Peers facing expenses cuts
By politics.co.uk staff
Members of the House of Lords will face significant restrictions on their expenses, it has been reported.
The Senior Salaries Review Board, which is responsible for reassessing what constitutes a reasonable expenses claim for peers, will make its final decisions after Sir Christopher Kelly publishes his review of MPs’ expenses on November 4th.
At present peers can claim a flat rate of £174 a night for accommodation. This is set to be cut to around £140, the BBC reported.
An additional flat rate worth around £150 will replace the existing subsistence allowance and office and secretarial costs.
The moves are unlikely to meet the same levels of opposition seen in the Commons, where some MPs have been discussing the possibility of forcing a vote on the issue.
For the first time, however, peers will be required to provide receipts for their claims. Previously receipts were deemed unnecessary.
