MPs will be allowed to claim expenses for their interns, following a change of heart by the parliamentary expenses body.
Under the original guidelines set out by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa), MPs were not permitted to pay interns expenses out of their staffing budget.
The rules included the requirement to provide interns with contracts of employment, which would require the payment of the National Minimum Wage – which many MPs said they could not afford to do.
But responding to representations from MPs, their staff and the public, Ipsa has today ruled that MPs will now be able to submit claims for "incidental expenses" for interns.
In making their ruling Ipsa said: "Interns and volunteers develop skills and experience in the political arena, and MPs receive assistance in their parliamentary functions.
"For this reason, IPSA will allow MPs to claim incidental expenses for interns or volunteers if they meet certain conditions."
"MPs may submit claims for incidental expenses, which are limited to reasonable travel, food, and non-alcoholic beverages. Claims will be charged to MPs’ staffing expenditure budget."
And the expenses regime accepted a frequent concern that if MPs cannot offer to cover interns’ expenses, only those individuals who can support themselves will be able to afford to work as interns.
But the parliamentary staff union has warned that the decision represented a "backwards step" as in practice many interns perform the role of a proper member of staff, and as such are entitled to earn the minimum wage.
The union has called for an "interns fund" to be set up in order to pay interns a living wage or London living wage.
Louise Haigh, secretary of the Unite parliamentary staff branch, said: “We know that parliamentary interns have been laxly monitored by the House authorities in past years and that many have been exploited.
"Ipsa needs to recognise that there is a standard three-month unpaid internship model adopted by MPs that is considered a prerequisite to getting a paid job in Parliament and for which National Minimum Wage law should apply.
She added: “An Interns Fund is necessary because at the moment only those who can afford to work for free for months on end have the opportunity to work in Parliament.
The union points out that 65 MPs have so far signed an early day motion calling for the establishment of such a fund.
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd