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Appointment of MPs’ Staff – new proposals
Updated: 23 April 2009
Added 22 April 2009
Update: 23
April.
Because we feel it will be useful for staff in the current ongoing
debate about MPs' expenses, we have now published our new guide on
Expenses and Allowances and you can see it here:
www.w4mp.org/html/library/guides/0904_expenses_and_allowances.asp
We were about to issue today a new updated guide on Expenses and Allowances, which would have included information about employment of MPs’ staff, but yesterdays’ announcement by the Prime Minister about reforms to the system of MPs’ expenses, has made a lot of the content of the new guide out-of-date. Instead, here is a brief round up on the situation. NB: the guide is now published - see note above for update.
This paragraph in the statement from No. 10 will be of particular interest to staff of MPs:
the Committee on Standards in Public Life is examining the rules governing employment of spouses or other relatives. But in the interim, staff appointed by MPs should, without exception, become direct employees of the House of Commons, which will now be centrally responsible for their employment terms and conditions, contracts, and the payment of their salaries within the statutory limit allowed - and will have the right to make an audit and independent assessment of such contracts.
Dan Whittle, Unite Parliamentary Staff Branch Chair, later issued the following statement:
Staff of MPs met today in the House of Commons to decide their response to Harriet Harman’s statement which is set to formalise the centralisation of their employment.
Harriet Harman’s statement said:
The text of part D of the statement on the reform of allowances states: “MPs' Staff. In future all staff appointed by MPs without exception should become direct employees of the House of Commons, which would become centrally responsible for their employment terms and conditions, their contracts, and the payment of their salaries within the limit allowed - and will have the right to make an independent assessment of such contracts. The Committee on Standards in Public Life is examining the rules governing employment of spouses or other relatives.”
The Unite Parliamentary Staff branch agreed this resolution:
The branch resolves to write to the Leader of the House about provisions to formalise the employment relationship between House of Commons and staff of MPs to ask to be fully involved in the detail in order that staff interests are protected. The branch further resolves to make a submission to the Committee on Standards in Public Life
Dan Whittle, Unite Parliamentary Staff Branch Chair said:
“We are in most respects already employed by the house but this would put that on a formal basis, we need to be involved in the detail of that would happen so that our interests are protected.”
Kathryn White, a Barrister from 11KBW who has been advising the branch said:
“This change would see an improvement to transparency and accountability in Parliament.”
We understand that the Unite Parliamentary branch will meet again on Tuesday 28th April 1pm Rm O in PCH to discuss a fuller response.
The full statement by the Leader of the House, Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC MP, and can be seen on her website at: www.commonsleader.gov.uk/output/page2786.asp.
