£449,332

£449,332.

No, it isn't a win on the lottery.

It's the total of some Members of Parliament's expenses for the year 2007-2008 as revealed by a local paper.

Can you guess how many MPs? Eighteen? Twenty? Fourteen?

I'll put you out of your misery.

Three. Three MPs. They travelled up and down the country - some parts of the world you could buy a country for that amount of dosh - and they maintained offices. Then there were general expenses, and, of course, staff salaries and office running costs.

As a thrifty householder I have to ask....

Have these people heard of Skype? Of emails? Teleconferencing? Interactive television? Telephone calls? Letters on plain paper sent by second class post?

Can't they use the spare room as an office, and specify times when people can ring them?

Shouldn't they reply to your letters by email - the method I employ to contact them - not on fancy very expensive paper (alas, poor trees).

£449,332 spent by three people in a year.

The average nurse's salary is £25,000; a newly-qualified nurse's (if they get a job that is) is around £21,000, and you can get a health care assistant - the one who cleans up the mess, feeds the patient and takes him to the toilet - for just over £15,000.

I know who I'd rather give tax money to.

How about you?