§ Mr. Fernyhoughasked the Minister for the Civil Service how many persons are employed by the EEC; what is their average annual salary and how many holidays they get each year; what is the average yearly salary of the EEC Commissioners; how much of it is subject to tax; and how much they would have to be paid to receive the same net income as they are now receiving if their salaries were subject to British income tax.
§ Mr. Charles R. MorrisThe 1977 budget of the European Communities provides for a total of 13,710 permanent and 568 temporary staff. On the basis of the budgetary provisions the average annual salary per employee is about £8,000. Annual leave allowances range from 24 to 30 working days according to grade and length of service. The emoluments of EEC Commissioners were given by the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in reply to a Question by the hon. Member for Banbury (Mr. Marten) on 19th April 1977. Details of community tax are set out in EEC Regulation No. 260/68 of 29th February 1968 which appeared in the Official Journal of
238Wthe European Communities No. L56 of 4th March 1968 and is available in the House of Commons Library. Not only does the incidence of Community and British income tax vary in differing ways according to the personal circumstances of the individual, but it would in any event be misleading to attempt a simple comparison of gross incomes in view of all the factors which would need to be taken into account including the relative costs of living in Brussels and in the United Kingdom.