Contract with constituents

• I acknowledge all letters from constituents and do my best to secure a full response.

• I acknowledge all emails from constituents.

• I hold regular surgeries and visit elderly, disabled and other constituents at home if they have difficulty coming to see me.

• I maintain an accessible constituency office at Pontllanfraith for constituents on a major bus route.

• I keep constituents informed of my local and Parliamentary activities.

• I work with local organisations for the good of our community.

My constituency office in Pontllanfraith is on one of our busiest bus routes, has full disabled access and is staffed from 9.30am to 5pm every weekday. My office is many things for people in Islwyn: offering advice, a centre of help and support for pensioners, families and others, a 24-hour message answer service, an information office for constituents, and most importantly a sympathetic advocate for the rights of each and every one of my constituents.

I acknowledge every letter sent to me by my constituents. I receive thousands of letters, phone calls, emails and visits every year. I send thousands of letters to constituents, companies, government agencies, the council and many other people and organisations on behalf of the people I represent. My professional staff works with me to chase up cases and ensure that my constituents are properly listened to and treated with respect.

All I ask in return is that my staff are treated with courtesy and respect.

I live in Blackwood in the heart of the constituency of Islwyn. I have to travel from my home to London whenever Parliament is sitting to fulfil my duties. On Fridays and at weekends I hold surgeries and visit schools, factories and local organisations.

I work in Parliament four days a week, making laws that affect my constituents' lives. So that I can represent them properly, I need to stay in touch with what they are thinking, and understand their hopes and aspirations. I aim to keep Friday and the weekend as days for my constituency work and I hold regular street surgeries around the constituency on a Saturday morning.

Parliamentary Allowances

Parliament provides allowances to all MPs to run their constituency offices and employ their staff to provide services to their constituents. These allowances are set by Parliament, and money is only paid out where proof of expenditure is provided, for example receipts or invoices. This ensures that money has been properly spent for the purposes Parliament intended.

I believe constituents have a right to know how their MP spends the allowances, and so I publish full details of my own expenditure. These figures go back to 2001, when the new system of parliamentary allowances started, and they are fully audited by the House of Commons Fees Office.

2001-2

All the costs of staff, including national insurance £36,495. The non-staffing cost of running the constituency office £26,674. Stationery & postage for the office £765.Computers and IT equipment provided by Parliament to all MPs £1,102. Travel between Islwyn and Parliament by Don £3,102. Travel between Islwyn and Parliament by staff £278. All the costs associated with living away from home when Parliament is sitting £16,736.

2002-3

All the costs of staff, including national insurance £61,008. The non-staffing cost of running the constituency office £18,231. Stationery & postage for the office £916. Computers and IT equipment provided by Parliament to all MPs £1,887. Travel between Islwyn and Parliament by Don £3,604. Travel between Islwyn and Parliament by staff £881. All the costs associated with living away from home when Parliament is sitting £21,249.

2003-4

All the costs of staff, including national insurance £64,273. The non-staffing cost of running the constituency office £18,799. Stationery & postage for the office £2,850. Computers and IT equipment provided by Parliament to all MPs £1,887. Travel between Islwyn and Parliament by Don £3,308. Travel between Islwyn and Parliament by staff £1,386. All the costs associated with living away from home when Parliament is sitting £21,907.

2004-5

All the costs of staff, including national insurance £71,997. The non-staffing cost of running the constituency office £13,785. Stationery & postage for the office £2,486. Computers and IT equipment provided by Parliament to all MPs £1,887.Travel between Islwyn and Parliament by Don £3,789. Travel between Islwyn and Parliament by staff £1,343. All the costs associated with living away from home when Parliament is sitting £22,520.

2005-6

All the costs of staff, including national insurance £85,276. The non-staffing cost of running the constituency office £18,702. Stationery & postage for the office £2,072. Computers and IT equipment provided by Parliament to all MPs £785. Travel between Islwyn and Parliament by Don £9,050. Travel between Islwyn and Parliament by staff £1,757. All the costs associated with living away from home when Parliament is sitting £21,531.

2006-7

All the costs of staff, including national insurance £91,172. The non-staffing cost of running the constituency office £16,523. Stationery & postage for the office £2,197. Centrally purchased stationery £817. Computers and IT equipment provided by Parliament to all MPs £1,142. Travel between Islwyn and Parliament by Don £7,571. Travel between Islwyn and Parliament by staff £857. All the costs associated with living away from home when Parliament is sitting £22,106.

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