The 34-year-old former lawyer, who lives in Coldstream, claimed more for these items, which include stationery and postage, than any other MSP, according to figures released by the Scottish Parliament last week.

Expenses and allowances paid to the 129 MSPs hit almost £11million, up by 8.7 per cent on the previous year.

Mr Lamont claimed a total of £43,860, excluding the office supplies, while the Lib Dem Jeremy Purvis, who represents Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale, received £45,281, although his office supplies bill was just under £11,000 on top of that.

Jim Hume, the Lib Dems’ South of Scotland list MSP, claimed £26,896, with office supplies adding an extra £20,000.

Mr Lamont’s stationery payment contrasts sharply with that of his fellow Tory Liz Smith from Mid Scotland and Fife whose office supply bill cost the taxpayer just £147. The average stationery claim was £3,697.

Asked to explain, Mr Lamont told us: “These figures relate to the running of my constituency office in Hawick which is incredibly busy with constituents asking for help with a variety of issues and problems.

“Whilst we use email as much as we can, many of my constituents do not have access to emails, so we need to post letters.

“In addition, there have been a number of other specific issues affecting my constituency which have generated a higher-than- normal level of correrspondence.

“Post office closures, the withdrawal of dental services, gas network failures, the Borders railway and digital TV are just some of the issues my office has had to deal with in recent months.

“Constituency MPs in rural areas will always have higher postage bills and the recently-published figures have confirmed this. I always respond to my constituents and their enquiries. If people come to me asking for my help, it is my job to help them as best I can and running an office to do this will always cost money.”

Mr Lamont, who has been selected to stand for the Conservatives in Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk at the forthcoming General Election, will, along with all MSPs, be able to claim a maximum £5,500 for stationery in the current year.

That permanent cap was introduced in April and, according to Mr Purvis, was prompted by the “excesses” of Mr Lamont.

“It was known earlier this year that Mr Lamont’s office supply bill was extreme to say the least, with more than £11,000 spent on a single mailshot [about the Borders railway].”

Mr Purvis went on: “We have very similar constituencies and yet he has claimed more than twice as much as me. It is not about working harder, it is about Mr Lamont running for Westminster.”

And Mr Purvis said Mr Hume’s staionery claim required to be put in context.