Ministerial and Other Salaries Act 1975

Ministerial and Other Salaries Act 1975^[a]
Act of Parliament
	Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to consolidate the enactments relating to the salaries of Ministers and Opposition Leaders and Chief Whips and to other matters connected therewith.
Citation	1975 c. 27
Territorial extent	United Kingdom
Dates
Royal assent	8 May 1975
Commencement	8 May 1975
Other legislation
Repeals/revokes	Ministerial and other Salaries Act 1972 ;
Amended by	Ministerial and other Maternity Allowances Act 2021 ;
Status: Amended
Text of statute as originally enacted
Revised text of statute as amended

Last updated October 17, 2025

The Ministerial and Other Salaries Act 1975 (c. 27) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that governs the salaries of ministerial and certain other political offices in the UK.

Salaries

The Act also sets out the salaries of government ministers, opposition leaders, opposition whips and the speakers of the two houses of Parliament, as set out below:^[2]^{[Note 1]}

Government ministers

There can be up to 100 paid posts across the following ministerial offices.^[3]

Salary		Office
MP	Not MP	Office
£76,762		Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury
£68,827		Chancellor of the Exchequer
£68,827	£101,038	Secretary of State ^{[Note 2]}
£68,827	£101,038	Cabinet members who hold the offices of: Lord President of the Council, Lord Privy Seal, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Paymaster General, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury or Minister of State ^{[Note 2]}
£33,002	£78,891	Non-Cabinet members^{[Note 3]} who hold the offices of: Lord President of the Council, Lord Privy Seal, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Paymaster General, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury or Minister of State
		Ministers in charge of government departments who are not a member of the Cabinet and who are not eligible for a salary under any other part of the Act
		Financial Secretary to the Treasury
£23,697	£68,710	Parliamentary Secretary ^{[Note 2]}^{[Note 4]} (other than Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury)
£19,239		Junior Lord of the Treasury ^{[Note 2]}
£19,239		Assistant Government Whip, House of Commons ^{[Note 2]}
	£63,537	Lord- or Baroness-in-waiting ^{[Note 2]}

There can also be paid posts in each of the following 9 ministerial offices.^[3]

Salary		Office
MP	Not MP	Office
£68,827	£101,038	Lord Chancellor
£95,772	£105,699	Attorney General for England and Wales
£59,248	£91,755	Solicitor General for England and Wales
£59,248	£91,755	Advocate General for Scotland
£33,002		Treasurer of HM Household
£19,239		Comptroller of HM Household
£19,239		Vice-Chamberlain of HM Household
	£78,891	Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms
	£68,710	Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeoman of the Guard

Opposition leaders and whips

There can be up to 6 paid posts across the following opposition offices.

Salary		Office
MP	Not MP	Office
£63,098		Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons
	£68,710	Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords
£33,002		Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Commons
	£63,537	Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Lords
£19,239		Assistant Opposition Whip, House of Commons ^{[Note 2]}

Speakers in the House of Commons and the House of Lords

There can be 1 paid speaker in each House.

Salary		Office
MP	Not MP	Office
£75,776		Speaker of the House of Commons
	£101,038	Lord Speaker

Limits

The Act explicitly imposes the following numerical limits on the number of ministerial salaries paid.^[4]

Offices	Limit
Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury Chancellor of the Exchequer Secretaries of State Lord President of the Council (if a member of the Cabinet) Lord Privy Seal (if a member of the Cabinet) Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (if a member of the Cabinet) Paymaster General (if a member of the Cabinet) Chief Secretary to the Treasury (if a member of the Cabinet) Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (if a member of the Cabinet) Ministers of State (if a member of the Cabinet)	21
Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury Chancellor of the Exchequer Secretaries of State Lord President of the Council Lord Privy Seal Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Paymaster General Chief Secretary to the Treasury Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury Ministers of State Ministers in charge of government departments who are not a member of the Cabinet and who are not eligible for a salary under any other part of the Act Financial Secretary to the Treasury	50
Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury Chancellor of the Exchequer Secretaries of State Lord President of the Council Lord Privy Seal Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Paymaster General Chief Secretary to the Treasury Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury Ministers of State Ministers in charge of government departments who are not a member of the Cabinet and who are not eligible for a salary under any other part of the Act Financial Secretary to the Treasury Parliamentary Secretaries (other than Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury)	83
Junior Lords of the Treasury	5
Assistant Government Whips, House of Commons	7
Lords- and Baronesses-in-waiting	5

The Act also explicitly imposes the following numerical limit on the number of opposition salaries paid.^[4]

Office	Limit
Assistant Opposition Whips, House of Commons	2

Notes

↑ Section 5(1).
↑ The Acts of Parliament (Commencement) Act 1793.

↑ Some salaries set out in the Act are different depending on whether the office holder is an MP or not. Office holders who are MPs also receive a salary by virtue of that role.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Office explicitly capable of having multiple concurrent salaried holders.
↑ Non-Cabinet members includes any minister designated as attending Cabinet.
↑ Office typically named Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in departments led by a Secretary of State. The equivalent offices in HM Treasury are typically Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury and Commercial Secretary to the Treasury.

References

↑ Joint Committee on the Draft Civil Contingencies Bill (28 November 2003). "Draft Civil Contingencies Bill" (PDF). Parliament . pp. 48–9. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
↑ Ministerial and other Salaries Act 1975, ss 1(2), 1(3), 1(3A), sch 1 and sch 2.
1 2 "Limitations on the number of Ministers" (PDF). Parliament.UK. 6 August 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
1 2 Ministerial and other Salaries Act 1975, sch 1 s 2.

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[1] Section 5(1).

[2] The Acts of Parliament (Commencement) Act 1793.

[5] Some salaries set out in the Act are different depending on whether the office holder is an MP or not. Office holders who are MPs also receive a salary by virtue of that role.

[:0-7] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Office explicitly capable of having multiple concurrent salaried holders.

[8] Non-Cabinet members includes any minister designated as attending Cabinet.

[9] Office typically named Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in departments led by a Secretary of State. The equivalent offices in HM Treasury are typically Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury and Commercial Secretary to the Treasury.

[3] Joint Committee on the Draft Civil Contingencies Bill (28 November 2003). "Draft Civil Contingencies Bill" (PDF). Parliament . pp. 48–9. Retrieved 18 August 2021.

[4] Ministerial and other Salaries Act 1975, ss 1(2), 1(3), 1(3A), sch 1 and sch 2.

[Parliament-6] 1 2 "Limitations on the number of Ministers" (PDF). Parliament.UK. 6 August 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2025.

[:1-10] 1 2 Ministerial and other Salaries Act 1975, sch 1 s 2.

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