NEW figures reveal how much Borders MPs cost the taxpayer last year.

The business and staffing costs for the financial year 2019/20 have been published by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA).

Conservative MP John Lamont – the representative for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk – spent £218,563.69 during the last financial year.

That figure is more than £30,000 greater than the average for MPs (£188,295).

Mr Lamont's five most expensive types of costs were: payroll (costing £138,411.22); rent (£26,362.64); air travel (£15,491.44); advertising and contact cards (£6,530.57); and car mileage (£5,295.21).

READ MORE: Coronavirus: 'School return' plans announced by Sturgeon in lockdown update

Regarding his costs, Mr Lamont said: "I welcome that all of my expenses are published so that everyone can see how my activities as the local MP are funded.

"The bulk of these expenses relate to employing my staff in Hawick and Westminster who work hard to help people here in the Borders."

Meanwhile, David Mundell – Westminster representative for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale – was among the most expensive MPs.

The IPSA figures show Mr Mundell, also of the Conservatives, claimed £238,564.18 in business and staffing costs last year.

READ MORE: Scottish Borders Council set to get £233.2m to run public services

Mr Mundell's top expenses were: payroll (costing £166,443.91); rent (£25,988.44); air travel (£7,207.63); advertising and contact cards (£5,046.89); and car mileage (£4,301.14).

Aside from annual staff pay, Mr Mundell’s single most expensive claim was £3,142.00 for pooled staffing services.

Pooled staffing services were Mr Lamont’s biggest expense too, at the same cost.

The smallest expense claimed by Mr Mundell was £0.73 for stationery and printing. Mr Lamont’s smallest claim was £1.00 for rail travel.

READ MORE: Borders gets six days of snow warnings from Met Office as council gives advice

Mr Mundell said: "Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale is the largest constituency in the United Kingdom, outside the Highlands, and the only one that covers three local authorities.

"Inevitably there is a higher cost to serving such a constituency effectively.

"I fully support the transparency of the process that allows constituents to have full sight of what has been claimed."

Across the UK, the total cost of MPs was £127.6 million – a rise of seven per cent compared with the previous year.

IPSA's interim chairman Richard Lloyd said: "Every month over 4,000 MPs and staff have their salaries paid and business costs reimbursed, within the rules set independently by IPSA.

"It’s good for confidence in our system that compliance with the rules is very high, at 99.97 per cent.

"Through IPSA, taxpayers can be assured that public money has been spent appropriately by Members of Parliament, and that we have helped them to serve their constituents during the most difficult of times.”