§ Mr. Martenasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will express in £ sterling the net annual income of an EEC Commissioner exclusively from his income from that office and excluding other income, based on his basic salary, less household allowance, dependent children allowance, education allowance for two dependent children, social security payments, after taxation (wife not working) and including his residence and entertainment allowances; and if he will also express in £ sterling his annual retirement pension based on five years' service.
§ Mr. JuddI refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 24th May—[Vol. 932, c.429-30]. As to pensions, the position is that a member of the Commission retiring after five years' service 523W would receive for the first three years after his retirement a so-called "Transitional Allowance" amounting after deduction of tax to 1,250,172 Belgian francs (£20,164) per annum. During these three years the Commissioner would continue to receive household, family and education allowances. Subsequently, assuming he has reached the age of 65, he would receive a pension amounting, after deduction of tax and social security payments, to 626,052 Belgian francs or £10,098 per annum. A retired Commissioner who completes the three-year transitional period at an age between 60 and 65 will receive a proportionally lower pension. The figures given apply to the case of an ex-Commissioner still residing in Belgium; the conversions into £ sterling have been made at the commercial rate of 62 Belgian francs=£1 and the same remarks apply as in my answer referred to above.