DETAILS have been published of expenses paid to councillors serving on Richmondshire District Council.

The list is the first to be published since Westminster introduced new rules which did away with payments which reflected attendance at council meetings.

Instead, each councillor is entitled to a flat-rate payment of £2,000, plus additional payments for extra responsibilities.

Leaders and deputy leaders of the authority and of the separate political groups qualify for additional cash, along with the chairman of the council and chairmen and vice-chairmen of committees.

The allowances do not include travel and subsistence.

Not all members claimed the full amount, but the total cost was £84,403.64.

The individual amounts paid to councillors in the 2000-2001 financial year were:

John Blackie (Hawes and High Abbotside) £4,710.32; Michael Heseltine (Scorton) £4,117.16; Paul Cullen (Lower Swaledale) £3,827.49; Helen Grant (Colburn) £3,302.37; Campbell Dawson (Barton) £3,216.45; Pat Middlemiss (Scotton) £3,103.30; Yvonne Peacock (Askrigg) £3,080.77; James Kendall (Reeth) £3,060.51; Sylvia Golding (St Agatha's) £3,014.85; Jim Fryer (Swaleside) £3,005.10; Lyn Miller (Colburn) £2,702.03; Richard Dunn (Lower Dale) £2,656.29; Katherine Carr (Richmond East) £2,595.72; Raymond Alderson (Grinton and Upper Swaledale), £2,588.73; Richard Good (Hipswell), £2,452.83; Mike Graham (Kirby Hill), £2,385.26; Terry Jones (Leyburn), £2,340.03; Jane Metcalfe (Richmond West) £2,308.36; Grace Buckle (Richmond East), £2,284.03; Tony Pelton (Catterick with Tunstall), £2,284.03; Jane Parlour (Croft-on-Tees), £2,264.03; Colin Bailey (Aysgarth), £2,251.02; Peter Wood (Colburn) £2,247.03; Clive World (Richmond Central), £2,242.61; Ann Bagley (Hipswell), £2,204.61; Alison Appleton (Richmond West), £2,190.03; John Gill (Stanwick) £2,134.06; Brian Smith (Catterick with Tunstall), £2,040.13; Edward Forth (Leyburn) £1,945.13; Andrea Robson (Middleham and Coverdale) £1,888.13; Nigel Watson (Bolton Manor), £1,870.13; Jim Corps (St Michael with St Luke, who died in December), £1,573.23; John Harris (Richmond East), £333.34; Ken Smith (elected to St Michael and St Luke in February, 2001) £184.53; Ken Loadman (Urevale) did not claim any expenses.