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Members' Salaries, Pensions and Allowances

It is within the remit of the Members Estimate Committee to deliberate on any comparator for Members' pay and any mechanism for setting it in the future. However, to avoid having two identical twin-track reviews and a duplication of effort, and bearing in mind that hon. Members would want to give evidence and outside bodies would be expected to be consulted as part of the process and they would not want to give evidence to two identical parallel inquiries, the most advisable way to proceed would be for the Members Estimate Committee to consider the matter and to present a memorandum to Sir John Baker's review. The view of the Members Estimate Committee would then be clear to the House and the two systems would be working coherently. That is a matter for the Members Estimate Committee, which, as the House will know, is chaired by Mr. Speaker.