MPs' Expenses and Allowances

Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister – in the House of Commons at 12:33 pm on 4 November 2009.

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Photo of Harriet Harman Harriet Harman Chair, Modernisation of the House of Commons Committee, Minister of State (Government Equalities Office), The Leader of the House of Commons , Member, Labour Party National Executive Committee, Party Chair, Labour Party, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party 12:33, 4 November 2009

No, I do not think that we should have a "take note" debate. It might be possible in the future to keep under consideration whether there should be a further debate, but I do not think that we want to get into a situation where we have a vote on the different aspects of Kelly. We have had an opportunity for Members to try to catch the Speaker's eye today. If there is a need for further discussions about this, we will have to consider that. The fact of the matter is that we are trying to move away from the House's preoccupation with our own allowances. Many hon. Members-more than 80, I think; myself included-gave evidence to the Kelly inquiry, and he drew up his recommendations and report with that in mind. The matter will now go to IPSA, which, under the Act, has the responsibility to consult Members of this House as well as others.

It has been the habit of a lifetime for us to spend a lot of time in the House debating our pay. We have now broken ourselves of that habit, and it was important that we did so. It has also been the habit of a lifetime for us to discuss our allowances, but we know that, every time we do that, we adopt a piecemeal approach and it causes dismay among our constituents, who, as my hon. Friend Sir Stuart Bell said, are asking why we are not discussing their jobs and their prospects. We have now set this independent system up, and that is how the matter is to be taken forward. I do not rule out the prospect of a debate in the future, but I hope that-in so far as it is in my power to do so-I may rule out the idea that the House will take Kelly and have a series of votes on all the different bits of it. That would be very undesirable.