Parliamentary Business Resources Act 2017

Members are personally responsible and accountable for their use of public resources for conducting their parliamentary business. In addition, claimed expenses, allowances and public resources must (subject to limited exceptions) be for the dominant purpose of conducting parliamentary business.

A member must ensure that expenses incurred, and allowances and public resources claimed, provide value for money, and that all the relevant conditions for a claim or the payment of expenses incurred are met.

The travel expenses, travel allowances, work expenses and other public resources to be provided to members are to be prescribed by the regulations (although the rates of travel allowances for domestic travel are determined by the Remuneration Tribunal). In some cases, the Minister may determine when resources are to be provided, including when this is justified by exceptional circumstances.

The Remuneration Tribunal must inquire annually into travel expenses and travel allowances for domestic travel (except rates of travel allowances for domestic travel which it determines), and may be asked by the Minister to inquire into other matters. Regulations must be made or amended in accordance with the Tribunal’s recommendations.

Public resources are to be provided to a member under this Part if base salary, office holder’s salary or Ministerial salary is payable to the member (see section 52).