My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
[The Question was as follows:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will consider repaying the expenses of Peers in a manner fairer to those living outside London.]
My Lords, I am not clear exactly what the noble Lord has in mind, but if there is any particular example of unfairness which he would care to bring to my attention, I will arrange for it to be considered by the Committee of the Whips, who are responsible for administering the scheme of Peers' expenses.
My Lords, I am very grateful for that Answer. May I declare a non-financial interest, in that I live at the end of the Tube; but is the noble Earl aware that Members of your Lordships' House who attend here and who do not have homes in London are unfairly treated in the payment of expenses?
My Lords, I of course acknowledge the noble Lord's non-financial interest in this matter, but I would put it to him that it is extraordinarily difficult to frame and apply any system of expenses that takes account of the personal expenses of every single Member of your Lordships' House. The present system of reimbursement is a flexible one and was designed to provide for the needs of all. I would repeat the assurance which I conveyed to the noble Lord in my original Answer: if he has specific instances in mind, we will gladly have them looked at through the Committee of the Whips, because I am sure that every Member of your Lordships' House would wish to see our system applied as equitably to all as we can manage.