§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that Members of the European Parliament receive tax-free salaries, tax-free first-class travel, secretarial and other tax-free allowances worth £20,000 per annum on a taxed basis; whether Members of the House of Peers who are Members of the European Parliament are able also to claim their tax-free attendance and first-class travel in addition to these amounts; and what these total emoluments are worth on a taxed basis to Peers who have a taxed income of £5,000 per annum.
§ Mr. Robert SheldonIf the allowances paid to United Kingdom Members of the European Parliament exceed necessary expenditure a charge to tax is made on the excess. Members of the House of Lords are not taxed on the reimbursement of the expenses which they incur in attending the House, and those eligible356W to claim such expenses may do so whether or not they receive remuneration or allowances from any other source. It is not possible to quantify the worth of these allowances because they vary with the number of attendances and the expenses incurred.