A NEW Forest MP has defended spending £7,000 in refurbishing his second home and has said he will not pay back any of his expenses.

Dr Julian Lewis, MP for New Forest East, said there was “absolutely nothing improper” about his allowance claims, which included a £789 washer/dryer, £346 on new bathroom taps and a £119 trouser press.

The Conservative MP said he had used the Additional Costs Allowance – ACA – system “exactly the way it was meant to be used”.

“It wasn’t an upgrade for anything. It was to replace items like-for-like that were already there, but didn’t work or needed replacing,” he said.

However, the MP’s was turned down by Commons officials for a £6,000 wooden floor, because it was “too extravagant”. Dr Lewis said that he never asked to claim it through allowances.

“It was part of a list of work which I requested advice on what could be claimed for,” he said. “I never intended to claim allowances for the wooden floor.”

The shadow defence spokesman also stressed the need for second homes, and their furnishings and appliances, because of the time needed to be spent in London carrying out Parliamentary duties.

When asked about claiming £4 for wax polish and £5 for a sweater tidy, Dr Lewis said that smaller items would “probably have been part of a list of items” he would have claimed for and couldn’t remember the details behind every claim.

The MP said he could have claimed for “hundreds” of other items, but didn’t.

“I have a plasma TV and a DVD recorder and player, which I bought myself. Unlike some MPs, I don’t buy anything that is to do with entertainment through the allowances,” he said.

Dr Lewis, who has been New Forest East MP since 1997, was previously in the media spotlight for “flipping” his designated second home.

After buying a flat in Westminster in 2004, he then registered it as his second home, instead of his constituency home in Totton. Therefore, he could claim home allowances for mortgage interest payments, service charges and utility bills on the flat.

Dr Lewis said he did this because the service charges on the Westminster flat were higher and it made more “economic sense”.

“I have never made a profit on any home I have claimed allowances for and, again unlike other MPs, I have not and have no plans to do the property up and then sell it on for a profit,” he said.

Dr Lewis, 57, criticised the current system and called for an independent review of MPs’ salary which would include the costs of running a second home.

Dr Lewis said his expenses were revealed due to his battle to keep MPs’ addresses out of the public domain.

“I am very proud of that victory and believe there are 645 other MPs and families that are safer without the threat that could arise from terrorists at home or overseas.

“If this is the cost of that, then so be it, but I would happily do it again.”

He said he would willingly publish his expenses as soon as the Conservatives had the right format to reveal all claims to the public.