THE cost of peers' expenses and daily attendance allowance increased by 29% last year, new analysis has found. 

Sunday Times research revealed just how much money unelected Tory, Labour and LibDem peers raked in over the year until last March – whether they contributed to speeches or not...

Peers are currently paid the daily tax-free £313 for showing up to the House, though this will soon rise to £323. They are also eligible to claim travel expenses for themselves and their families.

While former first minister Jack McConnell was the Scottish peer with the biggest bill in 2018-19, his party colleague Irene Adams was one of 110 peers to make no spoken or written contribution to the House during the period. 

The former Labour MP for Paisley North charged the taxpayer £52,252 for her 120 appearances in the Lords.

That's around 70% more than the average full-time UK worker earns in a year (£30,420).

Baroness Adams served as an MP for Paisley North from 1990 to 2005, when the constituency was abolished.

READ MORE: 'Undemocratic': Scottish members of House of Lords claim thousands

Adams is no stranger to criticism over her expenses in the Lords, as she took the title of second-most expensive peer in 2008/09 after claiming £66,896.

During that period she attended on 143 days and voted 318 times, but she also gave no spoken contribution to the House. 

In 2009 she received criticism after claiming £140 a month getting her office windows cleaned.

On her appointment to the House of Lords, colleagues praised her "powerful" maiden speech on the subject of the West Lothian Question. However, she has not been a prolific speaker since then.

Speaking to a local paper when she received her peerage, Adams claimed she would "make the most" of being in the Lords.

Other Scottish peers with few speaking appearances were former deputy FM Nicol Stephen, who claimed £62,167 for attending 136 sessions but spoke just four times, and Michelle Mone, who raked in £12,200 for 44 appearances but spoke twice.