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Parliament: Cost

Answer

Precise comparisons between the cost of the European Parliament and the Westminster Parliament are difficult. The requested information is set out below. The House of Commons and House of Lords have provided data relating to costs on a resource basis, consistent with their resource accounts. The European Parliament has not adopted resource accounting and budgeting and all its cost figures have been presented on a cash basis.

Per Capita Cost per Member
£'000s	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08 unaudited provision
House of Commons (1) (3)	449	724	572	636
House of Lords (2) (3)	125	157	138	176

Figures for the European Parliament are available on their website (8) Annual Costs European Parliament The European Parliament outturn figures for calendar years 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and budget figures for 2007 and 2008 can be found on the European Parliament website (8)

House of Commons
£ millions	2007-08 Provisional Unaudited Outturn
Salaries, pensions, for Members	61.1
Salaries and pensions for Admin staff	87.8
Accommodation costs, including rent, operating costs and security	207.9
Other administration costs	51.0
Total	397.7

Details of previous years’ expenditure by the House of Commons can be found in the Members and Administration Resource Accounts (4)

House of Lords
£ millions	2007-08 Provisional Unaudited Outturn
Members expenses, salaries and pensions for Admin staff (5)	47.3
Accommodation costs, including rent, operating costs and security	99.9
Other administration costs	61.9
Total	209.1

Details of previous years expenditure by the House of Lords can be found in their Resource Accounts (6).

Number of Sitting Days
Sitting Days	2006-07 Session	Calendar Year 2007	2007-08 Financial Year
European Parliament Plenary Session (7) (8)	44.5	49	43.5
House of Commons Chamber	145	149	145
House of Commons, Westminster Hall	99	85	93
House of Lords Chamber	142	148	139
House of Lords, Grand Committee (9)	2	5	4

"(1) The figures are calculated on the 641 Members who actually sat in chamber for 2006-07, 659 Members for 2005-06 and 731 for 2004-05. There are 646 Members of which five decline to sit in chambers.""(2) The figures are calculated on the assumption that there are 722 Members.""(3) From 2004-05 onwards the figures are based on the capital charge being 3.5 per cent.""(4) House of Commons Resource Accounts can be found on their website (HC419, HC420, HC67, C68, HC1239, HC1240, HC831, HC832): www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmhocpap.htm#resource.""(5) The indicative numbers held at the moment do not separate out the data for Members expenses and salaries and pensions for Admin staff.""(6) House of Lords Resource Accounts can be found on their website (HL23, HL44, HL11, HL197, HL163): www. publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld/ldres.htm.""(7) European Parliament Budget Information and number of Members can be found on their website: www.europa.eu.int/eur-lex/budget/www/ index-en.htm.""(8) www.europarl.org.uk/""(9) Details are for the Welsh and Northern Ireland Grand Committee only." "(2) The figures are calculated on the assumption that there are 722 Members.""(3) From 2004-05 onwards the figures are based on the capital charge being 3.5 per cent.""(4) House of Commons Resource Accounts can be found on their website (HC419, HC420, HC67, C68, HC1239, HC1240, HC831, HC832): www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmhocpap.htm#resource.""(5) The indicative numbers held at the moment do not separate out the data for Members expenses and salaries and pensions for Admin staff.""(6) House of Lords Resource Accounts can be found on their website (HL23, HL44, HL11, HL197, HL163): www. publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld/ldres.htm.""(7) European Parliament Budget Information and number of Members can be found on their website: www.europa.eu.int/eur-lex/budget/www/ index-en.htm.""(8) www.europarl.org.uk/""(9) Details are for the Welsh and Northern Ireland Grand Committee only." "(3) From 2004-05 onwards the figures are based on the capital charge being 3.5 per cent.""(4) House of Commons Resource Accounts can be found on their website (HC419, HC420, HC67, C68, HC1239, HC1240, HC831, HC832): www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmhocpap.htm#resource.""(5) The indicative numbers held at the moment do not separate out the data for Members expenses and salaries and pensions for Admin staff.""(6) House of Lords Resource Accounts can be found on their website (HL23, HL44, HL11, HL197, HL163): www. publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld/ldres.htm.""(7) European Parliament Budget Information and number of Members can be found on their website: www.europa.eu.int/eur-lex/budget/www/ index-en.htm.""(8) www.europarl.org.uk/""(9) Details are for the Welsh and Northern Ireland Grand Committee only." "(4) House of Commons Resource Accounts can be found on their website (HC419, HC420, HC67, C68, HC1239, HC1240, HC831, HC832): www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmhocpap.htm#resource.""(5) The indicative numbers held at the moment do not separate out the data for Members expenses and salaries and pensions for Admin staff.""(6) House of Lords Resource Accounts can be found on their website (HL23, HL44, HL11, HL197, HL163): www. publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld/ldres.htm.""(7) European Parliament Budget Information and number of Members can be found on their website: www.europa.eu.int/eur-lex/budget/www/ index-en.htm.""(8) www.europarl.org.uk/""(9) Details are for the Welsh and Northern Ireland Grand Committee only." "(5) The indicative numbers held at the moment do not separate out the data for Members expenses and salaries and pensions for Admin staff.""(6) House of Lords Resource Accounts can be found on their website (HL23, HL44, HL11, HL197, HL163): www. publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld/ldres.htm.""(7) European Parliament Budget Information and number of Members can be found on their website: www.europa.eu.int/eur-lex/budget/www/ index-en.htm.""(8) www.europarl.org.uk/""(9) Details are for the Welsh and Northern Ireland Grand Committee only." "(6) House of Lords Resource Accounts can be found on their website (HL23, HL44, HL11, HL197, HL163): www. publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld/ldres.htm.""(7) European Parliament Budget Information and number of Members can be found on their website: www.europa.eu.int/eur-lex/budget/www/ index-en.htm.""(8) www.europarl.org.uk/""(9) Details are for the Welsh and Northern Ireland Grand Committee only." "(7) European Parliament Budget Information and number of Members can be found on their website: www.europa.eu.int/eur-lex/budget/www/ index-en.htm.""(8) www.europarl.org.uk/""(9) Details are for the Welsh and Northern Ireland Grand Committee only." "(8) www.europarl.org.uk/""(9) Details are for the Welsh and Northern Ireland Grand Committee only." "(9) Details are for the Welsh and Northern Ireland Grand Committee only."

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

4100; 702 c234-5WA

Session

2007-08

Subjects

Administration Costs Allowances Buildings House of Lords European Parliament European Parliament members Pay Pensions Members Staff Peers Travel Security Rents Times of sittings Per capita costs Members' staff Westminster Hall sittings House of Commons chamber House of Lords chamber Operating costs Peers' staff House of Lords Grand Committee

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk