SCIPSA Lay Member

About Speaker’s Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority - House of CommonsIPSA 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.

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:

• 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

Open to UK nationals only.

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

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.