Dorset MP claims for household goods

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It has been revealed that North Dorset MP, Bob Walter has claimed for handmade Indian rugs, a language course in Bordeaux, two TV's and £16,800 in moving costs, all charged to the taxpayer. It has all come to light as the Dorset MP published his expense claims for the past four years.

The jumbled reams of heavily edited paperwork and documents reveal claims for furniture, garden plants, redecoration costs as well as a six-night residential language course in France.

In April 2004, Mr Walter claimed for the costs of moving to his Shaftesbury home - his designated second home for the last five years - which includes stamp duty and estate agents' commissions.

Mr Walter said that the £120 per month claimed for repairs and maintenance was basically the garden.

In November 2005 he claimed £399 for a TV and then bought another for £750 four months later. He said: "an MP had to keep up to date with what is going on in the world"  and needed a television in both his sitting room and bedroom.

He considered the residential college course as "training"  and that "Members of Parliament should be able to speak other languages."

However his £1,008 claim for two indian rugs was rejected by the fees office and reduced to £600 as per the John Lewis list.

He insisted that he had "No regrets about anything he had claimed for  - it was all within the system, all within the guidlines. I don't think I have claimed for anything unreasonable."  He went on to say that he had taken the decision to publish his expenses to be "totally transparent " as he had become "a little frustrated that people treat me  as if I am some common criminal - as if I had something to hide. I have nothing to hide."