Parliamentary Cost Comparisons

Viscount Tenby

asked Her Majesty's Government:What are the costs of maintaining the European Parliament, the House of Commons and the House of Lords, including:

(a) salaries, pensions, travelling allowances, secretarial expenses and other expenses for Members;

(b) salaries, allowances and pensions and other costs of support staff;

(c) accommodation, including rent, operating costs and security; and

(d) all other administrative costs such as stationery, office equipment, publications, payments to parliamentary bodies and any other relevant outgoing;

and whether they will indicate the per capita cost per Member as well as the average number of sitting days for each institution for 1998–99 and the previous four years. [HL3598]

Precise comparisons between the cost of the European Parliament and the Houses of Parliament are difficult. The latest information is as follows:

	1995–96	1996–97	1997–98	1998–99
Total costs (£ million)
House of Lords	39.8	38.5	39.4	43.3
House of Commons⁵	195.6	202.3	241.1	259.7
European Parliament¹	675	585	593	712
of which cost to UK is	92.1	67.7	70.3	98.9
Per capita cost per member (£000)
House of Lords²	38	37	37	38
House of Commons⁶	300	311	366	394
European Parliament³	1,078	935	947	1,137
Number of sitting days
House of Lords	146	145	132	160
House of Commons	156	152	150	157
European Parliament⁴	60	60	60	55
Notes
¹ Based on calendar years and average £/ecu exchange rate for the relevant year. The cost to the UK is derived from the UK's financing share after abatement.
² Per capita costs based on number of Peers eligible to sit in the House of Lords at the beginning of each year.
³ The number of European Parliament seats increased from 518 to 567 in June 1994 and has increased since to its present total of 626.
⁴ It is not possible to give an exact figure for the number of European Parliament sittings. The European Parliament generally holds a five-day plenary session every month but there have been occasions when those plenary sessions have been held over a longer period. In addition to plenary sessions the calendar for July 1998 to June 1999 includes 12 days of mini-plenary sessions in Brussels. 57 days of committee meetings and 51 days of group meetings, giving the additional 120 days. The European Parliament did not meet in June 1999 because of the 1999 European election.
⁵ Total cost of the House of Commons includes capital costs in respect of New Parliamentary Building.
⁶ Per capita costs based on 659 Members increased from 652 at the General Election.

Volume 604: debated on Thursday 22 July 1999