HC Deb 20 March 1945 vol 409 cc628-30
45. Mr. W. J. Brown

asked the Prime Minister whether he can now say if he will move for the setting up of a Select Committee on the pay and expenses of Members of this House.

The Deputy Prime Minister (Mr. Attlee)

My right hon. Friend does not consider that a Select Committee would be the appropriate way of dealing with this question. Representations have, however, been received and the matter is being looked into.

Mr. Brown

While thanking the Minister for that reply, may I ask when he expects he will be able to make a statement to the House, as to the outcome of those deliberations?

Mr. Attlee

I am afraid that I cannot say, but I will let my hon. Friend know when there is a possibility.

Mr. John Dugdale

Is the right hon. Member aware that a large number of people in this country fail to understand why Members of Parliament do not allow themselves expenses which any firm allows to its employees for reasonable work?

Mr. Petherick

Would the Deputy Prime Minister also recognise the danger of turning Parliament into a sort of deliberative Civil Service?

56. Mr. Driberg

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, if, in view of the increased burden of correspondence now falling on honourable Members of this House and the fact that all letters written by them within the Palace of Westminster are assumed officially to be written for a public purpose, he will authorise the franking of all such letters.

The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Peake)

No, Sir. The question of affording free postal facilities to Members of Parliament was considered in 1940, and I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer to the hon. and gallant Member for Chatham (Captain Plugge) on 19th November, 1940.

Mr. Driberg

Can we take it that my right hon. Friend meant what he said fast week when he said that all these letters are assumed to he written for public purposes? If so, what is the reason for not mitigating this great and increasing burden?

Mr. Peake

As the hon Member for Seaham (Mr. Shinwell) so helpfully indicated last week, I was referring to paper and not stamps, and I would draw the hon. Member's attention to the fact that assumptions are of two kinds, unsound and sound, wise and unwise.

Mr. Shinwell

In view of the impression created by my right hon. Friend in his reply last week, not deliberately, of course, will he make it quite clear that hon. Members have to pay for their own postage? Would he also make a suggestion to the public that those people outside an hon. Member's constituency who correspond with him might be good enough to send a stamped, addressed envelope?

Mr. Peake

I shall be very happy to endorse both the hon, Member's statements.

Captain Prescott

Is it not a fact that correspondence from a constituency imposes a very great financial burden on an hon. Member? If it be thought that such a concession as this might be subject to abuse, would it not be possible for the House of Commons Post Office to ascertain the number of letters received by an hon. Member and to make provision for a corresponding number of free frankings?

Mr. Peake

Clearly the whole question of Members' expenses was one of the main factors taken into account when the salary was increased in 1937. I would also remind my hon. and gallant Friend that a very generous allowance is given for expenses by the Board of Inland Revenue.

Mr. W. J. Brown

May we not assume that this question of the burden of the postage bill, which is a very heavy burden, and heavier in proportion to a Member's conscientiousness in dealing with correspondence, will be considered with the other questions of pay and expenses, to which reference was made a few moments ago?

Mr. Peake

Certainly, I had intended to refer to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister.