HONOURABLE MEMBERS' SERVICES TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS AND THE OFFICE COSTS ALLOWANCE

EDM number 817 in 1999-00, proposed by Peter Bradley on 08/06/2000.

That this House notes that according to the Fees Office, 182 honourable and Right honourable Members of all parties overspent their office costs allowance in the last financial year by an average of ú2,500, and that the majority will have been obliged to make up the deficit by contributing to their staff salaries and other administrative costs from their own pockets; notes that honourable and Right honourable Members accrue no personal benefit from the OCA; further notes that the current level of the allowance compares unfavourably with those available to members of many overseas legislatures, including those of the USA, Australia, Canada, France and Germany; believes that honourable and Right honourable Members should be adequately supported in providing to their constituents the efficient and high quality service to which they are entitled, while offering reasonable rates of pay to their staff; recognises that even greater strain will be placed on the OCA as honourable and Right honourable Members seek to improve their and their staff's personal security following the appalling attack on the honourable Member for Cheltenham and his assistant earlier this year; and calls on the House authorities to ensure as a matter of urgency that the OCA is reviewed and uprated to meet the reasonable administrative costs of honourable and Right honourable Members.

This motion has been signed by a total of 133 MPs.