To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the rise of £13,000 per annum in the salaries of Members of the European Parliament will apply to United Kingdom MEPs; and whether their salaries will be exempt from United Kingdom taxation. [HL2939]

After the European elections this June, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) will receive a common salary to be paid in euros under the MEPs' statute regardless of their member state. The salary will be set at 38.5 per cent of the basic salary of a judge at the Court of Justice of the European Communities. At present, this is €7,665 gross per month.

Serving UK MEPs who are re-elected in June will, however, have an individual choice whether to be paid under the MEPs' statute or to continue to be paid under the current system that gives them the same salary as Members of Parliament.

For those UK-resident MEPs who will be subject to the statute provisions, UK tax will be applied to salaries after giving credit for Community tax deducted at the time of payment. This will prevent double taxation while ensuring that the salaries will be taxed in the same way as the salaries of their constituents. Existing UK MEPs who are able to opt out of the statute will continue to be taxed in the UK in the normal way.