HC Deb 08 December 1976 vol 922 cc192-202W
Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

asked the Lord President of the Council what changes, if any, have been made in salaries and allowances of Members of Parliament in the EEC since the list he published in the Official Report of 29th July 1975.

Mr. Foot

The following table brings up to date the information given on 29th July 1975:

PAY AND ALLOWANCES OF PARLIAMENTARIANS IN EEC COUNTRIES
Basic annual salary Special allowances and concessions Secretarial and office services Travel concessions (on parliamentary business) Postage, telephone services (on parliamentary business)
United Kingdom £5,750 plus £312 supplement. Subsistence allowance of up to £2,038 per annum when member has to stay away from home. Allowance of £385 for Members representing London constituencies. Severance arrangements. Allowance of up to £3,512 per annum for Secretarial or research assistance. Repayment of fare or car allowance for all journeys between home, Westminster and constituency, and with in constituency, and to other locations on constituency business. Limited free travel for wives. Free stationery; free inland telephone and postage service.
Belgium BF 1,194,240 (£19,500) (Basic annual salary for Parliamentarians is indexed). Subsistence allowance of BF 2,500 (£41) per day when on official business. Representational allowance of BF 22,000 (£360) per annum. Supplied by the Government. Free inland rail and bus travel. Use of pool car, but no private car allowence. Free postage and telephone service from parliamentary building.
Denmark Kr 122,972 (£12,500) Subsistence allowance: Residents in or near Copenhagen—Kr 11,396 (£1,200) per year. Others resident in Zealand—Kr 17,391 (£1,800) per year. Residents elsewhare—Kr 33,596 (£3,400) per year. Basic allowances for party groups with nine or more members of Kr 16,837 (£1,700) per month. Party groups with between four and eight members receive Kr 8,531 (£870) per month. In addition all parties receive an allowance per Folketing member of Kr 2,472 (£250) per month. Free inland rail ferry and air travel. Free inland use of telephone from the Folketing and free stationery.
Federal Republic of Germany. Bundestag deputies do not receive salaries. They receive non-taxable allowance instead. 25 per cent. of the basic allowance is deducted at source in order to provide for pension and benefits. Basic allowance is DM 48,480 (£12,100) per annum. Office costs allowance is DM 18,100 (£4,500) per annum. Allowance for daily attendance is DM 18,000 (£4,500) per annum. This allowance is reduced by DM 90 (£22) per day when Deputy is absent from Bonn during a session week with the permission of the President of the Bundestag and by DM 150 (£37) per day without such permission. Travel allowance is DM 12,600 (£3,100) per annum. Included in allowances in previous column. Free travel on German railways. Free use of Bundestag telephones for local and long distance calls.
Basic annual salary Special allowances and concessions Secretarial and office services Travel concessions (on parliamentary business) Postage, telephone services (on parliamentary business)
France Ff 137,600 (£16,600) (linked to senior civil servants). Obliged to contribute 12 per cent. to special superannuation scheme for first 10 years, 6 per cent. thereafter. An additional 25 per cent. of salary is a special allowance. 45 per cent. of salary is exempt from taxation. Limited facilities for sleeping in Assemblee. 10 flats allocated on merit. Loans at privileged rates to buy houses and flats. Each Deputy is provided with an office in National Assembly and Ff 3,700 (£440) per month to hire a secretary plus a similar amount to employ an assistant. The National Assembly meets the national insurance charges. Office furniture and stationery free. Free railway travel at all times. Wives travel half price. In addition Deputies are allowed 80 trips annually by air or wagon-lit between Paris and their constituency (i.e. 40 return journeys). All mail connected with MP's work is franked from the Assemblee. Telephone calls from Parliament to Paris and to constituencies free. There is also a quota of free calls from MP's home.
Italy Lire 14,264,532 (£9,900) Subsistence allowance included in basic salary. None, but tax allowance is made on basic salary. Free travel by rail, plus certain other concessions for members and their families. Free use of telephone for local calls.
Luxembourg Fr Lux 270,000 (£4,400) Members receive subsistence if on parliamentary business. Each parliamentary party receives an allowance for secretarial and office services (at present Fr Lux 83,000 (£1,400) per member). Travel costs reimbursed. Free rail travel within the Grand-Duchy at all times. Free telephone calls from parliamentary building (other office expenses including postage have to be met from office services allowance).
The Netherlands Fls 77,416 (£18,500) plus Fls 30 (£7) per month. Tax free subsistence allowance of Fls 7,825—Fls 15,650 (£1,900–£3,700). Entitlemant to special unemployment benefits, old age pensions etc. An allowance of up to Fls 11,496 (£2,700) per annum for personal assistant. The Government also contribute towards secretarial and office costs. An allowance of Fls 6,625 (£1,600) per annum for inland travel; refunds for travel aboard as for civil servants. Free telephone calls from parliamentary buildings; free postage.
Republic of Ireland £5,403 For country deputies (from constituencies beyond 10 miles radius of the city center) overnight subsistence of £7 per day when attending Dail sittings. For deputies from Dublin constituencies, subsistence of £3 per day when they attend sittings. Allowances are not paid on an individual basis but an annual allowance is made available to each party who is then responsible for the money's disbursement. This sum is allocated in relation to the number of parties forming the Government or the Opposition. The Government also provide a pool of 14 typists to assist deputies. Similar to the United Kingdom. Similar to the United Kingdom, with limit of 300 letters per week.

Owing to fluctuations in exchange rates, sterling equivalents are approximate.

Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

asked the Lord President of the Council if he will publish in the Official Report from international sources available to him the salaries and allowances of Members of Parliament in Canada, Switzerland, Sweden, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the United States of America.

Mr. Foot

The information is as follows:

PAY AND ALLOWANCES OF PARLIAMENTARIANS IN CANADA, SWITZERLAND, SWEDEN, JAPAN, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND AND USA
Basic annual salary Special allowances and concessions Secretarial and office services Travel concessions (on parliamentary business) Postage, telephone services (on parliamentary business)
Canada … $24,000 (£14,000) Allowance of $10,700 (£6,200). Members are provided with 3 secretaries in Ottawa and allowed $7,900 per annum (£4,600) to engage a secretary in constituency. Also receive $3,600 per annum (£2,100) towards cost of renting office space in constituency. Free travel by rail and limited free air travel for Member and wife, inland. Free postage and telephone service; free stationery etc.
Switzerland … Sw.F 10,000 (£2,500) Subsistence, etc. allowance of Sw.F 230 a day (£56) during parliamentary sessions. Free secretarial services Free inland travel Free postage and telephone facilities.
Sweden … Kr 86,800 (£12,400) Expense allowance Kr 3,600 (£514); subsistence allowance Kr 16,800 (£2,400). Government supply secretaries to political parties which allocate them as necessary. Free inland rail and air travel. Free stationery and telephone service only.
Japan … Diet Members: 12.5m. Yen (£25,300). Members with 25 years service or more receive 200,000 Yen (£400) per month in lieu of chauffeur driven car. 421,000 Yen (£850) per month for 2 secretaries. Members from constituencies outside Tokyo: 12,100 Yen per day (£24) during sessions. Documentation and communication expenses of 550,000 Yen (£1,100) per month.
Australia … A$21,250 (£13,000) Constituency allowance of A$6,750 (£4,100) or A$5,400 (£3,300) per annum. Subsistence allowance of A$37 (£23) a day for Canberra visits. Members are provided with an office in their home State, and many engage constituency secretary at public expense. Free inland travel. Limited free travel for wives and children. Facilities for overseas travel. Postage allowance; free telephone service.
New Zealand … NZ $12,121 (£6,600) Basic allowance of $3,290(£1,800). Subsistence allowance of NZ$5 (£3) (day) or NZ$15 (£8) (night) for attendance at parliamentary select committees or party committees. One secretary provided for two Members; research assistants provided for each party. Free inland travel. Concessions for wives and children. Free internal postage during session from Parliament House plus allowance of NZ$10 (£6) per month for other postal charges. Rent free telephone in parliament House and residence; concessions on toll calls and telegrams.
Basic annual salary Special allowances and concessions Secretarial and office services Travel concessions (on parliamentary business) Postage, telephone services (on parliamentary business)
USA … … $44,600 (£26,900) … Considerable fringe benefits, including allowance for rent of district/State offices; reduced life and health insurance etc. Research etc. facilities provided by the Library of Congress. Limited free travel to and from home. Facilities for extensive world-wide travel. Free telephone and telegraph facilities when in Washington and free telephone service at district/State office; allowance for stationery. Free postage.
Owing to fluctuations in exchange rates, sterling equivalents are approximate.