§ Mr. AmessTo ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, what estimate the Commission has mad of the additional costs arising from the House sitting for a short period in September. [119256]
§ Sir Archy KirkwoodThe overall cost of running the House administration (excluding capital works etc.) in 2002–03 was some £133 million, giving an average daily cost of the order of £365,000. The difference in cost between a sitting day and a non-sitting day is negligible: the major costs of accommodation and staffing are no affected appreciably by the change to Septembe sittings. These figures do not include the cost of paying Members' salaries or allowances, which are not normally regarded as part of the cost of running till House itself.