Petition · past parliament
Make MPs pay for their own meals. Claiming expenses no longer allowed
Rejected
15 signatures
What the petition asks
As Conservative MPs coldheartedly sat there and voted against the notion to help feed starving children, it seems wholeheartedly unfair that they should be able to claim back expenses and use the public’s money to feed themselves. You don’t vote for us, we don’t vote for you.
We the electorate demand an end to the practice of paying expenses to MPs for food and drink; and that any & all food and drink in parliamentary establishments be chargeable to MPs at market rates.
*this petition has been started on another platform but making sure it is added to petition.parliament.uk*
https://www.parliament.uk/about/mps-and-lords/members/pay-mps/
*this petition has been started on another platform but making sure it is added to petition.parliament.uk*
https://www.parliament.uk/about/mps-and-lords/members/pay-mps/
Why it was rejected
It asked for something that is not the responsibility of the UK Government or Parliament.
The UK Government and Parliament aren't responsible for setting MPs' pay or expenses. The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) is responsible for deciding on MPs' expenses and pay. IPSA is independent of both Parliament and Government.
You can find out more about IPSA here: https://www.theipsa.org.uk/about-us/
MPs may claim for the cost of purchasing food and non-alcoholic drinks where they have stayed overnight outside the London Area and their constituency. This is limited to £25 for each night they have stayed, but the claims can be for purchases made during the day.
The House of Commons Catering service does not provide a subsidised service in the commercial sense of the word. Some venues make a profit, while in other venues the cost of providing the service does exceed the income received in sales due to the irregular hours and unpredictability of parliamentary business. The House of Commons publishes details of the cost of House of Commons catering services: https://www.parliament.uk/site-information/foi/transparency-publications/hoc-transparency-publications/catering-services/transparency-reporting-catering-services/
Customers of the House of Commons Catering Services include some of the 650 MPs but also around 14,500 other pass-holders, many of whom are staff on lower wages that work irregular hours. In addition, members of the public and non pass holding visitors to Parliament also have access to these services. The irregular hours and the unpredictability of Parliamentary business contribute to increasing the net cost of providing a catering service. To offset this many of the restaurants, dining room facilities and their staff, are used to cater for private events at times when they are not required by the House. This is one of a number of measures used to reduce costs.
You can find out more about IPSA here: https://www.theipsa.org.uk/about-us/
MPs may claim for the cost of purchasing food and non-alcoholic drinks where they have stayed overnight outside the London Area and their constituency. This is limited to £25 for each night they have stayed, but the claims can be for purchases made during the day.
The House of Commons Catering service does not provide a subsidised service in the commercial sense of the word. Some venues make a profit, while in other venues the cost of providing the service does exceed the income received in sales due to the irregular hours and unpredictability of parliamentary business. The House of Commons publishes details of the cost of House of Commons catering services: https://www.parliament.uk/site-information/foi/transparency-publications/hoc-transparency-publications/catering-services/transparency-reporting-catering-services/
Customers of the House of Commons Catering Services include some of the 650 MPs but also around 14,500 other pass-holders, many of whom are staff on lower wages that work irregular hours. In addition, members of the public and non pass holding visitors to Parliament also have access to these services. The irregular hours and the unpredictability of Parliamentary business contribute to increasing the net cost of providing a catering service. To offset this many of the restaurants, dining room facilities and their staff, are used to cater for private events at times when they are not required by the House. This is one of a number of measures used to reduce costs.
Timeline
| 23 Oct 2020 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 30 Oct 2020 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
15
Status
Rejected
Rejected
30 Oct 2020
Follow this petition
Sign in to get an email when the government responds, a debate is scheduled or held, or the petition closes.
Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.