Shropshire's Lord Grocott's £13,000 for 54 days' work

Shropshire Labour peer Bruce Grocott claimed £13,547 under the new expenses regime for 54 days' work, latest figures reveal.

According to his expenses claims, he billed the taxpayer £307 for each of the 49 sitting days he attended in Parliament – plus expenses for five working days away from the House of Lords – in the final quarter of last year.

This is the time when the new "no-questions-asked" £300-a-day or £150-a-day flat rate – to be claimed at the member's discretion – came into force.

Under the new system, peers simply need to prove their attendance by "clocking in" to the House of Lords to claim the flat-rate sum.

Lord Grocott claimed a total £12,150 for turning up, plus £1,397 in travel expenses for between October 1 and December 31.

Scientist Martin Rees, Lord Rees of Ludlow, turned up in the Upper Chamber on 29 occasions. He claimed £4,500 – an average of £155 per day for the same three month period.

The new flat-rate allowance has seen claims soar with the total expenses bill amounting to £6 million for the three months.

Emma Boon, of the Taxpayers' Alliance, said there was an urgent need for more reform.

She said: "The old system allowed abuses and had to change but it's very worrying that this new regime looks like it could cost more."