European Parliament

HC Deb 17 October 1994 vol 248 cc54-5W

Mr. John Marshall

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the cost of the European Parliament each year since 1989–90; and what amount is included in the draft Budget for 1995.

Mr. David Davis

The outturn for expenditure by the European Parliament each year from 1989–93 in ecu and sterling was:

	ecu	£
1989	381,146,291	256,043,458
1990	429,706,145	306,932,961
1991	488,691,650	342,125,210
1992	579,968,058	425,820,894
1993	624,592,678	486,253,544

The amount in the 1994, as adopted is 665,910,000 or £502,839,236.

The amount in the 1995 draft budget is 693,321,000 or £544,549,953.

Conversion rates for years prior to 1994 are:

Year	£
1989	1 = 1.4886
1990	1 = 1.4000
1991	1 = 1.4284
1992	1 = 1.3620
1993	1 = 1.2845

1994 figures are converted at the rate of £1=1.3243, which is the rate set for UK VAT and fourth resource contributions to the 1994 Community budget. 1995 figures are converted at the rate of £1=1.2732, the rate notified in the Official Journal as prevailing on the last working day of last month — 30 September 1994.

Mr. John Marshall

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the current allowances payable to Members of the European Parliament.

Mr. David Davis

Applicable as of 1 January 1994 the following are payableTelephone and fax — unlimited use from offices in Strasbourg. Travel allowances — Within the Union these are calculated by a flat rate of 0.76 ecu or £0.57 for every km up to 400 km and 0.38 ecu or £0.29 for every km thereafter. Outside the Union, MEPs are reimbursed the actual cost of the return air fare by the most direct route; first class travel is allowed only for journeys exceeding nine hours. MEPs receive a daily allowance of 103.0 ecu or £77.78 while on official business. Subsistence - for meetings outside the Union, MEPs receive one half of the normal allowance, plus the reimbursement of the actual cost of hotel room and breakfast. General expenses - 2,830.0 ecu or £2,136.98 per month. Office and Secretarial assistance - 7,737.0 ecu or £5,842.33 per month.