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Well. They're not actually supposed to claim for half the things they've claimed for. Basically it's supposed to off-set the additional costs they've taken on in order to fulfil their duties. That is supposed to cover, for example, the interest payments on the mortgage (not the mortgage payment itself). They are also able toclaim towards some of the upkeep of the second home. The rules are fairly vague but do cover this: basically you shouldn't, as an MP, claim for something which, when viewed by an ordinary member of the public, might not be considered reasonable. It's not worded quite like that, but that's the gist of it.
The idea of a set of apartments or somesuch made available to MPs has been mooted. I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand I think the idea of a publically owned facility for Mps tolive in has real merit. One problem though, and indeed part of the rationale for the 2nd home allowance, are the difficulties of being an MP whilst also having/raising a family. MPs can select to have their constituency home, or their London home classed as their 2nd home. Which opens up possibilities for parents to choose to base themselves in either with their family. This is coupled with the ending of late sittings. Before these changes, it was almost impossible for an active parent (whch usually means of the two it falls on the mother) to also be an active MP.
With a set of apartments or hotel, that flexibility would be lost and we'd take a retrograde step on the issue of female participation (possibly).
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