Question

To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker, further to the Written Answers by Lord McFall of Alcluith on 8 February (HL5378) and by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 20 February (HL5379), what was the percentage of the total costs for the UK delegations represented by members of the House of Lords attending (1) the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, (2) the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and (3) the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly.

The percentage for the total cost for the UK delegation represented by Members of the House of Lords in the last financial year was (1) 50.58% for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, (2) 35.01% for the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and (3) 14.41% for the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly.

The percentage of the total cost across the three delegations represented by Peers in the last financial year was 41.13%.

The secretariat support for all three delegations is supplied by the House of Commons on a cost sharing basis. The House of Lords provides 30% of the total cost, and the House of Commons 70%.