House of Commons
SCIPSA - Lay Member
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About Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority - House of Commons
IPSA was established by the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009 as an independent authority responsible for both the regulation and administration of MPs' staffing and business costs and for paying the salaries of MPs and their staff. IPSA started operations at the General Election in May 2010, at which point it became responsible for the majority of MPs' business costs. Since 2011, IPSA has also had responsibility for setting MPs' pay and pensions.
IPSA has embarked on a programme of change, focusing on providing a higher-quality, more responsive service and a simpler regulatory framework which helps MPs and their staff do their work while commanding the confidence of the public. For more information about IPSA, see www.theipsa.org.uk.
The Speaker's Committee was established at the same time as the IPSA by the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009. It has two statutory functions, which are to:
- Agree IPSA's annual estimate of resources before it is agreed formally by the House of Commons
- Agree the Speaker's selection, on the basis of fair and open competition, of the chair and board members of IPSA before their approval by the House of Commons
You can watch a meeting of the Committee from March 2026 via this link.
A message from the Speaker of the House of Commons
Thank you for your interest in applying to be a lay member of the Speaker's Committee for the IPSA (SCIPSA).
IPSA is the world's first fully independent regulator of MPs' financial remuneration. It regulates and administers the staffing and business costs and determines the pay of 650 elected MPs and administers the payroll of their 4,000 staff.
The Speaker's Committee has responsibilities clearly defined in statute in relation to the governance of IPSA. SCIPSA supports the recruitment of IPSA board members on merit and on the basis of fair and open competition. It also scrutinises and challenges the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of IPSA's funding requests.
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The lay members play a vital part within this framework. They bring to the Committee their considerable knowledge and expertise in other fields. As full voting members of SCIPSA, they enhance the Committee's authority and bring an independent perspective to the Committee's work. Their contribution is greatly valued by me, by my fellow MPs on the Committee and by those across the House.
In recent years, IPSA has embarked on a programme of change, focusing on providing a higher-quality, more responsive service and a simpler regulatory framework which helps MPs, and their staff do their work, while commanding public confidence. Getting this right is crucial for a well-functioning Parliament and healthy democracy.
The House of Commons is passionate about providing an environment which promotes inclusion, diversity and equality and I want to attract candidates from as wide a range of backgrounds as possible. Similarly, given the nature of IPSA's work supporting Members in constituencies throughout the United Kingdom, I am keen to encourage applications from candidates from across the country.
I hope that, as you read the papers in this pack, you will see what a fascinating and crucial role the lay members play.
Rt Hon Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP
Speaker
Role specification
Role
Lay Members were added to the Committee as a result of a 2009 report on MPs' expenses and allowances by the Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL). The role of each Lay Member is to:
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- Bring an external view to the deliberations of the Speaker's Committee, drawing on their experience from different walks of life
- Reflect the growing practice in self-regulatory bodies to accept lay membership as a means of widening their horizon, increasing their experience base and strengthening their legitimacy with the public
- Promote greater transparency and independence in the Speaker's Committee's operations
The purpose of the role is to participate as a full voting member of the Speaker's Committee for IPSA, contributing an expert understanding and experience of public, private or not-for-profit sector management and governance.
Description of Duties
Expertly Examine And As Appropriate Challenge
- The proposed estimate of resources presented by the IPSA Board
- Proposed appointments to the IPSA Board, sitting (as required) on selection panels
Make Judgments And Decisions, Taking Into Account
- The operational needs of IPSA, the House and MPs
- The statutory requirement for IPSA to have regard to the principles of efficiency, cost-effectiveness and transparency in carrying out its functions
- The accountability of IPSA and the House to the public
Key Relationships
- The Speaker
- IPSA, in particular the Chair, board members, Chief Executive and senior managers
- The Leader of the House of Commons
- Other Members of the Committee
- Other Members of the House of Commons
- Staff of the Committee and the House's Scrutiny Unit, who assist the Committee in its scrutiny of IPSA's estimates
How to Apply
We have partnered with Nurole to fill this role, all applications must be made directly.
You can apply here: Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority - Lay Member
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