Office Costs Allowance

HC Deb 25 July 1991 vol 195 cc813-4W

Mr. Page

To ask the Lord President of the Council whether he will refer the office costs allowance to the Top Salaries Review Body.

Mr. MacGregor

The Top Salaries Review Body last reviewed the office costs allowance in 1987. I have written to the chairman of the Top Salaries Review Body, asking him to conduct a further review, in the following termsAs you know, I was very grateful that you were able to deal so quickly with the recent reviews of the Parliamentary Pension Scheme and Resettlement Grants. The TSRB has also periodically reviewed aspects of the structure of Parliamentary allowances. The Office Costs Allowance was last reviewed in 1987. The Government does not consider that a fundamental review of Parliamentary allowances is necessary at present, but would be grateful if the TSRB would conduct a further review of the operation of the Office Costs Allowance in the House of Commons dealing as before with structure, level and uprating. It would be very helpful if the TSRB could report on the Office Costs Allowance by the end of the year.