HL Deb 13 July 1994 vol 556 cc103-4WA
Lord Bruce of Donington

asked the Leader of the House:

Whether he is in a position to make an announcement on the increase in allowances for Members of the House.

The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Wakeham)

The existing resolutions governing Peers' expenses are no longer effective since they specify links with civil service pay rates and allowances that are no longer applicable because of changes in the Civil Service arrangements. I therefore propose new arrangements that will link increases in these allowances to movements in the retail prices index (RPI).

I propose the following increased rates with effect from 1 August 1993.

£
Backbench Peers (Daily rates)
Day subsistence 31.50
Night subsistence 70.00
Secretarial assistance 30.50
Lords Ministers (Annual rates)
Night subsistence 15,4001
Secretarial allowance 3,684
1 Calculated as 220 times the daily rate of night subsistence as specified in the Lords' Office Holders Allowances Order 1991.

These increases reflect the annual RPI movement over the period to August 1993. The rates will be further up-rated with effect from 1 August 1994, in accordance with the annual RPI movement for July 1994.

Motor Mileage Allowance and London Supplement will also be increased in line with the amounts payable in the other place, and in future these allowances will be uprated on 1 April each year by reference to the RPI.

For Motor Mileage Allowance, the rates, with effect from 1 April 1994, will be 44.4 pence for the first 20,000 miles and 20.4 pence for further mileage.

The proposed increases in London Supplement, which is available to Lords office holders and to Lords Ministers not in receipt of the night subsistence allowance, reflect the 1.5 per cent. increase in Civil Service London Weighting last year, and the effect of changing to a new system of up-rating by the RPI on 1 April each year. Accordingly, the rate with effect from 1 January 1994 is £1,240 and from 1 April 1994 £1,245.

I also propose introducing a new allowance to reimburse Peers for any extra costs incurred should the House be recalled during a Recess. And I propose a further small amendment to the resolutions, which would enable Peers attending the boards of POST and PARBUL to recover expenses incurred in the same way as if they were attending a sitting of the House or of a Committee of the House.

I will be inviting the House to agree to the necessary resolutions to give effect to these increases shortly.