UPDATE: Mrs Crosbie made a voluntary repayment of £2,634.12 to IPSA on February 7, 2022, for utility costs which were legitimately incurred during the 2020/21 financial year.

FIGURES published by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority show that Virginia Crosbie, MP for Ynys Môn, claimed a total of £2,634.12 in utilities in 2020-21.

Mrs Crosbie was in the top ten for utility bill claims made by Members of Parliament in 2020-21.

MPs who represent a seat outside London can claim back an “accommodation budget”, which can be used for water, electricity, gas, rent and bill payments.

However, if the second property is owned by an MP, this allowance can only be used for utility bills.

Mrs Crosbie said: “I was living and working on Anglesey during the lockdown in 2020 with my husband and three children.

“My home is an old farmhouse on Anglesey.

“I stopped claiming for utilities at the beginning of the 2021 financial year.”

Mrs Crosbie was one of 316 MPs to make utility claims in the same period.