Better support for members
172. If the second chamber is to hold the executive
to account more effectively, it will need better practical support.
As the Royal Commission put it: "it is not sufficient just
to have the right people. They also need to have adequate resources".[72]
173. Despite some recent improvements, the working
facilities available to peers in the House—which is one
of the world's busiest parliamentary chambers—are very limited.
An average of four members share each cramped room, while only
modest refunds are given for office expenses. The result is that,
unless they have considerable private means, peers have very little
help in their work.
174. We recommend that the research and other
resources available to members of the second chamber should be
adequate for the role that it is required to perform. We further
recommend that this should be kept under regular review.
72 Cmd 4534 para 17.1 Back
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