UNELECTED members of the House of Lords will be allowed to claim a £162 “attendance allowance” if they pay tribute to Prince Philip via video link.
The Lords will sit for 10 hours today, from 1pm until 11pm according to the Westminster Parliament’s website, to pay tribute to the late husband of the Queen.
All other business was cleared to allow for Tory peer Natalie Evans, termed Baroness Evans of Bowes Park, to introduce the special session.
The peers will pay tribute to the former Duke of Edinburgh, “and agree a Humble Address of condolence to Her Majesty The Queen”.
READ MORE: Westminster recalled early for MPs to give eight-hour tribute to Prince Philip
Those who take part will be offered their usual £323 allowance if they attend the chamber if person, and £162 if they speak remotely via video link.
Peers have the option of not claiming the attendance allowance, or claiming the lower rate if they do attend in person.
A House of Lords spokesperson said: “The sitting of the House for tributes to the Duke of Edinburgh on Monday 12 April constitutes Parliamentary business and so Members are allowed to claim daily attendance allowance if they qualify for it and wish to do so. Members may also choose not to claim.
“Under the current interim allowance scheme Members can claim the fully daily attendance allowance of £323, or the reduced rate of £162, if they physically attend parliament and undertake parliamentary duties. Alternatively they can claim the reduced rate of £162 if they speak remotely in the tributes.”
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The House of Commons was recalled a day early from recess in order to allow MPs to pay their tribute to Prince Philip, who passed away on Friday, April 9 aged 99.
It opened with Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who said that although the duke might have been “embarrassed or even faintly exasperated” to receive the tributes, he “made this country a better place and for that he will be remembered with gratitude and with fondness for generations to come”.
The House of Commons is also due to sit until around 11pm tonight, according to the events schedule on its website.
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