As MPs focus on the year ahead following yesterday’s Queen’s Speech, reporter Neil Macfarlane takes a look at the performance of our elected representatives in Parliament.

IN light of recent controversies involving expenses claims and outside earnings, The Northern Echo has taken a look at the activities of the region’s 37 MPs in the House of Commons.

The chart opposite shows how much each has claimed in expenses and how much they earned through second jobs, as well as details of ministerial posts and committee memberships.

The statistics also show how often they have spoken, voted or asked written questions in Parliament.

The information is taken from the website theywork foryou.com – a charity campaign that works to increase participation in the democratic process.

Francis Irving, developer at theyworkforyou.com, said: “Our aim is to get more people involved in democracy, Government and Parliament.

“We are activists in the sense that we are normal people who worry about democracy, and try to make it easier for members of the public to keep an eye on what their MPs are doing for them.”

Every Parliamentary constituency in the North-East and North Yorkshire is represented on the chart, from Berwick in the north of the region to Harrogate and Knaresborough and the City of York in the south.

Each MP is given an annual Parliamentary salary of more than £61,000, but the figures show the maximum amount they have declared as earnings from second jobs in the past 12 months. Many earn extra money in the private sector as after-dinner speakers, consultants and company directors. Also listed is the amount claimed in expenses, covering costs such as transport and the running of constituency offices in 2006-7.

The chart shows how often MPs have spoken in parliament in the calendar year so far, and how many answers to written questions they have received during the same period.

The data also includes the percentage of Parliamentary votes they have participated in since the last General Election in 2005, as well as the number of select committees they have joined and ministerial posts they hold. For further details on the work of your local MP, visit theyworkforyou.com A guide to your MP's performance

ALAN BEITH (LD)

BERWICK

Second jobs: up to £25,000

Expenses: £136,172

Spoken: 41

Voted: 70%

Written questions: 15

Select committees: 3

HELEN GOODMAN (Lab)

BISHOP AUCKLAND

Assistant Whip

Second jobs: –

Expenses: £148,847

Spoken: 23

Voted: 92%

Written questions: 0

Select committees: 0

DAVID ANDERSON (Lab)

BLAYDON

Private Parliamentary Secretary Foreign and Commonwealth office

Second jobs: –

Expenses: £151,353

Spoken: 34

Voted: 77%

Written questions: 99

Select committees: 1

RONNIE CAMPBELL (Lab)

BLYTH VALLEY

Second jobs: –

Expenses: £144,156

Spoken: 16

Voted: 74%

Written questions: 2

Select committees: 0

ALAN MILBURN (Lab)

DARLINGTON

Second jobs: up to £115,000

Expenses: £160,888

Spoken: 1

Voted: 62%

Written questions: 25

Select committees: 0

KEVAN JONES (Lab)

DURHAM NORTH

Parliamentary Under Secretary MoD

Second jobs: –

Expenses: £149,713

Spoken: 52

Voted: 83%

Written questions: 39

Select committees: 2

HILARY ARMSTRONG (Lab)

DURHAM NORTH-WEST

Second jobs: up to £40,000

Expenses: £120,740

Spoken: 14

Voted: 72%

Written questions: 2

Select committees: 0

ROBERTA BLACKMAN-WOODS (Lab)

DURHAM CITY

PPS Dept Innovation, Universities and skills

Second jobs: –

Expenses: £134,948

Spoken: 26

Voted: 80%

Written questions: 17

Select committees: 3

JOHN CUMMINGS (Lab)

EASINGTON

Second jobs: –

Expenses: £153,319

Spoken: 7

Voted: 82%

Written questions: 46

Select committees: 2

NICK BROWN (Lab)

NEWCASTLE EAST & WALLSEND

Chief Whip

Second jobs: –

Expenses: £147,797

Spoken: 4

Voted: 85%

Written questions: 0

Select committees: 0

DOUG HENDERSON (Lab)

NEWCASTLE NORTH

Second jobs: –

Expenses: £146,269

Spoken: 19

Voted: 61%

Written questions: 27

Select committees: 0

VERA BAIRD (Lab)

REDCAR

Solicitor General

Second jobs: –

Expenses: £146,772

Spoken: 13

Voted: 79%

Written questions: 0

Select committees: 0

WILLIAM HAGUE (Con)

RICHMOND

Shadow Foreign Secretary

Second jobs: up to £250,000

Expenses: £136,335

Spoken: 28

Voted: 57%

Written questions: 418

Select committees: 0

JOHN GREENWAY (Con)

RYEDALE

Second jobs: up to £40,000

Expenses: £133,652

Spoken: 8

Voted: 50%

Written questions: 10

Select committees: 0

ROBERT GOODWILL (Con)

SCARBOROUGH & WHITBY

Shadow Transport Minister

Second jobs: –

Expenses: £144,282

Spoken: 51

Voted: 72%

Written questions: 72

Select committees: 0

PHIL WILSON (Lab)

SEDGEFIELD

Second jobs: –

Expenses: Not available (elected July 2007)

Spoken: 25

Voted: 87%

Written questions: 9

Select committees: 2

DAVID CURRY (Con)

SKIPTON & RIPON

Second jobs: up to £5,000

Expenses: £117,752

Spoken: 27

Voted: 51%

Written questions: 11

Select committees: 2

DAVID MILIBAND (Lab)

SOUTH SHIELDS

Foreign Secretary

Second jobs: –

Expenses: £126,115

Spoken: 23

Voted: 51%

Written questions: 0

Select committees: 0

FRANK COOK (Lab)

STOCKTON NORTH

Second jobs: up to £10,000

Expenses: £127,215

Spoken: 18

Voted: 50%

Written questions: 3

Select committees: 1

DARI TAYLOR (Lab)

STOCKTON SOUTH

Second jobs: –

Expenses: £159,178

Spoken: 45

Voted: 78%

Written questions: 38

Select committees: 1

BILL ETHERINGTON (Lab)

SUNDERLAND NORTH

Second jobs: –

Expenses: £146,915

Spoken: 1

Voted: 47%

Written questions: 22

Select committees: 0

CHRIS MULLIN (Lab)

SUNDERLAND SOUTH

Second jobs: up to £46,500

Expenses: £115,356

Spoken: 35

Voted: 85%

Written questions: 33

Select committees: 1

DAVID CLELLAND (Lab)

TYNE BRIDGE

Second jobs: –

Expenses: £146,282

Spoken: 22

Voted: 76%

Written questions: 2

Select committees: 1

ALAN CAMPBELL (Lab)

TYNEMOUTH

Parliamentary Under Secretary Home Office

Second jobs: –

Expenses: £153,621

Spoken: 8

Voted: 90%

Written questions: 0

Select committees: 0

STEPHEN BYERS (Lab)

TYNESIDE NORTH

Second jobs: up to £5,000

Expenses: £133,341

Spoken: 2

Voted: 71%

Written questions: 25

Select committees: 0

ANNE McINTOSH (Con)

VALE OF YORK

Second jobs: –

Expenses: £121,686

Spoken: 93

Voted: 77%

Written questions: 461

Select committees: 1

DENIS MURPHY (Lab)

WANSBECK

Second jobs: –

Expenses: £146,020

Spoken: 8

Voted: 69%

Written questions: 31

Select committees: 1

HUGH BAYLEY (Lab)

WANSBECK

Second jobs: –

Expenses: £154,061

Spoken: 65

Voted: 65%

Written questions: 85

Select committees: 2