More than £6 million has been claimed in expenses over the past five years by public servants.

In total, the amount claimed from 2012-17 comes to £6,613,753.02.

Top of the expenses big spenders is the Department of Health and Social Care, which has racked up nearly £4 million in expenses claims since 2012.

Meanwhile, one MHK has posted on his Facebook page details of some of the expenses he has claimed as part of his £7,012 a year members’ allowance, which is paid automatically in instalments each month.

Onchan MHK Rob Callister lists expenses totalling £5,861 including £170.51 for government car parking charges, £560.75 for community donations, £228 for Christmas cards and postage and £380 for hire of a morning suit for Tynwald Day.

The breakdown of expenses claimed by politicians and officers working for government departments, boards and offices are revealed in a written answer to a Tynwald question from Julie Edge (LibVannin, Onchan).

They do not include Tynwald members’ expenses as they are paid separately.

The figures show that the DHSC has consistently claimed the highest sum in expenses in each of the last five years, with the amount claimed in each year ranging from £736,026 in 2013/14 to a high of £833,555 in 2015/16.

In 2016/17, which saw ministerial reins passed from Howard Quayle, who is now Chief Minister, to Kate Beecroft, the figure was down slightly, to £826,596.

In his reply, Treasury Minister Alfred Cannan said: ’The expenses are broken down by department and may include costs such as claiming back professional subscriptions, mileage, business entertaining, travel, subsistence and other costs.’

The precise amount for the DHSC over the period is £3,955,893.73.

The next highest amount for claims is from the Department of Education and Children, which totals £745,931 over the five-year period. After that come the Department of Infrastructure with £509,204 and the Department of Home Affairs with £264,743. The Cabinet Office has claims reaching £240,333 for the five years.

At the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture, the figure over the five years is £183,691, while, at Economic Development, it comes in at £149,927.

Treasury itself has seen expenses claims totalling £124,264 in the five-year period. Mrs Edge also asked for specific figures for expenses claims for business trips by chief executives at government departments, offices and boards.

The Gambling Supervision Commission topped that particular table with £9,151 over the same five-year period, followed closely by the Public Sector Pension Authority on £8,529.

The Communications Commission had expenses of £5,984.

In terms of government departments, the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture had the highest amount, at £4,187 over the five years.

Mr Cannan said that business trip allowances included ’meals in certain circumstances, off-island training courses, and accommodation and subsistence for off-island travel’.

The daily allowances for accommodation and subsistence are up to £165 per day for the first seven days (£121 after that) for the higher rate, which applies to off-island travel to the metropolitan area of London, Heathrow and Gatwick airports, the Channel Islands, the Republic of Ireland and any country outside the British Isles.

Other trips come in the category for the lower rate of a maximum of £120 for the first seven days and £93 after that. Mileage rates, said Mr Cannan, match those of Tynwald members, at 50p per mile for the first 6,000 miles in a 12-month period and then 34p per mile after that.

Separately, each Tynwald member is entitled to be paid an annual sum for out of pocket expenses, which from April this year is set at £7,012.64.

Onchan MHK Mr Callister made a pledge in his election manifesto to publish details of his expenses.

Listing those expenses on his Facebook page, he posted: ’All Tynwald members are automatically entitled to be paid an annual sum for any out of pocket expenses.

’The amount is paid in instalments each month (tax free), which makes this promise very difficult to fulfil as there are no rules or guidelines to follow and we are not expected to process any receipts.’

He said his list of expenses during his first year isn’t a definitive list as he could have included other items such as diesel, car maintenance, insurance and business lunches.

Mr Callister pointed out he did not accept a government mobile phone when he was first elected and he has used his member’s allowance to help pay for some of the costs of flights and accommodation when away on department business.