Read it at the Yorkshire Evening Post
By Mark Hookham
A West Yorkshire MP spoke just twice in the Commons during the last Parliamentary year, the YEP can reveal.
Mike Wood - whose 2008/09 expenses claim of £11,686 for second home expenses included a £10 Tesco toilet brush - made the fewest contributions in either the Commons or Westminster Hall debating chambers out of the region's backbenchers.
* Click here to read YEP political editor Mark Hookham's Westminster blog.
The Batley & Spen MP's two contributions amounted to a 20-word intervention in March of this year about government proposals to reform benefits and a 41-word question the following month about high hedges.
* Click here to follow the YEP on Twitter.
The figures were released as part of an unofficial "report card" of MPs' workload during the 2008/09 parliamentary session, compiled by the Commons library.
They showed a varied amount of activity in the Commons chamber among the region's MPs between December 2008 and November 2009.
In contrast to Mr Wood, Philip Davies (Con, Shipley) made 192 contributions during debates and asked ministers 24 oral questions.
* Click here to become a fan of the YEP on Facebook.
The most active Leeds MP was Greg Mulholland (Lib Dem, Leeds North West), who made 72 contributions during debates and asked 26 questions.
Some of these interventions, speeches and questions were made as part of his role as health spokesman.
John Grogan (Lab, Selby) made 49 contributions last year and asked nine questions, while Phil Willis (Lib Dem, Harrogate & Knaresborough) made 33 contributions and asked four questions.
The figures can be distorted by front bench or government jobs - for instance Ed Balls (Lab, Normanton) made 177 Commons contributions because he is in charge of the Department for Children, Schools and Families and is often facing questions from MPs.
Similarly, Jon Trickett (Lab, Hemsworth) is Gordon Brown's parliamentary aide, which prevents him from raising issues in the Commons.
The report card also shows large differences in the number of written questions to government departments asked by MPs in West and North Yorkshire.
Mr Davies and Mr Mulholland both also asked the highest number of written questions among the region's MPs, asking ministers 143 and 96 questions respectively.
In contrast, Paul Truswell (Lab, Pudsey) asked 11 written questions and Colin Burgon (Lab, Elmet) 14.
MPs have enjoyed a 19-day Christmas recess, following their 82-day summer recess. It means the Commons will have sat for just 128 days this year, the shortest time in 30 years.
Commons leader Harriet Harman has insisted that the recesses help MPs do their job in their constituencies, gathering voters' opinions and addressing their concerns.
Other Commons and Westminster Hall contributions and oral questions by backbenchers were: Colin Challen (Lab, Morley & Rothwell) 30; Fabian Hamilton (Lab, Leeds North East) 25; John Battle (Lab, Leeds West) 23. Other contributions by ministers, ministerial aides or opposition frontbenchers were: Yvette Cooper (Pontefract & Castleford; Work and Pensions Secretary) 155; Hilary Benn (Leeds Central; Environment Secretary) 93; Shahid Malik (Dewsbury; Communities Minister) 66; Mary Creagh (Wakefield; government whip) 49; George Mudie (Leeds East; government whip) eight; and Jon Trickett (Hemsworth; Prime Minister's aide) 0.