Lord Tarsem is revealed as king of expenses claims

Peer Lord Tarsem King of West Bromwich was today revealed as the most expensive member of the House of Lords from the West Midlands.

According to his expenses claims, he billed the taxpayer around £341 for each of the 49 days he attended Parliament in the final quarter of last year.

He claimed £16,732 in expenses from October 1 to December 31.

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 in order to claim the flat-rate sum. Peers do not get paid a salary but do receive an attendance allowance.

The former Sandwell councillor was also the region's biggest attender.

The second highest claimant was former Wolverhampton South East MP Dennis Turner, now Lord Bilston, who made 46 appearances in the Upper Chamber and claimed £14,422 during the same period.

Also among the top claimers was Shropshire peer and former Lichfield and Tamworth MP Bruce Grocott, who claimed £13,547 for 39 sitting days – plus expenses for five working days away from the House.