Lording It Up
Last year the House of Lords introduced new expenses arrangements - but the result is that the average sum claimed by noble peers has gone up rather than down - from £270 to £274 per claim.
Isn't that incredible?
The new system was put in place following a series of scandals - that resulted in two peers being jailed - Lords Taylor and Hanningfield.
The old systemn was based on a £174 overnight subsistence, £86.50 day subsistence and £75 office costs allowances.
But these individual allowances were all scrapped in favour of a tax-free flat rate of £300 per day - with travel expenses reimbursed separately as before.
The £300 attendance money is paid to their noble lordships - just for showing up in the Houseof Lords.
£5.86 million was paid out between January and March 2011 - with another £531,000 refunded to peers for their travel costs.
The total financial support granted to peers in 2010-11 was £18.7 million - which compares with £17.2 million in 2009-10.
So while everyone else is being expected to tighten their belts - their noble lordships are costing the country more than ever before.
Isn't that incredible?
The new system was put in place following a series of scandals - that resulted in two peers being jailed - Lords Taylor and Hanningfield.
The old systemn was based on a £174 overnight subsistence, £86.50 day subsistence and £75 office costs allowances.
But these individual allowances were all scrapped in favour of a tax-free flat rate of £300 per day - with travel expenses reimbursed separately as before.
The £300 attendance money is paid to their noble lordships - just for showing up in the Houseof Lords.
£5.86 million was paid out between January and March 2011 - with another £531,000 refunded to peers for their travel costs.
The total financial support granted to peers in 2010-11 was £18.7 million - which compares with £17.2 million in 2009-10.
So while everyone else is being expected to tighten their belts - their noble lordships are costing the country more than ever before.
