The Right to Know
David Cameron, leader of the Conservative party, has unveiled plans to bring greater transparency to MPs’ expenses.
With the introduction of a “Right To Know” form, all Front Bench members of the Conservative Party will be required to publish comprehensive details of their office expenses. The public is rightly concerned about transparency in politics, and this action will provide reassurance to taxpayers that their money is being used properly.
All MPs are currently required to submit their expenses to the House of Commons, but only a selection of items are made public. Our “Right To Know” proposals will provide greater transparency by requiring a much higher level of disclosure. Details to be published will include:
* A comprehensive list of staff, their positions, and in which office they work.
* Details of family members employed, including their salary band.
* A breakdown of the 'office running costs' to show what is spent on equipment, office rent, telephones, parliamentary resources unit subscriptions, and other areas.
* A breakdown of the 'cost of staying away from main home' to show whether it is spent on rent, mortgage (interest only), hotels, utilities, maintenance and repairs, council tax or other related expenses.
These disclosure rules will apply from the beginning of the next financial year. In the first instance, details will be published at the end of July 2008 on those expenses incurred between 1st April 2008 and 30th June 2008. Subsequently, expenses will be published annually every July.
As well as announcing these new measures, David Cameron reiterated his previous commitments to:
· End the system whereby MPs vote on their own pay
· End the current pension arrangements, so that all new MPs are on an equal footing with the public sector
· Introduce spot checks for MPs, to audit their expenditure.
· Investigate the feasibility of the proposal from the Democracy Taskforce that the House of Commons should directly and centrally employ parliamentary staff.
David Cameron, said:
“All MPs must understand that the public have a right to know more about the use of parliamentary allowances. We need to show greater transparency and I want the Conservative Party to take sensible steps in this direction.”
With the introduction of a “Right To Know” form, all Front Bench members of the Conservative Party will be required to publish comprehensive details of their office expenses. The public is rightly concerned about transparency in politics, and this action will provide reassurance to taxpayers that their money is being used properly.
All MPs are currently required to submit their expenses to the House of Commons, but only a selection of items are made public. Our “Right To Know” proposals will provide greater transparency by requiring a much higher level of disclosure. Details to be published will include:
* A comprehensive list of staff, their positions, and in which office they work.
* Details of family members employed, including their salary band.
* A breakdown of the 'office running costs' to show what is spent on equipment, office rent, telephones, parliamentary resources unit subscriptions, and other areas.
* A breakdown of the 'cost of staying away from main home' to show whether it is spent on rent, mortgage (interest only), hotels, utilities, maintenance and repairs, council tax or other related expenses.
These disclosure rules will apply from the beginning of the next financial year. In the first instance, details will be published at the end of July 2008 on those expenses incurred between 1st April 2008 and 30th June 2008. Subsequently, expenses will be published annually every July.
As well as announcing these new measures, David Cameron reiterated his previous commitments to:
· End the system whereby MPs vote on their own pay
· End the current pension arrangements, so that all new MPs are on an equal footing with the public sector
· Introduce spot checks for MPs, to audit their expenditure.
· Investigate the feasibility of the proposal from the Democracy Taskforce that the House of Commons should directly and centrally employ parliamentary staff.
David Cameron, said:
“All MPs must understand that the public have a right to know more about the use of parliamentary allowances. We need to show greater transparency and I want the Conservative Party to take sensible steps in this direction.”
Comments