HC Deb 19 March 1993 vol 221 cc398-9W
Mr. Meacher

To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission, what is the number of whole-time equivalent staff employed by the Fees Office to administer pension arrangements for hon. Members' staff; and what was, for the latest year for which information is available, the cost of these staff including non-salary costs and office costs.

Mr. Beith

Two full-time members of the Fees Office work exclusively on administering the pension arrangements for hon. Members' staff. The salary costs for these staff are £38,591 pa. In addition, managerial staff are involved from time to time, but no separate record of this work is kept. The non-salary and office costs are not separately maintained.

Mr. Meacher

To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will give for the latest available year(a) the number of staff employed by hon. Members and paid through the office costs allowance and (b) the number of hon. Members employing one, two, three, four, five and five or more members of staff who are paid through the office costs allowance.

Mr. Newton

As at 28 February 1993, the latest date for which figures are available, a total of 1,607 separate employments were authorised by hon. Members to be paid from the office costs allowance.

At the same date the number of hon. Members employing staff paid directly from the office costs allowance can be classified as follows:

  • 118 Members employ 1 staff
  • 230 Members employ 2 staff
  • 193 Members employ 3 staff
  • 72 Members employ 4 staff
  • 21 Members employ 5 staff
  • 6 Members employ 6 staff
  • 3 Members employ 7 staff

Mr. Meacher

To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will give for the latest available year(a) the maximum sum available to an hon. Member to make pension contributions in respect of a person employed by him/her and paid out of the office costs allowance, (b) the amount paid out in respect of this provision, (c) the number of staff for whom pension provision is made and (d) the number of (i) pension contracts or schemes and (ii) pension companies into which payments are made.

Mr. Newton

For the year ended 31 March 1992, the latest year for which details are available, the information requested is as follows:

(a) £2,899 subject to a limit in respect of each person employed of 10 per cent. of the salary paid to that person, (b) £1,037,001, (c) 994, (d) (i) this information is not held, (d) (ii) 55.