HC Deb 29 July 1975 vol 896 cc468-74W
Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked the Lord President of the Council what are the salaries and conditions of Members of Parliament in the EEC, and to what extent it is the Government's policy to harmonise these salaries and conditions throughout the Community.

Mr. Edward Short,

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 17th June 1975; Vol. 893, c. 429], gave the following information:

I am not aware of any plans within the Community to harmonise the salaries and conditions of parliamentarians in member States.

The following table gives the latest information available on the pay and allowances of parliamentarians in the EEC countries.

Basic Annual Salary Special Allowances and Concessions Secretarial and Office Services Travel Concessions (on Parliamentary Business) Postage, Telephone, Service (on Parliamentary Business)
United Kingdom … £5,750 Subsistence allowance of up to £1,800 p.a. when member has to stay away from home. Allowance of £340 p.a. for members representing London constituencies. An allowance of up to £3,200 p.a. for secretarial or research assistance. Repayment of fare or car allowance for all journeys between home, Westminster and constituency and within constituency, and to other locations on constituency business. Limited free travel for wives. Free stationery; free inland telephone and postage service.
Belgium … BF 1,074,863 (£13,435) (Basic annual salary for Parliamentarians is indexed.) Subsistence allowance of BF 2,500 (£30) per day. Representational allowance of BF 22,000 (£275) per annum. Supplied by the Government. Free inland rail and bus travel. Use of pool car, but no private car allowance. Free postage and telephone service from Parliamentary building.
Denmark … 112,738 KR (£11,270) Subsistence allowance as follows: Residents in or near Copenhagen, 10,037 KR (£1,000) per year. Other residents in Zealand, 15,316 KR (£1,530) per year. Residents elsewhere, 29,588 KR (£2,960) per year. Basic allowance for party groups with more than nine members of 16,149 KR (£1,610) per month. Party groups with between four and eight members receive 8,094 KR (£810) per month. In addition all parties receive an allowance per Folketing member of 2,302 KR (£230) 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 allowances instead. 25 per cent, of the basic allowance is deducted at source to provide for pensions and benefits. Basic allowance is DM 46,200 (£9,240) per annum. Office costs allowance is DM 18,000 (£3,600) per annum. Allowance for daily attendance is DM 18,000 (£3,600) per annum. This allowance is reduced by DM 90 (£18) 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 (£30) per day without such permission. Travel allowance is DM 12,600 (£2,520) per annum (Total DM 94,800 (£18,960) per annum.) See previous column Free travel on German railways. free use of Bundestag telephone for local and long distance calls.
France FF 120,000 per annum (£13,334) 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 of taxation. Limited facilities for sleeping in Assemblee. 10 flats allocated on merit. Loans at privileged rates to buy house and flats. Each Deputy is provided with an office in National Assembly and FF 3,700 (£411) per month to hire a secretary. 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 constituencies (i.e. 40 return journeys). All mail connected with MPs work is franked free at the Assemblee. Telephone calls from Parliament to Paris and to constituency free. There is also a quota of free calls from MP's home

Basic Annual Salary Special Allowances and Concessions Secretarial and Office Services Travel Concessions (on Parliamentary Business) Postage, Telephone, Service (on Parliamentary Business
Italy Lire 13,857,897 (£9,793) 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 200,000 (£2,454) Members receive subsistence if on Parliamentary business. One office and one secretary for each Parliamentary group. Travel costs reimbursed Telephone calls from Parliamentary buildings and postage free.
The Netherlands Fls 67,953 (£12,378) plus Fls 45 (£8.20) monthly. Tax free subsistence allowance of Fls 7,000–14,000 (£1,275–2,550). Entitlement to special unemployment benefits, old age pension, etc. An allowance of up to Fls 8,640 (£1,905) per annum for personal assistant. The Government also contributes towards secretarial and office costs. An allowance of Fls 5,375 (£1,182) per annum for inland travel; refunds for travel abroad as for Civil Servants. Free telephone calls from Parliamentary buildings; free postage.
Republic of Ireland £4,661 For country deputies (from constituencies beyond 10 miles radius of the City centre) overnight subsistence of £5 per day when attending Dial 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 are then responsible for the money's disbursement. This sum is allocated in relation to the number of Parties formin the Government or th Opposition. Similar to the United Kingdom. Similar to the United Kingdom, with a limit of 300 letters a week.