Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) how many ministers are not in receipt of a ministerial salary from public funds, and (2) in which House they sit.

The Prime Minister has overall responsibility for the organisation of the Executive. It is for the Prime Minister alone to advise the Sovereign on the exercise of the Royal Prerogative powers in relation to government, such as the appointment, dismissal and acceptance of resignation of other Ministers.

The Ministerial and other Salaries Act (1975) sets limits on the numbers of salaries that can be paid, and for individual offices. As per the act, there are:

• Up to 21 salaries payable to the Cabinet, excluding the Lord Chancellor, available under Part 1 of Schedule 1 of the act

• 1 salary payable to the Lord Chancellor as per Part 2 of Schedule 1 of the act,

• Up to 29 salaries payable under Part 2 of Schedule 1 to the act (non-Cabinet) at Minister of State level, assuming all 21 salaries in the Cabinet are used,

• 3 salaries payable under Part 3 of Schedule 1 to the act for the Law Officers,

• Up to 33 salaries payable to Parliamentary Secretaries (other than the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury) under Part 4 of Schedule 1 to the act, assuming all 50 Cabinet and Minister of State salaries are used,

• and 22 salaries payable to office holders other than Parliamentary Secretaries under Part 4 of Schedule 1 to the act

Parliamentary Private Secretaries are not members of the Government and, therefore, are not paid as such.

There are currently thirteen Ministers who do not receive a ministerial salary. Of these, three sit in the House of Commons and ten sit in the House of Lords.