The Lords STILL a-leeching

16 greedy peers claim £370,000 expenses — despite failing to ask a single question

‘A subsidised drop-in centre’

A GROUP of just 16 peers claimed more than £370,000 in expenses despite failing to speak in the Lords or submit questions, an investigation reveals.

Two pocketed more than £40,000 each even though they did not take part in debates or sit on a committee, the Electoral Reform Society found.

The top three peers on the expenses league table all represent Labour. Lord Kirkhill, a former Scottish Office minister, took £43,896 in a year. Last night it emerged that MPs would be holding an inquiry into the Lords allowances system over fears it is bringing the House into ‘disrepute’.

Bernard Jenkin, chairman of the Commons public administration committee, said peers should have learned from the MPs’ expenses scandal. His committee will resume its inquiry into the size and composition of the upper house once the Lords’ own probe is completed next week.

It is understood that allowances are likely to be part of the inquiry.

There is no suggestion any of the peers broke rules or the law.

‘The peers should have learned from the bitter experience of MPs,’ said Mr Jenkin. ‘Being “within the rules” is not the same as claiming in good faith, and if your claims are likely to bring the House of Lords into disrepute, then you should not be making them even if they are within the rules.’

A cross-party Lords committee tasked with reducing the size of the upper chamber will next week recommend that new appointments are only allowed to serve for 15 years. Peers can charge a daily attendance allowance of up to £300 per day and travel expenses.

Last month the Electoral Reform Society revealed that 115 peers claimed £ 1.3million in 2016/ 17 despite not speaking once in the upper chamber.

Now it has emerged that 16 of them claimed £374,927, despite failing to speak, sit on a committee or submit a written question.

Lord Digby Jones, the crossbench former director general of the CBI, is on the list. Taxpayers will foot the bill for his £14,128 expenses even though he did not speak in the House. Four of the 16 on the list are hereditary peers. Around 90 of them still remain in the Lords even after Tony Blair’s reforms to broaden entry to the House.

Eight made more in expenses than the average Briton’s pay of £22,226 a year. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: ‘Our view on this is that it’s right that politicians are held to account and that their expenses and activities are open to scrutiny.

‘The House of Lords self-regulates, so it is up to them to justify to taxpayers how much they are expensing and for what. Voting records should also be taken into account when we are scrutinising the activity of peers, not just on the floor or tabling questions.’ Campaign group Unlock Democ- racy said the scandal was ‘indefensible’. Director Alexandra Runswick said: ‘The Government tells us we don’t have enough money to fund the NHS but we’re expected to tolerate people treating Parliament as a subsidised drop-in centre.

‘We need fundamental reform so the second chamber is accountable to the people.’

Darren Hughes, of the Electoral Reform Society, said: ‘This is the second expenses scandal revealed in just a month. Enough is enough. We need real reform. The fact that nearly one in ten peers is failing to contribute to the work of the House is bad enough. But it leaves a nasty taste when a significant chunk of those are claiming more than the average worker takes home in a year.

‘While many peers do work hard, it does our democracy a huge disservice when dozens of unelected peers are taking advantage of the lack of scrutiny, and appear to be gaming the system.

‘We need a smaller, fairly-elected upper house that the public can have faith in and where voters can hold ineffective peers to account.’

Peers are not required to speak to claim their £300 allowance.

One of the 16 on the list, Lord Gold, is currently sitting on a committee but was not during the period analysed by the ERS.

A House of Lords spokesman said: ‘Members can claim £300 or £150 for every day they attend the House and undertake parliamentary work. Apart from travel costs, this is the only payment peers receive. They are expected to pay any costs associated with attending the House such as their London accommodation, as well as any staff costs from this.’

Former Scotland Yard commissioner Lord Condon yesterday announced his retirement from the upper house, declaring that all peers have a ‘shelf life’. The 70year- old, who was Britain’s most senior police officer from 1993 to 2000, said he felt a ‘personal duty’ to make way for fresh faces after 16 years on the red benches. He said his decision to step down was a ‘very personal one’.