§ Mr. Michael McGuireasked the Lord President of the Council (1) what information he has on the method by which salaries, expenses, allowances and pensions of Members of Parliament in EEC and Scandinavian countries are determined, whether fixed by an outside body or related to a particular grade in the Civil Service; and how much of the salary, expenses and allowance is tax free;
556W(2) what information he has for the Parliament of each EEC and Scandinavian country, on the details of Members' pension schemes, such as Members' contributions, minimum years of service needed to qualify for pension and minimum age limit, if any, before pension can be drawn;
(3) what information he has for the Parliament of each EEC and Scandinavian country on any allowance or arrangements for foreign travel for Members which is not controlled by the Government and which is outside the control of such bodies as the Inter- Parliamentary Union and the Council of Europe;
(4) what information he has for the Parliament of each EEC and Scandinavian country on the financial or other assistance given to Members to have an office and staff in their constituencies.
(5) if he will list in the Official Report such information as may be available on the expenses, allowances and pensions payable to Members of EEC Parliaments, expressed in £ sterling.
(6) if he will list in the Official Report such information as may be available on the salaries, expenses, allowances and pensions payable to Members of Scandinavian Parliaments expressed in £ sterling.
§ Mr. FootThe only information readily available on pay and allowances is given in the first table below. These details are not derived from any central source but have to be collected by our embassies in the countries concerned. Disproportionate costs would be incurred in extending the scope of the exercise to provide all the information requested.
The most recent information about pension arrangements for parliamentarians in Scandinavian countries is set out in Appendix E to the First Report of the Review Body on Top Salaries (Cmnd. 4836). Details for Members in EEC countries were contained in my reply to the then hon. Member for Wycombe (Sir J. Hall) on 13th June 1977—Vol. 933, c. 2–4], and are reproduced in the second table below.
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PAY AND ALLOWANCES OF PARLIAMENTARIANS IN EEC COUNTRIES (FEBRUARY 1978) Basic Annual Salary Special Allowances and Concessions Secretarial and Office Services travel Concessions (on Parliamentary business) Postage and Tetephone Services (on Parliamentary business) United Kingdom £6,270 Subsistence allowance of up to £2,534 p.a. when Member has to stay away from home. Allowance of £385 for Members representing London constituencies. Severance arrangements. Allowance of up to £3,687 p.a. for secretarial or research assistance, and office expenses. Repayment of fare or car mileage allowance for all journeys between home, Westminster and constituency, and within constituency Limited free travel for wives Free stationery; free inland telephone and postage service. Belgium 1,332,102 BF (£21,500) — Subsidies payable to each party group in Parliament. Free inland rail and bus travel. No private car allowance. Free postage (limited) and free inland telephone service. Denmark Kr. 128,240 (£11,750) Subsistence allowance: residents in or near Copenhagen—Kr. 12,006 (£1,000) p.a.; others in Zealand—Kr. 18,323 (£1,700) p.a.; others—Kr. 35,395 (£3,250). Allowance per group of between Kr. 105,084 (£9,600), Kr. 205,896 £18,900) p.a. A supplement of Kr. 2,559 (£230) per month for each seat is also payable. Free inland rail ferry and air travel. Free inland use of telephone from the Folketing, and free stationery. Federal Republic of Germany. Dm. 90,000 (£22,700) Dm. 54,000 (£13,600) p.a. to cover (a) complete upkeep of office outside Bundestag; (b)care of the constituency; (c) official travel within FRG; (d) subsistence. Office provided in Bundestag and expenses met (within limits). Car pool. Free travel within FRG Travel outside FRG requires permission of the President. Free postage and telephone service from parliamentary building. 560W
Basic Annual Salary Special Allowances and Concessions Secretarial and Office Services Travel Concessions (on Parliamentary business) Postage and Telephone Services (on Parliamentary business) France 198,000 FF (£21,000) Salary figure includes representational and housing allowances. Limited facilities for sleeping in Assemblee. Loans at privileged rates to buy houses and flats. Office provided in National Assemblee plus FF. 5,300 (£570) per month for a secretary and FF. 4,200 (£450) for an assistant. Free rail travel at all times. Wives travel half price. Free postage. Free telephone calls from Parliament to Paris and constituencies. Quota of free calls from Member's home Free stationery. Italy Lire 17,390,376 (£10,500) Subsistence allowance included in basic salary. Additional daily allowance of Lire 18,000 (£11) for attendance when there is no full session of the Chamber. None, but tax allowance made on basic salary. Free rail travel at all times, plus certain other concessions for deputies and their families. Free local telephone calls. Luxembourg Fr. Lux. 282,000 (£4,500) Members receive subsistence if on Parliamentary business. Allowance payable to parties for secretarial and office services. Fr. Lux. 83,000 (£1,300) 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. 83,591 (£19,530) Subsistence allowance of Fls. 9,373–18,746 (£2,190–£4,380). Entitlement to special unemployment benefits, old age pensions, etc. Up to Fls. 25,036 (£5,850) p.a. for personal assistant. The Government also contribute towards secretarial and office costs. 31–44 cents per km. (1.35p-1 .90p). Free telephone calls from Parliamentary buildings: free postage. Republic of Ireland £6,273 Overnight subsistence of £8.50 for country Deputies and £3 for Dublin Deputies, when attending Dail sittings. Party allowances. Ordinary Deputies have use of typing pool. Similar to United Kingdom. Similar to United Kingdom, with limit of 300 letters per week.