GARDENING rubbish sacks, dry cleaning and, ironically, a subscription to the Daily Telegraph.

The claims of New Forest West MP Desmond Swayne may be among the lowest in the country but there are still items to raise a few eyebrows, writes Melanie Vass.

Although most of his claims are for the mortgage, service charge and bills on his London property, taxpayers also pay for his £8-an-hour cleaner, his laundry costs and gardening work.

In July 2006, Mr Swayne claimed more than £6,000 for a new kitchen but repaid this two years later, when he decided to sell the property and downsize to a one-bedroom flat.

His only other major expenditure has been £643.59 for plumbing work, replacing a window pane, electrical repairs and new hinges on the door to a dustbin store and £724.21 for redecoration.

Other claims include £9 for 30 garden waste bags and £10 for a House of Commons DVD. He claimed £411 to reduce the crowns of two trees and around £200 a year on newspapers.

His claims for food totalled £5,209.09 for 2005/6, 2006/7 and 2007/8. He told the Daily Echo these were for occasions when he was away from home and had to eat out.

“My expenses have consistently been among the lowest in Parliament,” he said. “I am down there in the bottom five or six every year. I go to some lengths to minimise them. I run to the station and travel second class, but inevitably one has expenses.”

On the subject of his kitchen, he said: “I regretted it immediately after paying for it.

“When I was looking to move to a cheaper property that would be less expensive to maintain in March 2008, I called the Fees Office and said, I’m planning to move; how much should I repay for the kitchen? They said nothing.

“I had this moment of realisation and decided to repay it all. And I don’t half feel glad that I did.”