HL Deb 07 August 1975 vol 363 cc1844-6

11.27 a.m.

Baroness LLEWELYN-DAVIES of HASTOE rose to move, That this House approves the following proposals—

  1. (1) That, with effect from 13th June 1975, the present arrangements for payments to members of this House in respect of their expenses should not make any exception, as respects entitlements to recover such payments, for the Chairman of Committees or members of this House who are for the time being salaried under the Ministerial and Other Salaries Act 1975 and are not for the time being members of the Cabinet; and
  2. (2) That the entitlement to recover such payments should be limited to £700 per annum in respect of the Chairman of Committees and each such salaried member.

The noble Baroness said: My Lords, on behalf of my noble friend the Leader I of the House, Lord Shepherd, I beg to move the Motion standing in his name on the Order Paper.

This Motion results from a Resolution agreed in another place last night which has the effect of freeing Ministers and Office Holders in this House, other than Cabinet Ministers, from the bar on claiming Peers' expenses. When the Peers' expenses allowance was introduced in 1957, on a Resolution of another place, Ministers and Office Holders were excepted and this House agreed with that proposal. Another place has now removed the exception and I ask your Lordships to give your approval likewise.

This proposal is, of course, complementary to those recently approved in respect of the emoluments of Commons Ministers. Lords Ministers have not received any comparable increase, because they are not entitled to subsistence payments on the lines of the additional costs allowance payments to their non-Cabinet colleagues in the Commons, nor have they received any increase in pay to match the £700 pay increase of those Ministers' Parliamentary salary.

The Government have, therefore, proposed that non-Cabinet Ministers and Office holders in the Lords should now be able to draw the Peers' expenses allowance. This payment, which for such Peers' will be generally liable to tax, is restricted to an annual maximum of £700, and will therefore not exceed the increase in Parliamentary salary received by non-Cabinet Ministers in the Commons. The Lord Chancellor and the Lord Privy Seal will not be entitled to draw the allowance, as their Cabinet colleagues have received no increase in Parliamentary remuneration.

As this proposal is part and parcel of the changes now being introduced for Ministers in the Commons with effect from 13th June 1975, the same effective date will apply in this House. Like the recent increase in the Peers' expenses allowance, it is an interim arrangement pending the time when decisions can be taken and implemented on Ministers' salaries on the basis of the Top Salaries Review Body inquiry now under way. My Lords, I beg to move.

Moved, That this House approves the following proposals—

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  1. (1)That, with effect from 13th June 1975, the present arrangements for payments to members of this House in respect of their expenses should not make any exception, as respects entitlement to recover such payments, for the Chairman of Committees or members of this House who are for the time being salaried under the Ministerial and Other Salaries Act 1975 and are not for the time being members of the Cabinet and
  2. (2)That the entitlement to recover such payments should be limited to £700 per annum in respect of the Chairman of Committees and each such salaried member.—(Baroness Davies of Hastoe.)

Earl ST. ALDWYN

My Lords, as one of those who benefit by this measure, I should like to thank the noble Lord the Leader of the House and, in particular, the Government Chief Whip, for all they have done to achieve this result. It has always seemed to me to be grossly unfair that junior Ministers in this House and Office holders generally should not have any expenses allowance. They have done the House a great service in getting so far as they have. Perhaps one day they may get even further.

On Question, Motion agreed to.