Question

To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what has been the (1) individual, and (2) total, cost of the five most recent hereditary peer by-elections in the House of Lords.

The costs incurred in conducting the five most recent hereditary peer by-elections are set out in the table below. Three of these ballots were for two vacancies.

These costs represent the fees to be paid to Civica, the contractor that supports the Administration in conducting by-elections. They exclude the cost of time spent by House of Lords staff, for whom such work forms part of their normal duties, which cannot therefore be costed separately.