Explanatory notes 2011/12

These notes apply to the Members' Financial Support Scheme which was introduced from 1 October 2010.

Eligibility to claim

Members of the Lords, who are not paid a salary, may claim a daily allowance of £300 for each qualifying day of attendance at Westminster. Members may elect to claim a reduced allowance at a daily rate of £150, or may choose to make no claim for each sitting day they attend the House. They are also able to recover travel expenses incurred in connection with their Parliamentary duties.

Ministers and Office Holders were able to recover Secretarial Expenses incurred in respect of their Parliamentary duties. In addition, the Lord Speaker, Chairman of Committees, the Principal Deputy Chairman of Committees, Leader of the Opposition and Opposition Chief Whip could be reimbursed personal travelling expenses from home to the House of Lords. The Lord Speaker, Chairman and Deputy Chairman of Committees were also eligible for an allowance paid by the House with salary for the costs of maintaining a second home in London for the purposes of attending the House. Ministers who were unpaid were entitled to reclaim their expenses under paragraph 1.

Attendance

Allowances and expenses payable to Members within paragraph 1 above were linked to attendance at:

sittings of the House (excluding the State Opening of Parliament)
meetings of committees and sub-committees of the House
meetings as a member of the Board of the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST)
meetings as a member of the Parliamentary Broadcasting Unit Limited (PARBUL)

Costs incurred in respect of an attendance at any other meeting, whether held at Westminster or not, could only be recovered if related to mandated Parliamentary business. In most cases these costs were met directly by the House but where Members reclaimed their expenses they are included in the tables.

The ‘Number of Days Attended' (column 2a), relate only to attendance at sittings and meetings falling within the four criteria listed above. The number of days for which allowances and expenses were claimed in respect of mandated Parliamentary business away from Westminster is listed in column 2b. These days should be taken into account when assessing Members' claims for financial support.

Period Covered

All figures shown relate to allowances and expenses for one calendar month.
Ministers and Officeholders Secretarial Expenses are subject to an annual maximum based on the year from 1 August to 31 July.

Column 1: Registered Address

This column shows the location of the Member's registered address, by county or equivalent region. Entries in this column are voluntary.

Column 2a: Number of Days Attended

The ‘Number of Days Attended' reflects the official record of those days when a Member attended a sitting of the House at which public business took place, or at a select committee of the House meeting at Westminster. Days on which a Member worked on Parliamentary business without attending a public sitting of the House or a committee at Westminster are not included in the total, nor are days on which a Member travelled on Parliamentary business or as a Member of a Parliamentary delegation or a select committee.

Column 2b: Number of Days Away From Westminster

The ‘Number of Days Away from Westminster' reflects those days individual Members participated in mandated Parliamentary business away from Westminster, which qualified for the reduced daily allowance of £150 for each day of the visit, and for which they made a claim.

Column 3: Daily Allowance

Unsalaried Members' who certified that they had carried out appropriate Parliamentary work were entitled to claim a daily allowance of £300 for each qualifying day of attendance at Westminster.

A Member could have, on a day by day basis, elected to claim a reduced allowance at a daily rate of £150.

Members who did not wish to claim the allowance for any particular day of attendance did not need to do so.

A Member who claimed a daily allowance for a qualifying day of attendance at Westminster was not also entitled to claim the reduced daily allowance in respect of Parliamentary business away from Westminster on the same day.

Column 4a-c: Travelling Expenses

Members who lived outside Greater London could recover travel expenses for journeys between a registered address and Westminster. Members could recover the cost of fares incurred by them for travel by rail, sea, air, bus, or (subject to the limits set out below) the costs of travel by private car, motorcycle or bicycle. Certain road tolls, parking and taxi fares could also be recovered.

Motor Mileage allowance

Until 5 April 2011 - 40p per mile up to 10,000 miles per year
From 6 April 2011 - 45p per mile up to 10,000 miles per year

25p per mile for mileage in excess of 10,000 miles in the same year

Motorcycle Allowance

24p per mile

Bicycle allowance

20p per mile

Column 4a – Attendance Travel Costs

Expenses incurred in travelling between a Member's registered address and Westminster for the purpose of attending sittings of the House.

Column 4b – UK Travel on Parliamentary Business

In addition to the normal travel arrangements, the cost of journeys made on Parliamentary business elsewhere within the United Kingdom could also be recovered.

Column 4c – EU and Devolved Assembly Travel

Members were able to recover the costs of two return journeys (including certain subsistence and accommodation costs) per year, travelling on parliamentary duties, between the United Kingdom and any:

National Parliament of a European Union member state or candidate country;
National Parliament of a Council of Europe member state;
European Union institution or agency;
National Parliament of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA)
Members were also able to recover the costs of two return journeys per year between Westminster or their main residence and the Scottish Parliament or the Devolved Assemblies of Northern Ireland and Wales.

The total travel costs for the above are listed in columns 4a to 4c. These have been further analysed by mode of transport in the adjacent columns. As ferry and coach costs are minimal, they have been included under rail costs.

Column 5: Free Postage Costs

Prepaid envelopes and postcards are available for use by Members for correspondence on House of Lords business. The costs shown include the postage and envelope costs.

Column 6: Ministers' Secretarial Expenses

Ministers and other paid Office Holders are able to recover expenses for secretarial assistance certified as incurred by them in the performance of their Parliamentary duties. The maximum amount payable per year (1 August 2010 – 31 July 2011) was £5,930.

Column 7: IT Equipment

Members are entitled to the loan of up to two PCs (one desktop and one laptop or two laptops) and a printer for use on Parliamentary business. IT equipment is normally replaced every three years. The costs of a broadband installation and line rental may also paid by the House.

Column 8: PDA Equipment

Members are entitled to the loan of a personal digital assistant device (PDA) for use on Parliamentary business. The monthly tariff and up to £10 per month of additional costs, for example: additional voice and data costs, are borne by the House.

Other information

Links to House of Commons Members' Allowances and further related links are available on the main Members' Allowances for both Houses page.