The
Committee consisted of the following
Members:
Chairman:
Dr.
William McCrea
Baker,
Norman
(Lewes) (LD)
Beresford,
Sir Paul
(Mole Valley)
(Con)
Blizzard,
Mr. Bob
(Lord Commissioner of Her Majesty's
Treasury)
Drew,
Mr. David
(Stroud)
(Lab/Co-op)
Heath,
Mr. David
(Somerton and Frome)
(LD)
Jones,
Lynne
(Birmingham, Selly Oak)
(Lab)
Keeley,
Barbara
(Parliamentary Secretary, Office of the Leader of the House
of Commons)
Lilley,
Mr. Peter
(Hitchin and Harpenden)
(Con)
McCafferty,
Chris
(Calder Valley)
(Lab)
Malins,
Mr. Humfrey
(Woking)
(Con)
Moon,
Mrs. Madeleine
(Bridgend)
(Lab)
Riordan,
Mrs. Linda
(Halifax)
(Lab/Co-op)
Robathan,
Mr. Andrew
(Blaby)
(Con)
Ryan,
Joan
(Enfield, North)
(Lab)
Truswell,
Mr. Paul
(Pudsey)
(Lab)
Vara,
Mr. Shailesh
(North-West Cambridgeshire)
(Con)
Gosia McBride, Committee
Clerk
attended the
Committee
Ninth
Delegated Legislation
Committee
Wednesday 9
December
2009
[Dr.
William McCrea in the
Chair]
Motion in the name of Ms Harriet Harman relating to the House of Commons Members Fund
2.30
pm
Mr.
Peter Lilley (Hitchin and Harpenden) (Con): I beg to
move,
That
the Committee has considered the motion, That pursuant to section 4(4)
of the House of Commons Members Fund Act 1948 and
section 1(4) of the House of Commons Members Fund Act 1957, in
the year commencing 1 October 2009 there be appropriated for the
purposes of section 4 of the House of Commons Members Fund Act
1948:
(1)
The whole of the sums deducted or set aside in that year under section
1(3) of the House of Commons Members Fund Act 1939 from the
salaries of Members of the House of Commons;
and
(2)
The whole of the Treasury contribution to the
Fund.
It
is a privilege to serve under your chairmanship, Dr. McCrea.
The House of Commons Members Fund is, in essence, a benevolent
fund for Members and their dependants who have fallen on hard times and
need financial assistance. Currently, the fund has about 73
beneficiaries, mostly either very elderly former Members or more
frequently their surviving widows and other dependants. The motion
concerning appropriation is brought forward each year in line with the
strange legislative requirements of the original Acts and it enables
the trustees to continue making awards to ex-Members and their
dependants, having regard to their individual
circumstances.
The
fund is governed by a variety of Acts that stipulate the basis on which
payments can be made and the amounts payable. Some payments are known
as as of right payments; others are awarded at the
trustees discretion. The discretionary payments can be
recurring to improve a persons standard of living or they can
be one-off grants to improve the quality of life. As of
right beneficiaries are such because they are either not
entitled to a parliamentary pension because they left the House before
1964 or are widows and widowers of former Members who have a
parliamentary contributory pension fund benefit below the current
specified level, and the fund makes up the difference. The average
value of the recurring payments is about £2,400 per annum. A
handful of one-off grants are made each year, with an average value of
only about £4,000. Relatively small sums like that can make a
great difference in some
circumstances.
As
some hon. Members will be aware, an extensive review of the fund was
completed in 2007 and conclusions on the review have been reached and
endorsed by the trustees and the Members Estimate Committee. However,
implementation of the changes would require alterations to primary
legislation. New legislation in line with the conclusions of the review
would move the quasi-pension
payments to the Treasury or another body. That would eliminate the need
for a Treasury contribution to the fund and that part of the annual
appropriation motion would cease to be
necessary.
I
am informed, however, that it might be difficult to find time within
the current parliamentary term for the legislation, although I very
much hope that it will be possible in some way to get the whole review
implemented as soon as possible so that the then streamlined fund can
operate on the reviewed basis in future Parliaments. Finally, I pay
tribute to my fellow trustees for the work that they undertake on the
funds behalf. It is not a hugely onerous task, but it is
necessary for the House as a whole, and it takes up Members
valuable time. Details of the funds work can be found in its
annual report and accounts that are laid before the House each
year.
2.33
pm
The
Parliamentary Secretary, Office of the Leader of the House of Commons
(Barbara Keeley): I add the Governments support to
the motion. It is an annual legislative formality, which allows
contributions from Members salaries and a sum from the Treasury
to be used both as of right and in discretionary payments to former
Members, their spouses and dependants, having regard to their
circumstances. The fund provides an invaluable service to former
Members who have financial need. Indeed, we have heard that the sums
involved are not very large, but I understand that they make a real
difference to the lives of those former Members, and their widows and
dependantsthe 73 beneficiaries who have been
mentioned.
I
understand the need to make the structural changes recommended in the
review by John Stoker and Lord Burnett. It is really just a matter of
finding the best way forward, and I will have further discussions on
that best way forward. I wish to conclude by taking the opportunity to
thank the right hon. Member for Hitchin and Harpenden and the other
trustees to the Members fund. I hope that members of the
Committee will support the
motion.
2.34
pm
Mr.
Shailesh Vara (North-West Cambridgeshire) (Con): May I say
what a pleasure it is to be serving under your chairmanship, Dr.
McCrea. I take this opportunity to support the motion and, in so doing,
also commend my right hon. Friend the Member for Hitchin and Harpenden
as well as his fellow trustees for doing a tremendous amount of work.
They do it quietly and efficiently, and it benefits a lot of people who
are in desperate need of the funds. The funds tend to be quite modest,
but as we have heard, they make a substantial change in the
recipients quality of life. I hope that the Government will be
able to find the time to ensure, as my right hon. Friend has said, that
the process improves. I have nothing further to add except to again
thank my right hon. Friend and his
colleagues.
2.35
pm
Norman
Baker (Lewes) (LD): I add the Liberal Democrats
support to the motion and commend the work of those who have been
involved in bringing it to this
stage.
Question
put and agreed to.
2.36
pm
Committee
rose.