LORD INGLEWOODMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government how far the postal and telephone concessions allowed to Members of the House of Commons also extend to Members of the House of Lords.
THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (EARL JELLICOE)My Lords, I assume that in this Question my noble friend is referring to the concession granted to Members of the Commons from October 1, 1969, of free trunk calls and free postage for Parliamentary purposes. This concession was granted to Members of another place in recognition of the growing burden of expenses necessarily incurred in the discharge of Parliamentary duties which had to be met out of Parliamentary salaries. The concession was not extended to Members of this House upon whom the expense of telephones and of postage on Parliamentary business is not thought to bear with equal severity. Moreover, I should like to remind my noble friend that the maximum amount available to Peers in respect of reimbursement of expenses incurred in attending the House was increased from January 1, 1970 from 4¼ guineas to £6 10s. 0d.
LORD INGLEWOODMy Lords, may I thank my noble friend for that not very encouraging reply and ask whether he is aware that I did not put down this Question in any attempt to keep up with the Joneses, but because the duties and responsibilities of Members of this House do not just begin and end by attending in this Chamber?
EARL JELLICOEMy Lords, I am fully aware of the reason behind the thought which my noble friend has just expressed, and I take the point that we in this House, the Browns, do not necessarily wish to keep up with the Joneses.
§ LORD POPPLEWELLMy Lords, would the noble Earl give further consideration to this matter? It is not a question of postage, because I do not think that noble Lords can compete with the House of Commons in so far as postage is concerned. But in regard to telephone calls the present position in this House is, as the noble Earl is well aware, that if you are resident within the London area you may make the cheap telephone calls, but if you are, like myself and many others, resident in the Provinces you have to pay the heavy trunk charges. Will the noble Earl have a further look at this point, with a view to bringing equality to all Members of this noble House?
EARL JELLICOEMy Lords, I am aware of the point which the noble Lord, Lord Popplewell, has expressed to me, and of course I am only too glad to give some consideration to it. But it is not for me to say what can be done in this matter.
§ THE EARL OF LAUDERDALEMy Lords, further to that point, may I ask the noble Earl whether he is aware that as Members of this House attend in many cases at the cost of business time, and of course without salaried remuneration, one amenity which would be very welcome would be a dial telephone system, so that we do not have to go through the operator? If it could be extended to S.T.D. it would be better still.
EARL JELLICOEMy Lords, I think that my noble friend has a point there, and it is certainly my understanding that it is proposed to extend automatic dialling facilities to both Houses in about two years' time.
§ LORD SHINWELLMy Lords, is the noble Earl aware that long before the recent granting of the concessions to which he has made reference, it was possible for a Member of the other place to write to the chairman or an official of a nationalised industry, to a local authority, to a constituent or to a Minister without putting a stamp on the envelope? Why should the people in the other place be granted all the privileges? Why do we not stand up for our rights?
EARL JELLICOEMy Lords, I am delighted to see that the noble Lord, Lord Shinwell, has become such a doughty defender of your Lordships' privileges.
§ LORD BLYTONMy Lords, is the noble Earl the Leader of the House aware that we appreciate his answer in defending the inflationary influence which is going on in the economy?
§ LORD SHACKLETONMy Lords, this is a matter to which some consideration was given, as the noble Earl will know. In the light of the powerful expression of feeling on this matter, I think that an appropriate Committee—the Offices Committee or the Administration Committee—might consider it further.
EARL JELLICOEMy Lords, I agree with the noble Lord that there has been some considerable expression of feeling in your Lordships' House, of a somewhat lighthearted kind. Nevertheless, if it is the collective view of noble Lords that there may be a case for a concession of this kind, there is no reason at all why this matter should not be referred to the Administration Committee for their consideration, in the first instance, and we can see where we go from there.