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Speaker 'orders £20,000 refurb' | Speaker 'orders £20,000 refurb' |
(about 2 hours later) | |
John Bercow has ordered a £20,000 refurbishment of the Speaker's official grace-and-favour flat in the Palace of Westminster, it has been reported. | John Bercow has ordered a £20,000 refurbishment of the Speaker's official grace-and-favour flat in the Palace of Westminster, it has been reported. |
Items ordered by the new Speaker, elected after Michael Martin stepped down amid the expenses row, include a £6,764 sofa suite, the Telegraph said. | Items ordered by the new Speaker, elected after Michael Martin stepped down amid the expenses row, include a £6,764 sofa suite, the Telegraph said. |
Some changes make the flat child-friendly, such as fitting window locks and turning a study into a playroom. | Some changes make the flat child-friendly, such as fitting window locks and turning a study into a playroom. |
Mr Martin spent £724,600 of public money on the flat from 2000 to 2008. | Mr Martin spent £724,600 of public money on the flat from 2000 to 2008. |
Mr Bercow, who has three young children and at 46 is the youngest Commons Speaker in modern times, has previously noted it was a "fantastic apartment but it's not altogether child friendly". | |
The Telegraph reported it had see the document detailing the changes to be made, including £6,764.30 on a new sofa suite, £760 on a window seat cushions, £3,600 on window locks, £90.95 on mattresses and sheets and £275 on eight lampshades. | The Telegraph reported it had see the document detailing the changes to be made, including £6,764.30 on a new sofa suite, £760 on a window seat cushions, £3,600 on window locks, £90.95 on mattresses and sheets and £275 on eight lampshades. |
Other costs include £3,880 on planters to make the terrace more child friendly and £1,087 on decorating a study to turn it into a playroom. | Other costs include £3,880 on planters to make the terrace more child friendly and £1,087 on decorating a study to turn it into a playroom. |
The House of Commons in house maintenance was also asked to check that the access to wall ducts was child proof. | The House of Commons in house maintenance was also asked to check that the access to wall ducts was child proof. |
A spokeswoman for the House of Commons said Mr Bercow was "happy that this information is in the public domain, that the public know how this money has been spent". |