House of Lords: Allowances

Lord Faulkner of Worcester Excerpts

Tuesday 20th July 2010 Lords Chamber

[The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Lord Strathclyde)]

My Lords, on 28 June, I made a Statement in this House on the merits of a new proposal for the remuneration of Peers. Today, I introduce two resolutions that will put the essence of that Statement into effect.

These resolutions will have an impact on all Peers and, while I welcome any interventions that Peers may wish to make during the course of my speech, I hope that noble Lords will intervene only if any clarification is required because my opening remarks will, I hope, lay out the ground and I will pick up queries when I wind up at the end of this afternoon's debate. I echo my noble friend the Chief Whip: there will be an opportunity for all Peers who wish to take part to do so.

We have before us today a final set of proposals for a new system of financial support for Members which, if approved, will come into effect on 1 October this year. This is not a new subject. The discredited parliamentary expenses regime is one that has caused this House much difficulty in the past, but today we have the opportunity to put that behind us and approve a new scheme that is direct, transparent and accountable, a scheme that is simple and not open to abuse, a scheme that will lay to rest the risk of the scandal of claims for so-called second homes that so damaged the House, a scheme that is fair in treating all Members alike.

When I made a Statement to the House, putting forward the outline of a radical new scheme for one single allowance to be paid on the basis of attendance on each sitting day, a number of comments were made on it. That proposal has now been considered by the House Committee, which brought its wisdom to bear and, as noble Lords would expect, has refined the proposal. The result is a sensible and workable scheme, which I have no hesitation in supporting today.

The scheme is set before your Lordships’ House today in the form of two resolutions in my name, and the Motion to approve the House Committee report in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Brabazon of Tara, Chairman of Committees. It may be helpful if I set out some of the detail of the proposals contained in the Motions on the Order Paper. I will do so partly on behalf of the noble Lord, Lord Brabazon of Tara, who will speak towards the end of the debate and, in doing so, will be able to respond to any questions Members raise about the details of the House Committee proposals.

The central element of my original proposal remains a single daily allowance paid on the basis of attendance on any sitting day. The allowance will be set at £300. This can be claimed if a Member has attended the House or a Committee of the House. Next, the reduced rate of £150 also remains a central part of the proposal. Paragraphs 3 and 4 of the resolution set out the circumstances in which a Member may claim the reduced rate. First, for attendances at Westminster, at a sitting of the House or a Committee of the House, any Member may elect, on a monthly basis, to claim the reduced rate,

“where they consider it appropriate”.

I am aware that the question of when a Member might claim this reduced rate was an issue of concern to some. As the House Committee report states at paragraph 6:

“It is difficult to arrive at specific criteria for measurement of a Member’s contribution to the work of the House”.

It will therefore be a matter for Members to judge their own circumstances in deciding whether it is appropriate to claim the full or reduced rate. Secondly, the reduced rate applies if the attendance on any day is on authorised business away from Westminster. Members attending such business will already be in receipt of reimbursement for the costs of accommodation, food and transport. These two categories of authorised business for which the reduced rate applies are the same as those for which Members may claim financial support under the current system. They are travel on official Select Committee business or on parliamentary delegations to certain interparliamentary assemblies; and travel in connection with certain authorised business such as CPA and IPU.

The new scheme, if approved, will come into effect on 1 October. Up to that point, the current scheme continues to have effect. In respect of the additional office costs allowance, the resolution makes it clear that Members may continue to recover office costs up to a maximum 40 days per year while the House is not sitting. This will apply for the period from 1 August to 30 September. The House Committee decided that this provided a degree of certainty to those Members who employ staff and who may otherwise be affected by the scheme agreed today. I have accepted that advice.

When I made my Statement to the House in June, several noble Lords raised the question of whether the new allowance would or should be taxable. Tax is not paid on the current expenses system on the basis that membership of the House is neither an employment nor an office. Any change to this position would require primary legislation and reconsideration of the level—£300—at which the attendance allowance is set. The Government currently have no plans to legislate to change the tax status of the scheme that is on the table today. If and when there is full reform of the House, the whole basis of financial support would need to be reviewed.

The issue of travel expenses is properly House Committee territory, but it may be helpful if I set out, on behalf of the noble Lord, Lord Brabazon of Tara, the recommendations on travel made by the committee. In line with the SSRB and the Wakeham group reports, the committee recommended that car parking and road tolls should be treated as “permissible travelling expenses” but that Members should not be able to claim for the London congestion charge. Provision for this is made in the text of my second resolution. Also in line with the SSRB and the Wakeham group reports, the committee recommended that, where Members do not make use of the House of Lords travel credit card, travel expenses should be reimbursed only on the basis of receipts or tickets. Equally in line with those reports, the committee recommended that claims for vehicle mileage must be accompanied by details of the individual journey and that only one claim per journey per vehicle can be made. The committee recommended that only those Members who live outside Greater London may claim reimbursement for travel expenses to and from Westminster.

The committee made a number of recommendations on the class of travel for Members and for Members’ spouses, civil partners and dependants. Members may be reimbursed for train travel up to the cost of a standard open ticket, whatever class they ultimately choose to travel. The committee recommended that the same rules should apply in respect of travel by Members’ spouses, civil partners and dependants.

[Lord Faulkner of Worcester]

This is a quick question. Does the description,

“ceiling cost of a standard … open ticket”,

apply after the application of a senior citizen discount or any other discount card that Members may hold or does it apply only to the standard open ticket?

[Lord Strathclyde]

My Lords, the standard open ticket is the price ceiling on which all claims will be judged.

That neatly brings me towards the end of my words. The committee recommended that the new arrangements be put in place for the duration of the present Parliament. I fully support that approach.

This has been a long and at times difficult journey to reform the discredited expenses regime, but it is a journey that is coming to an end. I hope that today the House will approve the Motions before it so that the reforms can be made and, when the House returns in October, we can start afresh under a simpler, more transparent allowance scheme that can command public confidence. I commend the scheme and I beg to move.