffing: £148,572.62
Total : £167,951.01, Without staffing : £19,378.39
Anna McMorrin
Accommodation: £26,438.19
MP Travel: £3,347.56
Miscellaneous: £622.46
Office Costs: £23,459.62
Staff Travel: £458.10
Staffing: £179,356.61
Total: £233,682.54 Without staffing : £54,325.93
Robin Millar
Accommodation: 18,518.79
MP Travel: £6,091.39
Miscellaneous: £5,586.95
Office Costs: £27,905.17
Staff Travel: £386.20
Staffing: £138,639.82
Total: £197,128.32. Without staffing: £58,488.50
Jessica Morden
Accommodation: £14,956.56
MP Travel: £2,848.69
Office Costs: £19,033.20
Staff Travel: £31.05
Staffing: £163,236.87
Total : £200,106.37. Without staffing: £36,869.50
Christina Rees
Accommodation: £4,491.32
MP Travel: £958.15
Office Costs: £19,872.70
Staffing: £142,086.50
Total: £167,408.67. Without staffing : £25,322.17
Rob Roberts
Accommodation: £21,258.37
Dependant Travel: £186.00
MP Travel: £2,509.75
Office Costs: £31,746.58
Staffing: £156,596.90
Total: £212,297.60. Without staffing : £55,700.70
Liz Saville Roberts
Accommodation: £19,322.82
Dependant Travel: £235.80
MP Travel: £6,180.29
Office Costs: £24,734.47
Staff Travel: £296.10
Staffing: £172,154.18
Total : £222,923.66. Without staffing: £50,769.48
Nick Smith
Accommodation: £2,650.43
MP Travel: £4,367.50
Office Costs: £19,160.34
Staffing: £152,593.00
Total : £178,771.27. Without staffing : £26,178.27
Jo Stevens
Accommodation: £5,186.11
MP Travel: £2,658.40
Office Costs: £27,752.54
Staffing: £152,863.08
Total : £188,460.13. Without staffing : £35,597.05
Mark Tami
Accommodation: £20,000.44
MP Travel: £7,058.90
Office Costs: £22,351.87
Staff Travel: £92.10
Staffing: £156,059.17
Total: £205,562.48. Without staffing: £49,503.31
Nick Thomas-Symonds
Accommodation: £28,938.69
MP Travel: £5,067.22
Office Costs: £15,297.47
Staffing: £134,878.72
Total: £184,182.10. Without staffing: £49,303.38
Jamie Wallis
Accommodation: £29,809.09
MP Travel: £1,933.66
Office Costs: £30,673.83
Staff Travel: £226.62
Staffing: £171,717.15
Total : £234,360.35. Without staffing : £62,643.20
Craig Williams
Accommodation: £27,355.20
MP Travel: £6,059.35
Miscellaneous: £345.06
Office Costs: £30,442.20
Staff Travel: £479.50
Staffing: £164,185.52
Total: £228,866.83. Without staffing : £64,681.31
Hywel Williams:
Accommodation: £26,438.70
MP Travel: £2,354.90
Office Costs: £29,202.90
Staffing: £160,342.81
Total : £218,339.31. Without staffing : £57,996.50
Beth Winter
Accommodation: £20,488.82
MP Travel: £3,137.70
Office Costs: £38,888.01
Staff Travel: £337.50
Staffing: £118,020.65
Total: £180,872.68. Without staffing : £62,852.03
To get the latest email updates from WalesOnline click here
