HL Deb 15 July 1998 vol 592 cc26-7WA
Viscount Tenby

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What are the costs of maintaining the European Parliament, the House of Commons and the House of Lords, including:

  1. (a) salaries, pensions, travelling allowances, secretarial expenses and other expenses for Members;
    2. WA 27
  2. (b) salaries, allowances and pensions and other costs of support staff;
  3. (c) accommodation, including rent, operating costs and security; and
  4. (d) all other administrative costs such as stationery, office equipment, publications, payments to parliamentary bodies and any other relevant outgoings;
and whether they will indicate the per capita cost per Member as well as the average number of sitting days for each institution over the past five years. [HL2535]

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

The information is as follows:

1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98
Total costs £ million £ million £ million £ million
House of Lords 37.4 39.8 38.5 39.4
House of Commons5 167.6 195.6 202.3 241.1
European Parliament1 473.4 564.9 575.0 607
of which cost to UK is 53.9 73.8 65.4 70.5
Per capita cost per member £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000
House of Lords2 36 38 37 37
House of Commons6 257 300 311 366
European Parliament3 835 902 918 948
Number of sitting days
House of Lords 142 146 145 132
House of Commons 158 156 152 150
European Parliament4 60 60 60 60

Notes:

1 Based on average £/ecu exchange rate for the relevant year.

2 Per capita costs based on number of Peers eligible to sit in the House of Lords at the beginning of each year.

3 The number of European Parliament seats increased from 518 to 567 in June 1994 and has increased since to its present total of 626.

4 It is not possible to give an exact figure for the number of European Parliament sittings. The European Parliament generally holds a five-day plenary session every month but there have been occasions when those plenary sessions have been held over a longer period. In addition to plenary sessions the calendar for 1998 includes 14 days of mini-plenary sessions in Brussels, 72 days of committee meetings and 63 days of group meetings, giving the additional 149 days.

5 Total cost of the House of Commons includes capital costs of £34.3 million in respect of new parliamentary building.

6 Per capita costs based on 659 Members increased from 652 at the general election.