Your MP, Fay Jones, writes...

After last week’s front page headline [January 26], it took just minutes for someone to call me ‘Tory Scum’ and ‘thief’. And so, I thought I would use my first column to explain some of the background to my office costs.

Each year, the full details of my staffing and business costs for the previous financial year are published. So they should be – it’s important you see how your money is used. That’s why I have always kept a page on my website which presents all the costs I claim throughout the year.

My office costs are in line with the average Member of Parliament and every claim has been approved and validated by an independent regulator. The suggestion that I cost more than the Prime Minister is incorrect. His business costs are covered by central government.

Despite Brecon and Radnorshire being the largest constituency in England and Wales, (covering an area greater than the size of Luxembourg) my expense claims for travel would not place me in the top five highest in Wales, let alone the rest of the UK.

Running my office, of which I have two here in Wales and one in Westminster, of course comes at a cost – but a cost that I believe is justified as a result of the work I undertake on your behalf.

Almost 80% of my total business costs go to the salary bill for my dedicated team of staff. Over the period that these costs relate to, my team and I were able to respond to over ten thousand individual pieces of correspondence, as well as closing almost one thousand pieces of casework. Whether it be urgently seeking to address a visa complaint, drafting a response to concerns about the lack of dental care in our area or gathering information for a briefing on river pollution, my team go over and above to support me as your Member of Parliament.

It is an immense privilege to do this job and I take value for money extremely seriously. Every penny that I spend of taxpayer’s money is done so with the belief that the eventual benefit of that cost, will be far greater. On top of supporting over 1,000 constituents, the resources that I have used in the last year have helped me secure £30million for the Global Centre of Rail Excellence in Coelbren, £2 million for Theatr Brycheiniog, £5 million to regenerate brownfield sites in Llandrindod Wells and overturned the decision to close Brecon Barracks.

Whether this is value for money or not will be for you to decide at the next election. But in the meantime, I will work as hard as I can to be an active, vocal and effective Member of Parliament.