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Members' Salaries, Pensions and Allowances

I would make two comments in response to the hon. Gentleman. First, I support the alternative career structure of Committee Chairmen, because it means that Members of Parliament are able to get on and able to do more than just the job of being an MP without having to curry favour with their Front Benchers to get on to the Front Bench. It is right that the House has that separate career structure. Secondly, as for how many MPs are on the basic pay rate, I can tell him that, with the exception of one or two, members of the shadow Cabinet are certainly on that basic pay rate.