MP expenses chiefs' pay rises emerge

Official who ran Commons fees office was awarded a pay rise worth around 8% last year
Ben Bailey12 April 2012

The official who ran the House of Commons fees office which administered the discredited MPs' expenses system was awarded a pay rise worth around 8% last year, it emerged today.

Official House of Commons accounts revealed director general of resources Andrew Walker's pay rose from between £115,000 and £120,000 in 2007/08 to a range from £125,000 to £130,000 in 2008/09.

The most senior official, Clerk to the House Malcolm Jack, saw his salary rise from between £170,00 and £175,000 to £190,000 to £195,000 - an increase of around 11%.

He also saw his benefits in kind rise from £20,000 to £25,000, the accounts showed.

As Clerk of the House, Mr Jack is responsible for ensuring that pay levels are "broadly in line with the Home Civil Service".

But the inflation-busting increases for senior Commons officials will cause controversy during a time when public sector pay is being restrained due to the effect of the recession on the public purse.

The largest rise was for Joan Miller, in charge of Parliament's IT systems, whose pay rose from between £90,000 and £95,000 to a range from £105,000 to £110,000 - an increase of around 15%.

Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "With millions taking pay freezes and cuts or even facing redundancy, parliamentary officials should not be cashing in such massive pay rises."

The Fees Office's role in administering MPs' pay and perks was scrapped in the wake of the expenses scandal.

Before Parliament rose for its summer recess, emergency legislation was passed which sets up a new independent authority to regulate the expenses regime.

A new criminal offence was also created, which means an errant MP caught fiddling the expenses system could face up to 12 months in jail if convicted.

Sir Christopher Kelly's Committee on Standards in Public Life is carrying out a root-and-branch review of the expenses system and is due to report in October.

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