NORTH Essex MPs have reined in their expenses claims following a series of scandals, new figures suggest.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, set up to enforce tighter rules on MPs’ use of taxpayers’ cash, has published its first payments.

They show that between May 7, the day after the general election, and August 31, MPs were paid £3.1million in expenses nationally.

Colchester MP Bob Russell, forced to repay £4,539 in wrongly claimed mortgage interest and council tax last year, has so far received expenses totalling £5,835.07.

The largest sum is £2,190.21 to rent the Lib Dems’ constituency office in Wimpole Road, while he also claimed £82.12 for a bulk buy of toilet rolls for the office and £16.50 for a fan.

The remaining claims were largely for stationery, train tickets for his staff and mileage claims for journeys to and from Westminster.

Comparisons with claims in previous years are difficult, but it appears MPs are largely scaling down their expenses submissions.

Between April and June last year, Mr Russell collected £10,211 for office, travel and stationery costs.

Witham MP Priti Patel, elected in May, said the system to publish expenses details was “rubbish”.

She said: “The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority hasn’t sent out the full background alongside the raw data.

“It hasn’t published receipts, and you could ask why it hasn’t done that.”

The Conservative MP has claimed £4,591.42, with the largest single expense being £2,515.63 for computer software used to assist with constituency casework.

She also claimed £644.48 for printer toner and £956.78 for fuel used on constituency work.

Meanwhile, Harwich and North Essex MP Bernard Jenkin proved the most thrifty, claiming just £432.58.

Mr Jenkin, who repaid £36,250 in expenses earlier this year, only made a handful of claims, including for newspaper advertisements and phone bills.

Over three months in 2009, Mr Jenkin collected £1,339 for office expenses, travel and stationery.

Clacton MP Douglas Carswell claimed the most, with almost half his £7,973.33 claim being for accommodation.

The senior backbench Tory rents a house in Thorpe in his constituency, and also has a flat in London which he pays for himself.

Mr Carswell also claimed £1,127 for council tax, around £600 for mileage to London and £1,000 for office stationery and equipment.

Brooks Newmark, MP for Braintree, has made just two claims since the beginning of the tax year – £708.24 on advertising his surgeries, and £440.63 on getting his constituency office valued.

Maldon MP John Whittingdale claimed £1,675.02 in expenses for travel and general administration.