House of Lords to debate reports on financial support for Members
11 December 2009 (updated on 22 April 2010)
The Review Body on Senior Salaries (SSRB) reported on the financial support for Members of the House of Lords on 26 November 2009. The House of Lords House Committee published its response to this report on 7 December.
The reports by the House Committee and SSRB will be discussed by the House of Lords on 14 December. The purpose of the debate will be to agree to the recommendations in the House Committee’s report, including the recommendation to accept the architecture and principles of the new system proposed by the SSRB.
- Video & Audio: Watch the debate from 3pm on 14 December
- House of Lords House Committee Report: SSRB Review of Financial Support for Members of the House of Lords
- SSRB Report: Review of financial support for Members of the House of Lords (external link)
Background
Members of the House of Lords are not paid salaries but they can claim, within prescribed limits, expenses and allowances arising from performance of their parliamentary duties.
The SSRB review was formally commissioned by the Prime Minister, following the decision of the House of Lords House Committee to seek an independent, external review of the system of financial support for Members.
- Lords Hansard: Review Body on Senior Salaries - written statement
- Members of the Lords: allowances
- Parliament News: Review of financial support for Lords published
- Parliament News: Review of financial support for Lords announced
- Parliament News: Consultation on review of financial support for Lords
Questions on the SSRB report
All enquiries concerning the SSRB’s report should be directed to the Review Body on Senior Salaries.
House Committee
The House Committee is the principal supervisory body for the House of Lords Administration, with particular responsibility for financial matters. Its terms of reference are:
"To set the policy framework for the administration of the House and to provide non-executive guidance to the Management Board; to approve the House’s strategic, business and financial plans; to agree the annual Estimates and Supplementary Estimates; to supervise the arrangements relating to Members’ expenses; and to approve the House of Lords Annual Report."
The House Committee is chaired by the Lord Speaker, and its members include the Chairman of Committees, the leaders of the three main parties, the Convenor of the Crossbench Peers and six other backbench Members of the Lords.