The Members Estimate Committee are currently undertaking a review of MP’s allowances.

I have taken the opportunity to contribute to the review and have asked that the following proposals be taken into consideration:

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The principle of changes needs to be transparency and accountability. The additional considerations of importance are:

• a simple and non bureaucratic system
• no preferential treatment for MPs
• no system that encourages MPs to live in London  

The following changes would meet this objective:

1. The ACA should be included into salary and be taxable for MPs from constituencies outside London. London MPs should receive a London weighting in line with civil service terms and conditions.
2. The IEP budget and staff budget should be subject to a formal independent annual audit in line with standard business practice, but with a specified set of reporting obligations.
3. Employment of relatives, lease of housing, offices or equipment from relatives should be entered in the Register of Members Interests with immediate effect.
4. If proposal One is rejected, there should be one definition of second home, as determined under Inland Revenue rules, with immediate effect.
5. The rental on sub-leased premises from Party Associations should be capped at a maximum of one quarter the total IEP.
6. The Parliamentary Register of Interests should automatically be deemed as a consequential entry to the Electoral Commission with immediate effect.
7. All additional expenses currently omitted from public disclosure should be disclosed.
8. Parliamentary Party staff should be funded by MPs out of their personal funds, not by IEP.
9. PERRA 2000 should be reviewed with immediate effect to create more transparency and less bureaucracy.
10. A rail/air/underground season ticket should be provided for all MPs appropriate to their constituency location.