Rich peers ‘paid for doing nothing’, shocking investigation reveals
Multimillionaire peers are claiming up to £40,000 a year for just showing their faces, it has emerged
MULTIMILLIONAIRE peers are claiming up to £40,000 a year in expenses for attending the House of Lords while making little or no contributions to debates, committees or questions, according to shocking new figures.
Among the highest claimants was Lord Paul, one of Britain’s richest men, who received £40,800 last year despite making no contributions in the chamber or on committees, an investigation by the has found.
Rules allow members to claim up to £300 a day for “attendance”, but only have to show their faces in the chamber or a committee.
The allowance system was brought in seven years ago after the parliamentary expenses scandal to curb costs and potential abuses.
But last year, lords reportedly claimed £19.1million altogether - the highest since the new system was introduced.
Also listed as claiming the most for the least input between November 2015 and October 2016 were Labour peer Lord Evans of Watford; Lord Carswell, a crossbencher in Northern Ireland, and Lord Hanningfield, a former Tory peer.
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The investigation claimed publishing boss Evans claimed £24,300 for 83 days' attendance, but did not take part in debates or questions, and only voted on five bills.
Carswell was said to have claimed £7,800 for 29 days' attendance, but did not make any contributions in the chamber.
And Hanningfield, who was jailed in 2011 for false accounting relating to his expenses and suspended, was said to have claimed £3,300 for 11 days' attendance when he contributed to no votes and only one debate.
There is no suggestion they broke any rules or the law in these latest claims.
Paul told the paper his allowance claims were “more than representative” of the work he had done in Parliament.
Carswell claimed he underwent surgery during the recorded period, which restricted his activities in the house.
Hanningfield said: “People are making a mountain out of a molehill. I may have made a mistake in the past but I am still being penalised for it.”
The Sunday Times said Evans did not respond to a request for comment.
One peer described the current systems as “false”, adding: "Many, many, many peers work hard and there are a few that turn up and do nothing."
A House of Lords spokesperson responded:
"Members of the House of Lords are not paid a salary and can only claim attendance allowance for days they attend the House and undertake Parliamentary work. Apart from travel costs attendance allowance is the only financial support available to Members from which they must cover any expenses associated with their work in Parliament including accommodation and any staff they employ.
"All members have to certify that they have undertaken parliamentary work on the day in question when claiming. Where members are shown to have claimed when they have not undertaken parliamentary work the House has the power to suspend them - as in the case of Lord Hanningfield - or expel them.
“The House of Lords is an active and effective revising chamber that considered 3,678 amendments to legislation in the last session, and members contribute to that work in a wide variety of ways. In the 2015-16 session, 710 members spoke in debates, 779 voted in divisions, and 321 were members of select committees. However, parliamentary work is not limited to these activities, and much of it would not leave a record in Hansard.”