Silent minority: 15 peers claimed £585,000 while not speaking in a single Lords debate

Fifteen members of the House of Lords did not say a word in the chamber, sit on a committee or hold a government post in the last parliament, while between them claiming more than £500,000 in allowances.

- Michael Goodier

Analysis by the Guardian has revealed the extent to which some members of the upper chamber do little or no parliamentary work.

Peers can claim a £361 allowance for every day they turn up. They do not have to vote, speak or work beyond entering the building to be able to claim the money. They can also claim travel expenses.

Fifteen peers claimed a total of £585,985 in allowances and expenses in the last parliament despite not speaking or doing other committee work. Only three of the 15 sent a written question to the government in that time. All but one voted, on average taking part in a third of voting days.

The figures cover the 2019 parliament, which sat until last summer, and exclude peers appointed for fewer than 50 sitting days by the end of the parliament. Just 10% of lords made more than half of all debate contributions. Removing the quietest half of peers would reduce the allowances and expenses bill by 28%, the analysis suggests.